Chapter 16: Chapter 13

A slight detour, he was sure. A sentiment Colin became less sure of with each passing second, especially with the half-dozen scavs wielding makeshift weapons that surrounded them. Each wore a chainmail hood, though the actual material differed greatly between them, whether actual metal or wood or plastic. 

“I thought you said the path was safe?” Colin hissed, hand hovering over his revolver. 

Growling, Caitlin crouched down, prepared to leap. “I said usually.” 

“Well, well, what do we have here?” The scavs separated, a woman stepping in between them, wringing her gloved hands. “A suit being led by a half-breed? Now I have seen everything.” Her handsome face twisted as she sneered, links of tiny chains dangling from her bare scalp, resembling a well-done bob cut. “Usually, I would just have you two killed, but I must admit, I’m curious as to what’s going on here. So, would you two like to explain why you’re trespassing on my turf?” 

“Sightseeing,” Caitlin said. 

Colin pinched his nose, sighing. 

“Ah, so we’re going to be doing it like that.” The woman looked the two up and down, pursing her lips. “Okay, look. There’s more of us, and we would clearly kill you two. But, given that I really don’t feel like getting into it with the only person here who has a gun, how about you just tell me what you’re doing here? To sate my curiosity, of course. Then I’ll decide whether you turn around or we duke it out.” 

Colin shared a look with Caitlin, the self-assurance in her eyes calming the detective. “Go ahead,” he said. 

Straightening her shoulders, Caitlin faced the chain-haired woman. “We’re here to see the Doctor.” 

The playfulness fell from the woman’s face, replaced by a stern understanding. “I see... well, I’m certainly not going to risk losing men over something like this, but I also can’t let you just go wandering around.” 

"What, you don’t believe us?” Colin let his hand drift from his gun, a placating gesture. 

The woman shook her head, “No, that’s not it. A pair as weird as you two? I can believe it. But, as you can imagine, it’s hard enough keeping a foothold down here without two more unknowns wandering about and stirring up my men.” She motioned to the half-dozen scavs standing around her, tense and ready for action. “So, here’s what we’ll do. I’ll lead you through the sewers, get you to an exit nice and safe, and leave you to do your business up above.” 

Caitlin sneered, “Well, that’s sure nice of-” 

“But,” the woman interrupted, “you have to pay. Give me something, each of you, that will... persuade me. Kindness needs to be repaid with kindness, after all.” 

Colin clenched his jaw, “A toll, then. I suppose that’s fair.” 

Growling, Caitlin pulled the watch from Mr. Letterman’s shop, tossing it at the gang leader. “Fine, here.” 

She snatched it within a thick leather glove, looking it over with rapacious eyes. “Oh my, now this is quite the beauty. The glass has a crack, but it works! Ha ha ha! Where’d you get this little thing, girly? Steal it off another scav, or maybe it was a mishandled gift from the suit?” 

“Neither, now shut it.” Caitlin cracked her neck, eye twitching. 

“Fine, fine, I get it. A girl must have her secrets.” Pocketing the watch, the chain-haired woman looked at Colin. “And what about you, suit? Can always take that little boom stick off your hands for you.” 

“Sorry, but the gun stays with me.” Colin chewed his lip, thinking over what he had on him. Giving them his gun would just be plain stupid, and he doubted that his cigs would be of much worth to them, especially half crumpled. His lighter? No, not in a million years. Which left... “Damn it,” he muttered, pulling out his badge and showing it off. “Would this be worth anything to you?” 

The woman stepped forward, leaning in for a closer look, cupping her chin and humming. “It’s definitely well made. Nice bit of steel in that too. Not much use to us though; ain’t no one going to believe that we’re suits, even with it.” She frowned, tilting her head back, her humming quieting to a murmur. “Yeah, sure, I’ll take it.” Swiping the badge from his hand, the woman tossed it to one of her subordinates. “Hey Dale, when you have some time, see if you can find anyone who would be interested in collecting something like that. If not, have it smelted into a really nice knife for me.” Her grin spread as she turned back to the two, “Alright, well, follow me. Name’s Sam, by the way.” 

* * *

Sam kept her promise, leading the two through the sewers, though Colin didn’t let his hand stray too far from his revolver. She separated herself from her initial group of scavs, but they passed several pairs patrolling the underground during their short trip, the woman never truly by herself. 

“So,” Colin started, “seems like you run a pretty tight operation down here. How long have you guys been down here?” 

“A curious one, aren’t you?” Sam glanced over her shoulder, smiling back at him. “Suppose that’s your job though, ain’t it? We moved in here about two weeks ago, flushing out Reaver’s boys while we were at it. Seems like a run went bad and they got jumped by some rats; nasty buggers, those. Either way, we don’t plan on holding the sewers for too much longer. Once we’ve got a good haul, we’ll head out and let whatever bunch of fools want to hold this place die.” 

