Two Can Play (Entangled Ignite) (8 page)

They took the elevator down to Level Four, where Cassie lived. Before Rena could knock on her door, Roland used his master key, then shouldered his way in, crashing the door against the inside wall as if they were a SWAT team. What an asshole.

There was movement from beside the bed. Zeke flipped on the overhead light and Rena saw that it was Gage. What was he doing here?

“Wha’s going on?” Cassie sat up, rubbing her eyes, wearing a see-through teddy and panties. Gage threw a sheet around her and placed himself between her and the intruders.

“You”—Roland stabbed at Gage, then the door—“out. Now.”

“You’re busting curfew, man,” Zeke explained, trying to soften it.

“What’s this about?” Gage asked Rena.

“Nothing that concerns you.” He’d screwed Cassie drunk? Cassie was indomitable when she wanted something, but Rena had expected better of him somehow.

Roland moved as if to grab Gage, but Gage blocked him so he could help Cassie to her feet. Rena swept shorts and a top from the floor and carried them to her friend. “Just
go
, Gage.” She spoke low.

Gage just stood there.

“I mean it,” she said through gritted teeth. “We’ll talk later.”

He held her gaze for a long moment, clearly wanting to do more, but he finally gave in and backed out the door. What the hell would she tell him was going on?

“What’s the deal?” Cassie asked, sounding like a scared girl.

“Do your job!” Roland snapped at Rena.

“I’m sorry, Cassie,” Rena said. She read from the card, “For crimes against the NiGo Family, Cassandra Fletcher, you are hereby evicted from your Quarters in the Real Life Lounge. You are forever banned from any Lounge, even as a patron, and may not enter for any reason whatsoever ever again.”

“I’m being kicked out?” She sounded horrified. “No. You can’t.”

Rena kept her head down, still reading, aching for her friend. “You have ten minutes to gather personal items that are not Lounge property.”

“Why is this happening?” Cassie whispered. “Is it the accounts?” She shot a look at the Watchers, then back to Rena. “Is that why?”

“It’s because you’re Angel,” she whispered. “You betrayed the Life.”

“Are you nuts? No way am I Angel. That reporter hit on me.”

“I’m sorry, Cassie.” Maya had told her Cassie would deny it, that she would lie to protect her pride, but she sounded very sincere.

“No explaining,” Roland warned.

“Why you, Rena?” The truth seemed to hit Cassie like a punch. “This is your Quest? To boot me?” Anger strengthened her voice and Rena was glad to hear her sound more like herself. “I’m not Angel. Think of all the whiny shit she said in that story. They’re lying to you, Rena.”

“Enough delays! Move it!” Roland yelled.

Rena spun on him. “Shut the hell up! I’ll handle this my way.” She turned to take Cassie’s arm. “Let me help you pack.”

Cassie stood like a rock. “I can’t leave. This is all I have.”

Rena’s chest burned. This was agony. Poor Cassie. “I know it looks black, but Maya will make sure you get the help you need to”—she glanced at Roland, not wanting him to hear Cassie’s issues—“straighten out. There’s a van downstairs to take you home.”

“This
is
my home.”

“Maybe your mom’s better now,” she said, hoping that was true. Leading Cassie to her closet, she took down her old backpack and tossed in the few clothes Cassie hadn’t bought from the catalog, along with her tin crayon box of mementos, then turned to look over the room for anything pre-Life. Nothing that she could see among the scattered clothes, piles of fast-food containers, and smuggled beer bottles.
The Life was all she had
.

From the refrigerator, Rena grabbed a pint of yogurt and an apple, then hesitated at the sight of six cans of Electrique. Cassie deserved some comfort, didn’t she? She buried them beneath the clothes, shoved the cash into the front compartment, and zipped the backpack closed.

Returning to Cassie, she slipped the strap onto Cassie’s shoulder. “You can start over, Cass. Maya will get you help. You’ll get yourself right again.”

“They’re using you, Rena,” Cassie said dully.

Roland and Zeke stepped in to take Cassie by her arms. At the door, she sprang into action, fighting, kicking, grabbing the doorjamb, desperate to stay. “Don’t let them do this to me, Rena.”

