Run (6 page)

Nan chuckled. “If I thought you’d make me money, I’d hire you even if you had ebola. But obviously, that’s not the issue. Look, I’m going to save you the trouble of looking for employment anywhere else because they’ll tell you the same thing. You’ve been flagged which means if anyone hires you, they risk being shut down. The inspectors come around here and do random scans of the girls, mainly to get their cut of the action. But every now and then, one of them actually decides to do their job and they check the girls to make sure they’re eligible to work. You, my dear, are not.”

“How is that possible? How can you tell?”

Nan reached back and casually tapped the rest of her cigarette in a crystal ashtray resting on the desk. “Your VC gives a reading of more than just your overall health. It also tells any of your potential employers whether you’ve been a bad girl.”

Aya’s heart plummeted to her feet. It had long been rumored that the vitals chip people had implanted at birth was used as just another tool to keep people in her position oppressed. What started out to be a great scientific achievement seemed to have taken a more sinister turn. Its original purpose was to detect any illnesses or potential problems before they became huge issues.

Later when a person received employment or received an inheritance, the chip could be updated to keep track of a person’s credits which could be used to purchase goods and services. With just a scan, credits could be added or deducted. Aya had already figured the chip also served as some kind of tracking system to easily locate someone, if necessary. What she didn’t realize until this moment was that the conspiracy theorists were right all along. Information could be coded on to these chips that could literally ruin their lives.  Still, she couldn’t help saying out loud, “This isn’t happening. My vitals chip is only supposed to—”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s only supposed to do what they told you it would. If you believe that shit, you’re a lot more naïve than I thought. Maybe it’s better for you that you’re ineligible. Could you handle any of this?” Nan made a sweeping gesture to the holograms scattered throughout the room. “Take a look around at this place. I know my establishment doesn’t have the best reputation but my clients don’t come here for clean sheets and fresh-faced whores. They come because we give them what they want and sometimes what they want is perverted, nasty stuff. Shit that would make most people avoid eye contact with each other the next day. Get out of here, little girl. With your face and body, maybe you can find a wealthy patron…if they’re rich enough to take on whoever has it out for you.” She produced another cigarette and placed it between her lips.

The sting of tears nearly blinded Aya as she quickly dressed. This was probably the most humiliating experience of her life but she didn’t have the luxury of wallowing in self-pity. She had to figure out what her next move was and quick. As she was almost out of the room she heard Nan say, “It’s a shame Marion. She would have been quite popular here.”

As Aya hurried down the hall, she ran into Fay who had stepped out from behind one of the numerous doors. “Didn’t work out for you, huh?” Fay almost sounded relieved.

Aya had no time to entertain her and kept moving. It wasn’t until she was outside and several feet away from the Pleasure Dome that she started to hyperventilate. Short of begging in the street, she was out of options.

It took several moments and a couple curious passersby asking if she was okay, before Aya could get her breathing under control. She walked the few miles back to the bar, feeling completely hopeless. In no mood to entertain anyone, she barely greeted Mac who was standing outside of her building.

When he saw her, he grasped her by the forearm. “Where have you been? What’s the matter?”

“Mac, I’m not in the mood right now. I’d rather be left alone.”

“Actually, I have something for you. You got a letter. The PDS guy was going to drop it in front of the door but you know how mail disappears around here if you don’t snatch it up right away, especially if someone thinks there’s some credits inside.” He handed her an envelope.

She frowned, taking it from him. The Postal Delivery Service rarely delivered to this part of town. Usually, if someone wanted to pick up anything that might have been sent to them, they’d have to go directly to one of the hubs. Aya usually made the trip across town every other week. She turned the envelope which looked to be made of fancy parchment paper. Her name and address were on the front but there was no return address. She never received mail. Everything was usually addressed to her uncle.

“Are you going to open it?”

“Not now, Mac, I need to be alone right now.”

“You know, I could have kept an eye on the bar while you were gone. You didn’t have to close it up.”

She knew her friend meant well, but her already frazzled nerves were making it hard to remain civil. “I appreciate the offer but there’s really no point in staying open if no one is coming in. Haven’t you heard? This bar is no longer the place to be.”

