Plagues

Chapter 13

“I don’t get why they’re so afraid,” Darwin said as we stood out back the school one afternoon after another fruitless night of scouring the Beaches. “Like, I get why they’d be afraid, but why would they be so afraid to talk.”

“Someone must have their eye on them,” I replied.

“Doesn’t fully mean it’s infected related though, or they’re governed by infected or whatever. We need to check out other slums and poor areas in the city and see what it’s like there.”

“We should go to Kali’s area. BIOTRANS raided her building a few weeks ago.”

“Okay, so…?”

“Well, think about it. All those people we talked to in the Beaches were so concerned we were the authorities. Everyone was, not just a suspect few. It’s not a crime to be poor.”

“Yeah, but tax evasion, extortion, drug dealing, drug using, vandalism, breaking and entering, etc. all are.”

“Some of them have to be somehow living within the means of the law; not every poor person is a criminal. Some of them could have found work somewhere. Besides, BIOTRANS and the police wouldn’t tell them anything when they raided Kali’s building in the middle of the night. Not even simply if it was about maniacs.” I cocked an eyebrow and smirked at Darwin. He smiled and nodded, picking up what I was putting down.

“You think my area is suspicious?” Kali asked us, when we approached her about the situation at the bus stop after school. The night before she had been allowed back into her apartment.

“Yes,” Darwin replied. “Look, we’re not asking you to come with us or to let us stay with you or anything. We’re just asking you keep an eye out.”

“For what?”

“Anyone who looked like those guys we saw on Cherry Beach,” I said, as Darwin started going through his phone.

“Or,” he said, making a few final taps on his screen, “anyone who looks like the girl in this picture I just sent you.”

Kali opened her phone to the picture of Lira’s remains. She was evidently decomposing and the erosion from exposure to the elements seemed to speed up the process. Her face though was intact enough that it could still be a useful identifier.

“Save the picture,” Darwin instructed, “and keep your eyes peeled.”

“Who, or what, are you looking for exactly?” Kali asked, her eyes dragging up from the picture to us.

“Neo-maniacs,” Darwin replied.

“That’s what we’re calling them?” I asked, looking at him, impressed, surprised, and slightly amused at his prowess. Kali cocked an eyebrow, her eyes narrowing, not quite seeming to follow.

“Are they dangerous?” she asked.

“Look at the picture and you tell me.”

She looked back to her phone and her eyes flashed in horror at the body, torn open by countless bullet wounds. Her eyes crawled up the screen to the single bullet wound on her head, the head encasing dagger teeth and abysmal eyes.

“Yeah, okay, I’ll keep an eye out,” Kali said. “Feel free to look around all you want. Come by if you need anything.”

We smiled and nodded, and I placed a firm warm hand on her shoulder. She smiled, but I could tell Darwin had somewhat put the fear of God in her.

We frequented Kali’s area as we had done the old Beaches, hitching TTC rides with her. After departing the subway with her, she’d hop on her bus home, and Darwin and I would carry on on foot.