Rena’s insides twisted as if Cassie were tearing at them, too. She fought the drive to rescue Cassie, drag her back to her Quarters, and barricade her inside.

“I won’t tell about the accounts, I swear!” she shrieked. “I swear!”

What accounts? Rena remembered the weird ledgers Cassie had mentioned. She’d said things weren’t right…

Zeke and Roland managed to get Cassie into the hall. Rena started after them. “We’ve got it from here,” Zeke said. “Lock up and go. You did your job.”

She backed into the room, listening as Cassie was dragged to the elevator, begging them not to make her leave. An ache poured through Rena and she began to shake and sweat. Cassie was in agony and so scared.

Alcoholics have to hit bottom.

She knew that was true. Maya saw this all the time as a therapist. Sometimes you had to do the hard thing to help someone you loved.

She heard the elevator start down.

It was quiet now, but Cassie’s room seemed to echo with her cries, the squeak of her fingers on the doorjamb, the scuffle of feet, her gasping breaths.

Was Cassie Angel?
Think of all the whiny shit she said in that story
.

Rena remembered one Angel quote: “We sacrifice our own families to prove our faith in Nigel and Naomi.” No way would Cassie say that. She
hated
her own family. And “faith”? Cassie spit on the word. She believed what she could see and hear and touch.

Could Nigel and Maya be wrong? Had Rena sent her friend into the cold of the Dead World by mistake? She couldn’t believe that. Nigel loved all the Lifers, even the fallen ones. He’d made the decision for the betterment of all, even Cassie.

But Cassie’s pain was so huge. Rena had the copper taste of it on her tongue, felt its bitter twist in her bones.

What if it was a mistake?

Angel could be a fake, considering what lying scum that reporter was. If there’d been a mistake, then Rena would fix it. Maybe leaving the Life would jolt Cassie into recovery, as Maya said, and if she hadn’t betrayed the Life, she could come back. The idea gave Rena hope.

For now, she had to lock up and leave. The place was a mess. She didn’t want the Roomers to gossip about Cassie being a slob or a boozer, so she grabbed a trash bag and threw in the beer bottles, then went after the fast-food mess. She spotted a Chinese takeout carton with the dregs of moo shu pork in the bottom.
Stolen tastes better
.

Oh, Cassie
. Rena had lost her best friend. Everything inside her cramped into a painful knot. She fought the sting of tears. How stupid and weak she was, but she would miss Cassie the way she’d missed her father’s driver. After he got fired, she’d felt invisible, a breath to be walked through, a puff of dust people brushed from their clothes.

A tap at Cassie’s door made Rena whip around. God, not a neighbor she’d have to explain this to. She shook herself, composed her face, and opened the door to…Gage. Again. Dammit.

“What are you still doing here?” She stepped back so he could enter.

“I wanted to check on you.”

“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” His concern annoyed her.

“You’re not fine. You’re shaking.” He rubbed her arms as if to warm her, but she twisted out of his reach. “What was that about?” he demanded, eyes digging in, all business now.

“It wasn’t for you to see. Just forget about it and go.” She motioned toward the door, but Gage didn’t move.

“Cassie kept yelling that she wasn’t Angel. They threw her out because they think she’s the source in that story? Why were you here anyway?”

“I can’t discuss it. Just go.”

He remained stubbornly in place. “That was what your meeting upstairs was about, wasn’t it?”

“Let it go, would you?!” Her throat was gravel, her mouth dust.

“Do
you
think she’s Angel?”

“It doesn’t matter what I think.” But it felt like ice in her veins and fire in her chest. She needed him out of here so she could calm down.

“That was tough. Kicking out a friend. You recruited her, too. Was that why they chose you?”

“I don’t know why. It doesn’t matter why.” His questions were hot needles in her brain.

“Were they testing your loyalty? If you’d do this to a friend, you’d do anything they—”

She slapped him. “What the hell is wrong with you? Quit digging at the Life. You’re the one who should be kicked out, not Cassie.”