“But why? What’s going on? You won’t tell me. And word on the street is that your uncle may get a life sentence but no one knows for what.”

“I didn’t realize I have to report my every life event to you. The liquor license was not renewed so we can’t sell alcohol, the bank is calling in the mortgage, my uncle’s been arrested and I’ve been busting my ass trying to find a job and most of the places I’ve been looking haven’t been the nicest of places. So pardon the fuck out of me, if I haven’t reported to you!”

Mac recoiled as if she’d slapped him. The hurt in his eyes was evident and on the inside, she felt horrible but after the rotten month she’d had, it felt good to vent some of her frustrations.

“I didn’t realize,” he said softly.

She sighed pulling out her keys and unlocking the door. “Look Mac, I’m really sorry but I have to go.”

Before Aya could get inside, Mac took her arm and pulled her around until she was engulfed in his arms. He squeezed her against him. “Aya, I’m your friend and I want to help you.”

She was tempted to remain in Mac’s embrace and give in to its comfort but she couldn’t drag him into the mess she was in. Mac couldn’t help her. He was barely getting by himself. She seriously doubted anyone could help her. Aya placed her hands against his chest and gently pushed him away. “I appreciate it but there’s nothing you can do.”

“Aya, I care about you, more than you—”

“I know Mac. I care about you, too. You’re my friend and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

“No, that’s not what I meant, I—”

Aya placed her finger against his lips, stopping him from saying the thing that would forever change the dynamics of their relationship. “You’re a good
friend
, Mac.” She emphasized the word friend. “I’ll see you later, okay.”

He opened his mouth as if to say something but then closed it. Mac nodded, though his disappointment was clear. She hated hurting him but she and Mac had grown up together. He was like a brother to her and Aya couldn’t imagine him as anything more.

She offered him the biggest smile she could muster before heading inside. Breathing a sigh of relief when she closed the door behind her, Aya remembered the envelope she still clutched. Seeing no point in saving it for later, she ripped it open. The only thing inside was a card embroidered in gold with one word in the middle that chilled her blood and left her with no doubt as to who it had come from.

Run.

“I trust the contracts are in order for today’s event?” Dare walked into his office at the headquarters for The Run, which Ronald currently occupied.

His executive assistant, who had appeared to be engrossed in his task, glanced up. He was on his feet in an instant. “Mr. O’Shaughnessy. I didn’t expect you here until the hunt actually began. I have the room set up for you to watch when everything begins.”

“You should always expect me, Ronald.” He stalked toward the desk. “I want to see those contracts.”

“Of course, sir.” Ronald typed a command into the computer and a hologram opened up.

Dare slid his finger across each image to move on to the next one. He frowned as he scrolled through seeing name after name, but not the one he was looking for. “Are these all the contracts?”

“I have a few more to load into the system. If you don’t mind waiting for a minute, I can do that right now. That’s what I was working on when you came in.”

“Do it.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Dare waited impatiently as Ronald frantically typed commands into the computer. Dare could feel a tightness in his chest that felt like anxiety, something foreign to him. After several weeks of planning, it was finally time for the pay off and he wouldn’t be thwarted again.

“Okay, sir. They should all be in there now.”

Without acknowledging Ronald, Dare scanned through the documents again swiping each document away faster than the previous one. Finally, he found what he was looking for. With her neat thumbprint in the corner of the contract as her signature, he could barely stop the smirk that curved his lips. “I’ve found what I was looking for.” He turned and headed for the door but stopped. “Oh, and setting up the room won’t be necessary. I’ll be participating in the hunt today.”

Ronald raised his brows in apparent surprise but wisely didn’t comment.

Dare could understand Ronald’s shock, considering this would be the first time he’d ever participated in The Run since he had officially taken it over. When he was a teenager, he’d gone on one hunt just to see what it was like. The thrill of the game had actually been an adrenaline rush, but the actual prize wasn’t worth the effort. He ended up capturing and tagging a woman named Jewel. She’d been older than him by at least ten years, but she was quite attractive and had a nice body. He was bored with her within a few days. There was no life in her eyes. It had been like fucking a corpse. Even from an early age, he preferred his women more spirited so he could be the one to bend them to his will. It was no fun training a lame dog.

