At the Martineztown station, David turned to her and put his hand to her, palm out.
Okay, thank you, he said. Now just stay here, and Ill be right back.
Whats going on here, kid? Aunt Bobbie asked.
Nothing. Dont worry about it. Just wait for me here, and Ill be right back.
Aunt Bobbie crossed her arms. All warmth was gone from her face. A bright flare of resentment lit Davids mind. He didnt have time to reassure her.
Just wait, he said sharply, then spun on his heel and hurried off. A few seconds later, he risked a glance back over his shoulder. Aunt Bobbie hadnt moved. Her crossed arms and disapproving scowl could have been carved into stone. The LEDs of the tube station turned her into a black silhouette. David turned the corner, and she was gone. His satchel bounced against his hip, and he ran. It wasnt more than fifty meters before he was winded, but he pushed on the best he could. He didnt have time. Hutch might be there already.
And in point of fact, he was.
The crates had been rearranged. All them were stacked against the walls, packed tight so that no one and nothing could hide behind them. The only exception was a doubled stack standing to Hutchs left and right like bodyguards. Like the massive sides of a great throne. Hutch stood in the shadows between them, a thin black cigarette clinging to his lip. His yellow shirt hung loose against his frame, and the muscles of his arms each seemed to cast their own shadows. The brushed black pistol in his hand made his scars seem like an omen.
Leelee knelt in front of him, in the center of the room, hugging herself. Her hair was lank and greasy looking. Her skin was pale except right around her eyes where the rash-red of crying stained her. She was wearing a mans shirt that was too big for her and a pair of work pants stained by something dark and washed pale again. When David cleared his throat and stepped into the room, her expression went from surprise to despair. David wished like hell hed thought to stop at a bathroom.
Hey there, little man, Hutch said. The insincerity of his casualness was a threat. Now then, there was something you wanted to see me about, yeah?
David nodded. The thickness in his throat almost kept him from speaking.
I want to buy her, David said. Buy her debt.
Hutch laughed softly, then took a drag on his cigarette. The ember flared bright and then dimmed.
Pretty sure we covered that already, Hutch said, and the words were smoke. You dont have that kind of cash.
A quarter. You said I had a quarter.
Hutchs eyes narrowed and he tilted his head to the side. David dropped his satchel to the floor and slid it toward Leelee with his toe. She reached out a thin hand toward it.
If you touch that bag, I will end you, Hutch said to Leelee, and she flinched back. How about you tell me what thats supposed to be?
I cooked a batch. A big one. The biggest Ive ever done, David said. Mostly, its 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine. I did a run of 5-hydroxytryptophan too since I didnt need to order anything extra to do it. And 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-bromophenethylamine. Some of that too. I got all the reagents myself. I did all the work. Its got to be worth more than four times what I put into it, and you get all of it free. Thats the deal.
You, Hutch said, then paused, bit his lip. When he spoke again, he had a buzz of outrage in his voice. You cooked a batch.
Its got plenty. Lots.
You. Stupid. Fuck, Hutch said. Do you have any idea how much trouble you just handed me? How am I going to move that much shit? Whos going to buy it?
But you get it free.
Hutch pointed the gun at the satchel.
I flood the market, and the prices go down. Not just for me. For everybody. You understand that? Everyone. People start coming up from Dhanbad Nova because they hear weve got cheap shit. All the sellers up there start wondering what I mean by it, and Ive got drama.
You could wait. Just hold on to it.
Im going to have to, right? Only it gets out that Im sitting on an egg like that, someone gets greedy. Decides maybe its time to take me on. And boom, I got drama again. Cut it how you want, kid. You just fucked me.
He didnt know, Hutch, Leelee said. She sounded so tired.
Hutchs pistol barked once, shockingly loud in the small space. A gouge appeared in the floor next to Leelees knee like a magic trick. She started crying.
Yeah, Hutch said. I didnt think you wanted to interrupt me again. David, youre a sweet kid, but youre dumb as a fucking bag of sand. What you just handed me here? Its a problem.
ImIm sorry. I just
And its going to require a littleHutch took a drag on his cigarette and raised the pistol until David could see him staring down the black barrelrisk management.
The air in the room changed as the door behind him opened. He turned to look, but someone big moved past him too fast to follow. Something quick and violent happened, the sounds of a fight. David was hit in the back, hard. He pitched forward, unable to get his hands out fast enough to stop his fall. His head bounced off the sealed stone floor, and for a breathless second, he was sure hed been shot. Been killed. Then the fight ended with Hutch screaming, crates crashing. The crackle of plastic splintering. David rose to his elbows. His nose was bleeding.
Aunt Bobbie stood where Hutchs crate shelter had been. She had the pistol in her hand and was considering it with a professional calm. Leelee had scooted across the floor toward David, as if to seek shelter behind him. Hutch, his cigarette gone, was cradling his right hand in his left. The index finger of his right handhis trigger fingerstood off at an improbable angle.
Who the fuck are you! Hutch growled. His voice was low. Feral.
Im Gunny Draper, Aunt Bobbie said, ejecting the clip. She cleared the chamber and grabbed the thin brass glimmer out of the air. So we should talk about this.
Leelee pressed her hand against Davids arm. He shifted, gathered her close against him. She smelled rankbody odor and smoke and something else he couldnt identifybut he didnt care. Aunt Bobbie pressed something, and the top of the gun slipped off the grip.
Whatve you got to say to me, dead girl? Hutch asked. His voice didnt sound as tough as he probably hoped. Aunt Bobbie pulled the barrel out of the gun and tossed it into a corner of the room, in the narrow space between some crates and the wall. She didnt look up from the gun, but she smiled.
The boy made a mistake, she said, but he treated you with respect. He didnt steal from you. He didnt try to track the girl down on his own. He didnt go to security. He didnt even try to sell the product and get the money.
Leelee shivered. Or maybe David did and it only seemed like it was her. Hutch scowled, but a thoughtful look stole into his eyes.
Aunt Bobbie plucked a long, thin bit of metal out of the gun and then a small black spring and tossed both behind a different crate. Youre a tough guy in a tough business, and I respect that. Maybe youve killed some people. But youre also a businessman. Rational. Able to see the big picture. She looked up at Hutch, smiled, and tossed him the grip of his gun. So heres what Im thinking. Take the bag. Sell it, bury it. Drop it in the recycler. Its yours. Do what you want with it.
Would anyway, Hutch said, but she ignored him.
The girls debts paid, and David walks away. Hes out. You dont come for him, he doesnt come for you. I dont come for you, either. She tossed him the empty top half of his gun, and he caught it with his uninjured hand. From where David was, hunched on the floor, both of them looked larger than life.
Girls nothing, Hutch said. All drama and easy to replace. Boys something special, though. Good cooks cant be swapped out just like that.
Aunt Bobbie started working the bullets out of the magazine with one thumb, dropping each one into her wide, powerful palm. Everyones replaceable in work like yours. Youve got four or five like him already I bet. She took out the last of the bullets and put them in her pocket, then passed him the empty magazine. Davids the one that got away. No disrespect. Not a risk to the operation. Just worked out until it didnt. Thats the deal.