“I’m sorry.” He lifted his hands. “I only want to understand. It seems…harsh. You think that, too, I can tell.”

“Do I have to call the Watchers to drag you out of here?”

“God, no. Those guys have biceps bigger than my head.” He was trying to lighten the moment. “I’ll leave when I’m sure they’re gone. I like all my teeth where they are.”

“All they did was take her down to the van. They’re in their Quarters by now.” She shifted the trash bag to the other hand. “You’re safe. Just go.”

“Let me help you pick up.” He tugged the plastic from her fingers and she was suddenly too exhausted to fight him. While he picked up trash, she made Cassie’s bed and washed her dishes. Every item she touched made her remember something she and Cassie had done together.

It hurt to breathe.

When they’d finished, they took the trash to the maintenance room containers on the way to the elevator. “I’ll walk you to your place,” Gage said.

“There’s no need.”

“You look wound up. Will you sleep?”

“Of course I’ll sleep.” She dreaded lying there, reliving it all, Cassie’s cries and fear, her sadness and pain. No, she wouldn’t sleep a wink.

“Would it help to talk? We could have a drink?”

Rena had this bizarre urge to say yes, to let Gage hold her, to cry in his arms.
Cry?
Rena never cried. Crying meant you were weak and helpless. She stood on her own two feet, handled herself and her troubles just fine. “Is that what you used on Cassie?
How about a drink?
” she sneered.

“She asked me to stay until she fell asleep, so I did.” He held her gaze to make sure she believed him.

“Why would I care? You needed the points and if she got laid one last time, good for her.”

“She was wasted, Rena. Even if I wanted anything as ridiculous as sex points, that would be the last thing she needed. Again, would you like company?” He sounded so patient, so calm. He kept looking at her
that way
.

“You and I are not screwing, Gage. So forget it.”

“The offer still stands. If you’d rather not be alone.”

She couldn’t seem to piss him off no matter how mean she got, so she just gave up. “I don’t want company.”

“You sure?” He studied her. He did that way too much.

“I’m sure.” She didn’t deserve comfort anyway, not after what she’d done. She owed Cassie all the sorrow she could feel.

“Where will they take her?”

“Her mom lives in Surprise, but Cassie hates her. When I recruited her she was living on the streets, hanging with some really scary guys.”

“So you rescued her.”

“The Life rescued her. It rescues us all.” And now Rena had forced Cassie out. Her eyes burned. She could see Cassie’s face drained of color, as though her life was leaking away, grabbing at the doorjamb, fighting to stay.

“Hey…” Gage reached to hold her, but she backed off.

“I did what had to be done. It’s for the best.” She should not let a new Lifer see any doubts she might have.

“You’re worried, that’s obvious. So make sure she’s okay. Look her up in the phone book. Her name’s Fletcher, right? What’s her mom’s name?”

“Ida.” She answered automatically, then shook her head. “Maya will check on her. She helps the Lost Lives get settled. She’ll get her into rehab.”

“You could see for yourself.”

“I don’t need that.” She had faith. She hoped it was enough.

As Gage disappeared into the elevator, she remembered she’d forgotten to grab Cassie’s room key and drop it off at the Watchers’ station. The Roomers would find it in the morning. At least Cassie’s room would look neat.

Chapter Six

Using Cassie’s key, which he’d swiped during the cleanup, Gage took the elevator back to her floor. Hoping to God the guards were tucked safely in bed as Rena had promised, he slid down the empty hall and keyed open Cassie’s room.

Inside, he headed to the wall beside the bed, where he’d been copying Beth’s code when Rena and the goons busted in. The cell phone shots he’d taken once Cassie drifted off hadn’t been clear enough.

The important thing was that Beth had lived here. The mural of
EverLife
characters was in the brick-red ink she favored and in her quirky, cartoon style. The coded letters were in dated blocks of text, one every week for six weeks—possibly a diary as Cassie thought. To know for sure, he had to decode it. The wings and
x
’s told him how far up or down the alphabet to go, but he had to know which letter was first in the code. Without a key, he’d be stuck with trial and error.