Aya was no lame dog. She was a wild stallion. One he would tame.

Not only would the hunt be well worth the anticipation but so would the prize.

<><><><><> 

Aya felt like she’d signed her entire life away. With just a press of her thumb against some snotty asshole’s holopad her life was no longer her own. So many times, she’d been tempted to just say fuck it and run away. Go to another town to find work and start over again, but the obligation she had to save her uncle wouldn’t allow her to leave. Besides, she didn’t know if she could get a job somewhere else because of this damn chip.

Her only hope, now, was to last the entire weekend without being caught, although she didn’t know how she’d pull it off not being familiar with the area. After receiving that card, she wondered if this had been Dare’s plan all along, to see her participate in this degrading game. Even if she was caught, each woman who volunteered was given fifteen thousand credits which would in most cases go to their families as the credits were useless while they were in ‘service’ to whoever caught them. They were promised an extra twenty thousand if they lasted the entire weekend without being captured. Even with the first fifteen, Aya was ten thousand credits short of bailing her uncle out so she really needed to last the duration of the game. It was her only hope.

Mac had tried to talk her out of it, but even he knew she had no other options. She hadn’t slept the night before because the anxiety gnawing in the pit of her stomach wouldn’t allow the blissful reprieve of slumber to give her even the briefest of respite from her worries. Instead, she tossed and turned in bed, shifting to different positions until she gave up completely.

When dawn tinted the sky with a mixture of orange and pink, she left the apartment with a heavy weight of doom draped over her. She walked three miles to catch a bus to take her the remaining distance to the gaming area. Then she walked another two miles where she came across a large white mansion surrounded by a wrought iron gate that spanned at least a square mile. Roughly twenty to thirty women were lined up in front of the gates, some young, others older, tall and short ones, thin and plump. The one thing all these women had in common was the look in their eyes. It was the look of utter hopelessness. And in that moment, she hated Dare O’Shaughnessy more than she had before.

Most of these women were here because like her, they had no choice. No one actually wanted to participate in The Run and take the chance of being at the mercy of some sadistic asshole who took his pleasure in abusing someone who wasn’t in a position to fight back.

She didn’t have long to wait before a thin man with gold-framed glasses appeared at the gate. “Good morning, ladies. I assume you are all here to participate in The Run today?”

Most of the women murmured in the affirmative while others seemed to be having second thoughts. When the man opened the gates to grant them entrance, however, they all went through. Aya lagged behind the crowd, reluctant to rush to her doom.

From there, they had been taken to a small room where the man had introduced himself as Ronald Briggs before giving them a briefing on what was expected of them. As he gave his spiel, silent men in tuxedos offered the women hors d’oeuvres and drinks on silver serving platters as if they were guests at a fancy party instead of lambs being led to slaughter. Aya barely listened as he explained how things would proceed. But by the end of his speech, they were all expected to give documented consent that they were all here voluntarily. She briefly glanced at the contract that appeared before her when it was her turn to give her permission. No matter what the words said on the holographic contract, she’d be screwed either way. After pressing her thumb against the pad Mr. Briggs held out for her, it was all done. There was no turning back after this.

Once all the electronic impressions were collected, Mr. Briggs excused himself leaving the group of woman alone in the room. Some of them ate the food offered to them, some were huddled together in silent support, while others, like herself, found a spot in the room to be alone. Aya glanced out of a large bay window that looked out on an immaculately manicured lawn. The emerald grass was lined with multi-colored flowers and neatly trimmed bushes. She could almost appreciate its beauty if weren’t for her frazzled nerves.

What if she was caught and ended up with someone like the sick fuck who had tortured her mother to death? She couldn’t imagine that anyone who would participate in this type of game could be anything but repulsive—like the man who owned The Run. She didn’t care that he was probably one of the most attractive men she’d ever laid eyes on, he was still a huge steaming pile of crap in her opinion.

