Tool

Chapter Nine

"Come," was all she said, and she set off.

Aurelia pushed her way through the throngs of people, trying to keep Tara's purple hair in sight. A hand snaked out and tried to pull her onto the dance floor, but she drew herself away. A dark curtain covered the far wall, and when she reached it, Tara pulled one side away, revealing an opening. They both entered and stopped. The light in the corridor was bright, and they blinked, letting their eyes adjust.

Tara shook her head. "Come on. He's around here somewhere."

"Who?" asked Aurelia, but Tara was already walking away, and Aurelia had to skip a few steps to catch her up.

The corridor stretched for a hundred yards or so, painted in grim, industrial gray paint, lights flickering from a ceiling lined with pipes. At the end was a T-junction, and Tara looked both ways before deciding on going right. It was a good decision, and a second or so later they saw an open door.

A young guy dressed in gray and black was sitting on top of an upturned steel vat. He jumped down when they entered.

"We be ready," Tara said with a sharp upward nod of the head.

"You be psych," the boy said in return.

Gods, this is ridiculous, Aurelia thought. Placing her fate in the hands of two kids who could barely use understandable grammar. The thought made her smile.

"Be Aurelia," Tara said to the boy.

Aurelia shook her head. "This is Aurelia. Look, can we cut the cool crap? I don't really have time for it, and it makes both of you sound like idiots."

The boy looked amused, and Tara raised an eyebrow. "Fine," she said. "It's not my fault that you're old."

Old? She was what, two, three years beyond these guys. Whatever.

"And what's your name?" she asked the boy.

"No names," the boy said. "You two ready?"

"Two?"

"Yeah, I'm coming with you," said Tara.

"I thought you didn't like the dark."

"I don't, but you're going in, so I thought I'd look while I had the chance. I mean, you're not just a kid messing around; you're serious. Besides, this guy here knows these tunnels inside and out, right?"

The boy nodded.

"He's gonna give us the grand tour, you know, take us around a bit, show us what's there."

Again, the boy nodded. "Give me a minute to get the alarms off the door," he said and disappeared.

"Tara, what are you doing?" Aurelia hissed.

"I had no choice. He wouldn't take just you. Doesn't know you. It had to be both of us or none. I thought this was important?" Tara looked half terrified and half angry, her eyes flashing.

"It is important, but I don't want you to risk anything because of me."

"Neither do I. As far as he knows, we're not risking anything. He's taking us on his little tour. If something else happens, then it happens, right? Maybe he even knows some of these black dudes who let people in and out. I don't know, ask him. But wait till we're already out, or he might not even take us."

Aurelia let go a long breath. Tara was right. She'd done what she could and was even willing to go into the tunnels, too. Aurelia had no right to be angry with the girl, but she was. It was hard enough looking after herself without the added responsibility of looking after a kid.