He set to work, scrawling as fast as he could in case anyone came by to check on the room. The entries could say what Beth was up to, hint at where she’d gone, or they could be a complete waste of time.

As he copied the letters and shapes, he pictured Beth chewing her bottom lip the way she did when she wrote or drew. She used to use the code whenever their mother went on a rampage as a way to soothe herself. Had Beth been scared here? Worried? About what? She’d made Level Four in what seemed a short time, based on what Rena had told him. Level Four had a decent catalog and the rooms were bigger than that cubicle floor that reeked of cheap noodle soup. How had she climbed so fast?

To fall for the cult, something had to have been going wrong. Beth put her heart on the line too easily and took the kicks too hard. He’d tried to warn her, to teach her, to help her get some perspective from any troubles she had.

Sure, life got tough and confusing, but you didn’t hide in a fantasy world, depending on others to save you. You held your ground. Maybe you got gut-punched or jumped from behind now and then, but you learned from each attack and figured a counterpunch for the next time.

He thought he’d shown Beth that, but he’d fallen down on the job somehow. He was supposed to look out for her, dammit. As a kid, he’d tried to look out for his mother, too, for all the good it had done.

He still remembered the cops at the hospital asking his mom to press charges against the bastard boyfriend who’d put her there. Gage had been eleven. When she’d declined, he’d heard the detectives talking about her in disgusted tones.
Why do these broads put up with that shit? Next time we get a call on her, it’ll be for the corpse cart
.

Gage had vowed that would never happen. He’d met the creep on the stoop with a stainless steel bat, heart pounding, twisting the grip, smelling sweat and metal. Tasting it, too.

The asshole had held a fistful of wilted roses—stolen, no doubt—as some lame apology and when he’d started up the stairs, Gage batted the bouquet out of his hands and told him to get lost.

“Plenty more whores where she came from,” he’d sneered, but backed off, intimidated by Gage’s fury.

“Don’t you say that about her!” Gage had shouted, voice cracking, trembling with rage. He’d pounded the bat against the stoop, creating a lightning-shaped crack. Every time he saw that zigzag fracture, he remembered his vow that no thug would ever get near them again. To be ready, he used his newspaper money to pay for tae kwon do. His mom had learned her lesson about bad men, though she’d returned from the hospital with the Oxycontin she got hooked on and their lives suffered in a whole new way.

When Gage found Beth, he wouldn’t leave her alone until she had a decent life away from these crazies. He’d get back her money, too.

Shifting the nightstand to check for more entries, he noticed that a three-by-five snapshot had slipped to the floor. It was Cassie and Rena in Dome gear, arms around each other. He slipped it into his pocket. Rena would want this, he’d bet. Eventually, he’d get it to her.

It had been cruel to make her to kick out her friend. What more did the Blackstones want from her beyond the worship she already gave? Lifers would do whatever they asked. Lie, cheat, steal.

Kill? Would they kill for the “Family”? Maybe. Cassie had yelled something about some accounts. Was Beth’s money there? Ousted from the Lounge, Cassie might tell him what he needed to know. He would track her down tomorrow. A clock was ticking on Beth. And not just the one marking time to her twenty-first birthday and her hundred grand. He felt it deep inside.

He’d move as fast as he could without raising suspicion. Now that he knew the first name she used here, he’d try to weasel a peek at a Lounge-wide directory through the girl in personnel, have his pricey PI fake employment checks to all the Lounges, though her still-unknown surname would be a problem.

Once Gage knew where she was, he’d sign up to temp there. He’d hold more sway with Beth as a Lifer himself, though she’d be as tough a sell as Rena, who was already on his case.

As grotesque as it seemed, Gage had to start acting like a real Lifer.

When he’d finished, he put the key back where he’d found it. He’d love to hang on to it for access to the floor, but it was too risky. These people seemed to track all the details.

…

The next morning, Rena awoke to a knock at her door. She jerked to a sit, heart racing. The Watchers? Again?

No. That was over. Calming herself with a deep inhale, she dragged herself off the bed. It was late, she saw—nine. She hadn’t drifted off until five.