“Is this your first run, too?”  someone said behind her, interrupting her thoughts.

Aya turned to see who the voice belonged to. She frowned upon seeing a little girl—no, not a girl, but she looked young nonetheless. Everyone who participated had to be the legal age of consent to participate, although Aya doubted rules were that important to the Elites when it didn’t suit them. The girl had large violet eyes and long ink black hair framing a pixie-like face. She was thin almost to the point of emaciation. She was roughly the same height as Aya, if not an inch taller. “First run? Are you saying there are women here who have participated before?”

The girl nodded. “There are a couple women here who have done it two or three times.”

Aya frowned. This was a surprise to her as she figured anyone who was lucky enough to not get caught wouldn’t take their chances by coming back again. “I didn’t realize you could come back after participating once.”

“You can come back as many times as you’d like, as long as you’re not still under contract to your patron. My sister did The Run twice before…well, she won’t be doing it anymore, so it’s my turn since I just turned eighteen. My name is Macy, by the way.”

“Aya.” She nodded in acknowledgement. “Are patrons what you call the people who’ll be hunting us?”

Macy darted her tongue over her lips. “Yes. They keep you until they no longer want you in which case you’re released from your obligation to them. But sometimes, they keep you.” The girl visibly shuddered when she spoke that last part.

“Is that what happened to your sister?”

“Yes. “ Macy’s eyes shimmered with the suspicious sheen of tears. She bit her bottom lip as if to hold them back.

It was clear she was frightened. Aya placed her hand on the girl’s arm to reassure her. When Macy didn’t pull away from her touch, Aya placed her arm around Macy’s thin shoulders. “I’m frightened, too, Macy. I don’t really know what to expect but I bet your sister might have told you about the course. Perhaps, you know a few things about the gaming area that will give us an advantage and we’ll make it through the weekend without being caught.”

A sad smile curved Macy’s pick lips. “Aya, the only way we won’t get caught is if a patron doesn’t specifically come after us. But if they want you, they catch you.”

Aya dropped her arm and stepped back. “What? Are you saying we don’t have a fighting chance?”

“Basically.”

“But you said there are women here who have done this two or three times.”

“Yes, because some of them were lucky enough to get a patron who bored easily, and the others have yet to be caught.”

“Then why keep coming back? I wouldn’t press my luck a second time and especially, not a third.”

“They all keep coming back because there’s no way they’re going to earn the type of credits that are earned here to support themselves and their families with the wages they pay at a regular job. Even at the brothels, it would take weeks to earn what we would here in one weekend. My father is sick and hasn’t been able to work for a long time and my mom is gone. I have three younger brothers and little sister and our family has no steady income besides what my brothers can bring in from odd jobs here and there. And that isn’t much. I have to do this for them. I can only hope no one sets their sights on me or like I said before, I get a patron who releases me after a short period of time.”

When put like that, Aya saw she was in no position to judge. Until some weeks ago, she and her Uncle Arthur had by no means been wealthy and at times there were lean months. But she could also acknowledge that they had it better than a lot of people. She was a Dreg, like the rest of the people in her town. But, she could also acknowledge that they had had it better than a lot of people. The bar had afforded them a living to provide them with all their necessities. And now, they had nothing. Now more than ever, Aya could appreciate Macy’s situation.

“I’m sorry if I came off as judgmental. I’m still trying to make sense of this. It never crossed my mind that The Run was seen as such a lifeline for some people. I’ve always kind of viewed it as a last resort type of thing.”

“Oh trust me, it is and don’t worry, I know you weren’t judging. If my sister hadn’t told me what to expect after the first time she participated, I wouldn’t have known this information either. They don’t tell you these things about The Run, only that it’s some great way for women to earn a lot of credits, fast. Of course, it’s not advertised that the price of this quick money is your soul.”

“Yeah,” Aya answered half-heartedly.

“I’m sorry if I’m scaring you. I have the bad habit of talking way too much.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s better that I know what I’m getting myself into so I don’t let my nerves get the better of me.”

“I’ll keep my fingers crossed that whichever patron you get will be one of the ones I spoke of earlier.”