BACKTRACKER by Milo Fowler (e book reader txt) 📕

Kuan paused, holding his gaze. "This boy was not alone whenhe saw you murder his father. There was another, a man who will come lookingfor the boy. And it is this man, a dangerous one, you will have to reckon withwhen the time comes."

"Right now I'm reckoning with you, Mr. Ti."

"Indeed you are, Mr. Lennox. And allow me to say I fullyrealize that my life is in your hands. Cyrus Horton was not the first personyou have ended in pursuit of your own interests, and I now stand in his place.My life is expendable. As is this boy's. Yet know this: if you kill either ofus, it will be your undoing. You will reap the whirlwind, indeed." He tooka step forward, lowering his voice. "But it need not be this way."

Finally. Lennox arched his brow with mock interest.

"You alone can save this city and its people," Kuansaid. "There is no one else in your position. Despite your checkered past,you have been chosen by the Master for such a time as this. Like any man, youare capable of great evil, but that is not all. You have proven that you aremore than a mere gangster. You have reinvented yourself, and you stand at thebrink of historical greatness. If you put your misdeeds behind you and committo use your power and influence for good here in NewCity, for the saving ofmany souls now addicted to the Link and all of its vices, then my brother and Ican give you our word. Neither this boy nor his protector will ever harm yourreputation in any way."

Lennox smiled, amused. "So that's the best you can come upwith? My reputation?" He shook his head, annoyed. "Please. Thefact that I've never allowed anyone to stand in my way is a major keystone ofmy reputation. Really, Mr. Ti. You should have done your homework before tryingthis stunt."

The holy man tucked his hands into the sleeves drooping across hismiddle and bowed his head. "I have said what I must. It lies within yourpower, Mr. Lennox, to rescue NewCity's people from their Linked prisons. But ifyou would not be this city's savior...then do with me as you will."

He stood as one awaiting his execution. Lennox didn't plan todisappoint. But first there was a matter to clarify, something noteworthy themonk had shared during his futile, self-righteous tirade.

"Who is he, this fellow you spoke of?" Lennox glanceddown at the boy. The mandroid would dispose of him as well. "This boy's protector?"

Kuan did not raise his head. "I only saw him take the childoff the street after your machines killed his father. To protect him fromyou."

"You said he was dangerous. You must know more."

"I cannot say."

Lennox clenched his jaw, and the muscle twitched. Cannot, orwill not? "It would be prudent to answer me."

"I am a dead man already, Mr. Lennox. What is the ancient Westernsaying? Dead men tell no tales."

Cute.

"As you wish." Lennox looked at the palmof his hand as his fingers uncurled. The silver sheen of the cigarette lighterinspired a smile to play on his lips. Why not? "I'd like to showyou something now, Mr. Ti. To return the favor."

Kuan did not respond.

Lennox stepped forward. He flipped the cap off the lighter and theflame leapt upward hungrily. He looked down into the flickering light for justa moment as he drew close to the holy man.

"Look here."

With his head bowed, it was impossible to tell if Kuan's eyes wereopen or closed. Lennox moved the flame under his nose, close enough to singethe short hairs in his nostrils. Kuan drew back with a sudden start.

"I do not smoke!"

Lennox smirked at that. "Neither do I."

He grabbed Kuan by the throat and squeezed, lifting him ontohis toes.

"Gaze into the light with me, Mr. Ti. Tell me what yousee." He held the lighter between their faces and tightened his grip untilKuan's darting eyes came to reflect the flickering flame in their constrictingpupils. "Now watch closely..."

The holy man's hands clawed at the grip on his throat. He wheezed,unable to breathe. But he looked. And as he gazed into the flame spurting upfrom the lighter, Kuan Ti noticed the air around him change. It moved likewater, reflecting and refracting the light of the restroom. A substance betweenmirror and glass, some sort of otherworldly mercurial fluid that rippled inplace, standing there expectantly as if it had been summoned.

"Like what you see?" Lennox hissed with a malevolentgrin.

Kuan felt the pressure against his throat tighten, and thenhe was hurled across the room. A blast of bone-aching cold swept over himbefore he hit the floor, as though he had passed through a ring of fire—no, frost.He had never felt anything like it. Broken tiles slick with fresh urine andvomit met his hands as he caught himself, falling hard.

Lennox stood backlit against fluorescent tubes that flickeredabove cracked mirrors. He laughed at Kuan."Welcome to The Pit, Mr. Ti!"

As if on cue, men in the stalls nearby emptied their stomachs intothe toilets in unison, missing, slopping the foul contents onto the floorinstead, groaning in a chorus dedicated to the wonders of the latestpharmaceutical cocktail. Kuan cringed, his eyes wide and darting, mouth gaping,unable to articulate a single word.

"There should be no shortage of potential converts for youhere!" Lennox said.

Kuan swallowed, his throat dry, tight. "What... What sort ofdevilry is this?" He gasped, unable to rise. "What is thisplace?"

Lennox folded his arms and shrugged. "I like to think of itas the other side—has a certain ring to it.What do you say?" He capped the lighter,extinguishing the flame.

The other men in the restroom erupted again, gagging and spitting.One staggered out of his stall and managed tomake it to the sink before he doubled over violently with another bout. Oblivious to the club's owner or the monkcowering on the floor behind him, he looked like a wayward youth. Pale, pierced,tattooed and unwashed. A zombie.

"What have you done? Where—?" Kuan was having difficultyaccepting the reality of the situation. "What have you done with theboy?"

"As if you care. He was only a means to an end, wasn'the?"