She opened the door to Maya, who yanked her into her patchouli hug. When she released Rena, she stepped back to smile. “I’m so proud of you, Rena, and I have the best news—” She stopped. “Wait. You never sleep late.”

“It took me a while to drift off…afterward.”

“We need to talk about this.” Maya squeezed Rena’s shoulders, like prepping a boxer, then swept into Rena’s Quarters, jewelry clicking, scent trailing like smoke.

Rena closed her door, glad of the chance to clear up her concerns, though her head felt full of cotton, her body weighted with bricks.

Maya whipped open Rena’s mini-fridge, grabbed an Electrique, and motioned to the sofa. “Sit, sit, please.” She popped the can and handed it to Rena, who drank it down, welcoming the hit of calm energy.

“Better?” Maya asked.

Rena nodded. “I think there’s been a mistake,” she said, getting right to the point. “Cassie denied being Angel and I believe her. Angel doesn’t sound a bit like Cassie. I think the reporter made Angel up to put lies in her mouth about us.”

Maya patted Rena’s knee, smiling sadly. “You love Cassie, so you identify with her. We know you are profoundly hyper-empathetic with boundary issues. You have to resist the tug of her personality.”

Rena leaned forward. “It’s not that. Cassie thought it was due to some accounts she saw. She’d mentioned ledgers being off.”

Something flickered in Maya’s expression before she seemed to draw back. “Leaving is in her best interest. The details hardly matter, do they?”

Rena could only hear Cassie’s cries and see her face. “Yes, they matter. They matter to me and they matter to Cassie. If she was wrongly evicted, once she’s clean and sober she can come back.”

“The agony of a situation like this is survivor’s guilt. I know you’re feeling that, but you have to be strong. You must separate yourself from your friend. She caused this outcome. You didn’t.” But Maya was ducking the issue.

“I want the truth, Maya. What aren’t you telling me?”

“This is best left alone.” Maya’s voice was flat. “You don’t want to know.”

“I
have
to know.” How else could she help?

Maya studied her, reading her intention, finally sighing. “You won’t like this, I promise you, but I know you’ll keep at me until I answer. This doesn’t go beyond this room, you hear me?”

“Of course not.”

She leaned into the sofa, tilting back her head with a sigh, as if gathering strength. Then she sat forward. “Here it is. There was a scheme to skim funds from former customers. The plot was discovered and the employee responsible has been removed, and we are paying back the injured clients.”

“It was an employee? Not a Lifer?”

“Correct. Cassie learned about the scheme and accepted money to keep silent. That was her deeper crime. She did talk to the reporter, but how accurately he quoted her is uncertain. Stealing from us was far worse.”

“Cassie wouldn’t do that. She doesn’t care about cash.” Though she had needed to sell Rena’s phone for Lifer points.

“Cassie’s been lost in an alcoholic trance for some time. People change as they sink into their addiction. She may not even remember she did it.”

Rena had lost touch with Cassie’s day-to-day issues, and her attitude had been sour, for sure. “I can’t believe she would do that, Maya.”

“People aren’t always as they seem. That’s an important lesson for you.”

She leaned back against the sofa, letting the impossible idea sink in. Had Cassie betrayed the Life after all? Despair drizzled through her, cold and bleak.

“I wanted to keep that from you. I knew it would hurt,” Maya said softly. “I’ll be checking on her soon, don’t worry.”

“Is there anything I can do for her?”

“Yes, and it won’t be easy. Don’t accept her calls. Talking to her will only prolong her agony and yours. Don’t enable her. It sounds harsh, but this is her last chance to turn her life around.”

“I recruited her. I’m her friend.” Rena’s voice cracked.

“In her heart, she knows you acted in her best interest.”

Rena wanted that to be true with everything in her. “Tell her I’m sorry, okay? When you see her?”

“She knows. You did a good thing,” Maya said gently. “You fulfilled a difficult Quest. Be proud of yourself.”

How could she? She’d devastated her friend.
If you’d do this to a friend, you’d do anything
. What a hateful thing Gage had said.

That reminded her of her other reason to talk to Maya. “There’s something else. Gage was in Cassie’s room when we got there. After curfew.”