“Reaver’s dead?” Caitlin asked. 

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Sam nodded, “Yeah, the poor bastard. Always liked him, too. Dumb as a rock, but you’d never find a more confident man. A mutie took his hook too, which was a real shame.” She shrugged. “Oh well, confidence isn’t too far from stupidity; something was bound to happen to him.” 

Colin heard the splashing of running water off in the distance, his head snapping down a corridor as they passed by. “I thought these sewers were shut off from the rest of the slums?” 

“Oh, they are for the most part,” Sam said. “Too many blockages to travel the rest of the city this way, and just enough to keep most of the larger muties trapped inside. But there’s a sewage plant that still runs. The Doctor keeps it in one piece, for some reason. Lotta work just to take a shit, if you ask me.” 

No one had asked, but Colin kept that thought to himself. “Is that where this Doctor is hiding out?” 

“Oh, gods no!” Sam scowled at the suggestion. “He’d be long dead if that were the case. No, no, he’s smarter than that. Besides, place smells worse than the cemetery. He checks in and keeps it running, and barely at that.” 

“You’ve met him yourself then?” 

“He makes himself known,” Sam nodded to another pair of her men, Colin and Caitlin ignoring the unsubtle stares. “Well, if you cause trouble, at least. Which, hey, starting a big ole’ fight down here is something he definitely counts as-” 

Something screamed, a powerful rage beating down at their ears, moving down the tunnel like a physical force. The trio froze, Colin drawing his pistol, Sam her sharpened pipe, and Caitlin her claws. Listening closer, the powerful roaring was beaten against the skittering of a hundred feet. 

“Go back,” Sam whispered. “We’ll head for the sewage plant.” 

They ran, the three fleeing with the mixing sounds of death pounding behind them. Down the path they had passed by only moments before, the rushing water soon overpowering their footsteps, the smell choking, seeping into their clothes. Another reason to wash them when he got back, Colin thought. 

Sam directed whoever they passed to alert the rest of her men, to pull back somewhere safe, and to stay alive. She didn’t say what they were running from, and Colin didn’t care to ask. Not even as they scaled the ladder and pushed through to the surface. The smell alleviated slightly, feces and urine replaced by heavy chemicals, dust, and rot. 

Sam went first, hauling up Caitlin, then Colin. 

Above ground, the dead city came to life, a cacophony of howls, roars, and squeals mixing into a single droning note. Rubble covered the streets, buildings lacking any kind of maintenance, collapsed on top of one another or baring human-sized holes. Walking several meters in any direction resulted in crushing bones beneath one’s feet, whatever carrion eaters around having scarfed down both flesh and muscle until none remained. 

“Alright,” Sam said, one foot already back in through the manhole. “Go meet the Doctor, get whatever it is you need, and then come right back. Maybe we’ll see each other again and I can say a proper goodbye.” Then she dropped into the tunnel, pulling the cover over as she disappeared, the jangling of her chainmail hair gone with her. 

“I like her,” Caitlin declared. 

Tilting his head to the side, Colin couldn’t help but agree. “She didn’t try to kill us, that certainly counts for something today. Who knows, maybe whatever is down there won’t kill her and you can make a new friend.” 

Caitlin scowled, “I doubt it. Not killing you seems like a piss poor reason to become friends. Especially after she basically robbed us.” She sighed, patting the pocket where the watch had been. “Was hoping to trade that later, maybe for some good food.” 

“I know it was a decent watch, but it’s not that big of a loss, is it?” Colin scanned their surroundings, gun still at the ready. 

“You’re kidding, right?” She looked at him as though he were an idiot. “Tiny clocks like that are incredibly valuable, especially when you can’t see the sun or moon, yet still have curfews.” 

Colin stood silent for a moment, the lenses of his gas mask piercing Caitlin. “Is that why you took that pocket watch from the warehouse earlier?” 

Taking a step back, she glared at him, hand instinctually going for where she had stored the time piece. “I... You saw that? And didn’t say anything earlier?” 

“I didn’t think it relevant to the case, so I allowed it.” Colin smiled, his grin bleeding through into his tone. “Also, you’re not as subtle as you think.” 

Huffing, Caitlin stomped off. “Come on then! I don’t want to be caught out here being not subtle.” 

The dead city cried around them, their footsteps just another note in the melody of death that now enveloped them. Glass cracked, rocks tumbled, bones snapped, old metal squealed. Every sound wrapped around one another, masking predator and prey, a hundred and a thousand eyes watching the two slink into the shadows. 

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