The Dome (Shadow Origins, Part One)

The Spy

After the interview or well, the interrogation, was over I was down the elevator and almost gone through the streets when I felt a hand grab my shoulder. I was ready to scratch the crap out of whoever was touching me when I saw it was one of those gorillas who worked for the Barnettes. "What the hell, man?" I growled, trying to shrug off his giant hand when he pointed back at the entrance. Mr. Barnette took his time following me out of his building but surprisingly ended up only seconds after me. "Cat, was it?" he asked with a small smile, hands in his pockets like he this conversation was no big inconvenience for him. 

I nodded and still tried to shrug off King Kong beside me, Mr. Barnette gave an amused chuckle and nodded towards his bodyguard. The ape backed off and Mr. Barnette stepped closer, "That's a very usual name for a child, especially a boy." Oh great, like I hadn't heard this a thousand times before, I held in my pissed off, sarcastic tone and tried to be civil, "It's a nickname."

An eyebrow raised, his curiosity grew, "Well then, can you enlighten me to your real name?"

"No."

The man seemed shocked that I had refused him so quickly and so harshly, like he had never been told no before. I knew this type, snobby rich people who often came down to the Blade Zone to sight see the horrible ghettos of the dome, so they might go back to their fancy homes and tell their friends about the dangerous adventures they had in the streets. I know a snob when I see one and he could hide behind a fancy suit and a nice smile but behind those eyes, I know he wanted to crush me. This became evident when his smile immediately dropped and the same steel look I saw in Zyana come out in his eyes.

Bending down to my level he gave me a cold dead look, "Listen young man, I appreciate the effort you are making to capture my wife's killer but while you are helping my family and I, you will keep your hands to yourself and your manners in check. Do you understand me?" This guy thought he could scare me, please! I saw old ladies with more fire in their eyes than this prep school graduate. 

"I understand that you need me and I don't need you."

His face turned to stone and all that friendly bullcrap he had put on for the officers upstairs went right out the door. Putting on a confident smirk he seemed like he was the one who had the upper hand, "Really? Because if my sources are correct, you are nothing more than a little thief, doing errands on the side for powerful people in the Blade Zone gang."

Well then...in one day this guy managed to find out a lot about my life and he was right. I was a thief so that's why when he was in the middle of blabbering on I snuck my hand around his wrist and nicked his fancy looking watch.

Stuffing it in my pocket, I made sure my face gave away nothing. Oblivious to my little pick and stash, he continued on with his threat.

"One word to the officers upstairs and I can have your little tail thrown in the deepest, darkest hole they can find."

Usually I would be scared out of my mind at the thought of going to jail. I was too young, not that strong and not to brag but I did have a pretty face. But in that moment, I wasn't scared, no I felt confident, so sure of myself that it confused even me. "Yeah but you won't, because like I said before, you need me" I said slowly, making sure he got my point. If he wanted any chance of finding his wife's killer he was going to need my help because without it, all he had was his preteen daughter's word against a top gang assassin. One wrong move and even with all his money and all his power, he didn't stand a chance against V and his gang. 

Giving me one last dead stare, Mr. Barnette gestured towards his driver who then opened the side door for me. "My driver will take you back to your slums for now, when the police need more questions answered, what rock should I ask them to look under?"

Oh so now this guy wasn't even trying to hide his ugly side from me? Okay, gloves off, "Just tell them to go to St. Margaret's Cathedral, ask for Cat. Maybe you just take a trip down there Mr. Barnette, have any sins you want to confess?"

His face hardened like stone and without another word he turned and went back into his million dollar penthouse building. His driver opened the door for me but there was no way I was getting in there.

If anyone from my neighborhood saw me in that and started asking questions, they might figure out that I was a snitch for the police. That was a point blank death sentence where I'm from. "Nah man, I'll walk" I said, taking off at a run before he could stop me. 

I preferred running anyways, climbing onto a fire escape I was back at it, jumping and leaping where I felt most at home. The sun was going down fast, I had to hurry. Guessing from the length of the ride, I had about thirty minutes to go before I even reached my neighborhood again. It felt like forever, thinking about what excuse I was going to use to get out of a skinning with Sandrino. Maybe I got hit by a car? I might have to rough myself up a bit? I got mugged? I got caught? Yes! That worked!

I got caught spying on V by the River Gang, they didn't see my face but I had to hide for a few hours till I could escape. That could work!

Finally seeing a couple of familiar buildings surround me, I felt my stamina give way and my breathing get heavier but I still had to get to Sandrino's. The sun was almost down and going fast, I leaped over two rooftops and finally landed on Sandrino's building, flipped onto the fire escape, threw open the window and slid into his office. And...he was nowhere to be seen. Crap!

Looking around wildly, I knew I was running out of time. I had to find Sandrino and fast, even if the information was some stupid meaningless stuff I had no idea of, if I didn't give Sandrino what he wanted, I was dead without a shadow of a doubt. I had to be careful about this though, if the wrong person caught me I was going to be shot on sight. And of course I just had to jinx myself because just as I was starting to feel like James Bond, I felt a hand wrap around the back of my jacket and lift me off the ground. 

I could feel my fight or flight response kicking in and I almost swung my fist when a familiar voice rang out and froze me solid. "So you're Cat." 

A voice I had heard earlier that day that sent a shiver down my spine, oh crap. It was V! 

My instincts told me to do nothing, play dead, go limp and wait for a miracle from God. I was turned around and made to face the one man who was the most feared in the N.Y.D.T, a face I had never seen before, until now. He was not anything like I had imagined, he was a tall muscular man with a light shadow of a beard and icy blue eyes. There weren't any facial scars, burns or anything! He was just a normal guy, attractive one might say. 

He smirked as he lifted me five feet off the ground with little to no effort, "You're taller than I imagined."

Wait, he had heard of me?! Stuttering out my response, I could feel my teeth chattering from the icy cold fear that had wrapped around me. "You-you know me?" I asked, doing my best not let my tight wound stomach throw up all over the leader of the Blade Zone. V cocked his head and seemed to analyze me, "Of course I know who you are. I know everyone...especially those who spy on me." And that's when all hell broke loose and my hell I meant the contents of my stomach. Now this wasn't a joke, I seriously yakked on gang leader V's tight black long sleeved shirt. 

Oh sweet baby Jesus!