“That’s disrespectful of a guideline, but…” Maya shrugged.

“He’s disrespectful of the Life, too.”

“In what way?”

“He makes these…remarks. Like he thinks giving up our belongings to NiGo means we’re
owned
. He has some land in the desert he doesn’t want to sell.”

“Really? How many acres?”

“A few, I guess. He says he’ll sell, but he’s not happy about it. He got recruited by someone who only wanted the points and didn’t care who he brought in.”

“Lifers come in different shapes and sizes, Rena.” Maya smiled kindly. “We have to be a bit flexible, especially during this transition. All the new Lounges put us in a staffing bind.”

“Maybe so, but I don’t think he even wants the Life. Not really. He doesn’t belong here. I think we should let Gage go.”

Maya studied her. “He’s been with us, what, three days? That’s not long. How’s he doing in other ways?”

“He’s decent. He can repair equipment. He’s got potential in the Dome. He’s a strong
EverLife
player. He’s smart and all, but his attitude is—”

“Sounds like a lot of strengths we need. I would think you’d want your first Mentor assignment to go well.”

“If he’s going to wash out, it should be sooner rather than later.”

“Are you worried that you’ll make a mistake with him?”

“Not really. No. He just bothers me.”

“He
bothers
you?” Maya gave her a long look, trying not to smile. Rena felt silly. “So you feel sexually stimulated by him?”

Rena’s cheeks burned. She hated when Maya poked at her like a dentist digging at nerves with no Novocain. Plus, she could be so blunt about personal stuff. “I don’t know. No.”

“Rena…you are a terrible liar, my love.” She used a kind, chiding voice that almost made up for how naked Rena felt. It was useless to lie to Maya, not that she ever did, except to hide her most secret secrets, like her fear of the dark, for example.

Maya sat back with that knowing smile she had. “I think Gage deserves more than a three-day trial. Stay close to him,
mentor
him,
guide
him. If, after two weeks, he still
bothers
you, we’ll ask him to leave. And hope we can replace him.” She sighed. The need to staff the new Lounges weighed heavily on the top managers.

“Okay.” Rena slumped, disappointed. She’d hoped to be rid of Gage and his questions.

“Great. That’s settled. And now I have good news.” Maya’s eyes twinkled. “Nigel wants to talk to you. Get dressed and I’ll pass you up the elevator.”

“Now?” Nigel had promised they’d talk afterward, but so soon? She tried to smile, but Cassie’s fate troubled her and she was still saddled with Mr. Smart-Ass. The only consolation was she had another chance to bring up Girl Power with Nigel.

…

“She would never come here,” Cassie’s mother said flatly when Gage called the only I. Fletcher in the Surprise directory. The spring sun had stabbed him awake, blasting through his kitchen window. He’d fallen asleep at the table, cheek stuck to the notepad where he’d been working on Beth’s code. He hadn’t gotten far, only eliminating a few of the possible dozens of letter combinations.

If Cassie hadn’t gone home, Gage thought, clicking off his phone, where had the van taken her? He would find out at the Lounge as soon as he could get there. He gathered up the still-unsolved code and went for his jacket. Phoenix’s summer bake-off was on its way, but recent rains had kept the March temps low, kicking up a chill when he drove his motorcycle.

He wasn’t on duty today, but he had leads to follow, so he would show up anyway, help out in the arena, maybe sign up for a Quest or two, try to look like a true-blue Lifer to Rena.

Gage parked his Norton Commando in the shade near the Lounge Dumpster to protect it from sun and dings. He ran a hand across the curve of the tank to remove the thin streaks of dust. He kept the powder coating waxed and babied it with an oil change every 2,000 miles.

God, he loved this bike. Norton Commandos were smooth machines, the first super-bikes back in the ’50s, with killer power, built to take corners like a straightaway, and he’d lusted after one from his first whiff of puberty, finally scoring one when he was a senior in high school, with the help of his mother’s one decent male friend. He’d rebuilt it over the years, but the frame and engine covers were original and it was still dependable as hell, as long as he kept spare throttle cables in the toolbox.