Mazarin Blues by Alia Hess

Author:Alia Hess [Hess, Alia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-10-23T16:00:00+00:00

10

REED

Hollow thuds rang through the metal club door as Reed hammered out the pattern of “Shave and a Haircut.” The door swung open with a creak, and the bouncer’s smile faded. “No Jax tonight? Hey, you okay?”

Reed clutched his elbows and shook, not entirely from the cold. Saxophone and sweet cigar smoke drifted from inside. All the adrenaline and determination that had carried him across town and down these steps had drained away, and now that he stood at the threshold of freedom, nothing but fear and hesitation filled him. If he terminated Mazarin, there was no going back. He couldn’t afford an empty. Would Ambrose turn him in if he found out Reed was a criminal?

Mazarin’s silence was hard to parse and not at all like him. Then again, the nav trying to kill Reed was pretty uncharacteristic too. He almost wanted to goad Mazarin into saying something, maybe to confess how obsessed he was with Reed, or how angry he was, just to drive the proverbial knife home and ensure he did need to be terminated. But what if Mazarin bode Reed no ill will, and the attack was the result of his software mind malfunctioning?

It doesn’t matter—the result will be the same. Even if Mazarin is going crazy and can’t help himself, I can’t keep him in my head.

The bouncer craned his neck back toward the bar. “Em!”

Em’s default expression of barely reigned-in crankiness morphed to surprise as they walked into the entryway. “You’re white as a ghost.” They gripped Reed by the arm and tugged him toward the back room, eyeing patrons. “Charlie, take over for a few.”

“You got it,” the bouncer called.

Reed hunched into his coat, following Em into the back room. He collapsed into a vinyl chair in front of Em’s desk and swallowed hard. “My navigator tried to kill me.”

“Well, shit.” Em put their hands on their hips.

“I’m not paranoid.”

“I didn’t say you were. You want him gone or what?”

Reed stared into Em’s understanding face and resisted the urge to give the surly dealer a hug. They got him. Just like Jax did. And if Reed told the patrons at the bar what had happened, no doubt they would nod sympathetically because they got him too.

“Yes, I need him gone,” Reed said.

After turning to the desk, Em rifled through a drawer and pulled out an interrupter. The little two-pronged device with a textured grip didn’t look like much, but it sent Reed’s heart into overdrive. He dug his nails into the chair cushion and leaned back.

“It hurts, alright? I’m not going to tell you it doesn’t.” Em cocked their head. “Should we call Jax? Have him sit in here with you for moral support?”

“You think I’m pathetic.”

“Nah. You’re a milquetoast, but you’re not pathetic.” They gave Reed a lopsided grin, then poured him a shot of whiskey from a bottle on the desk. “Little courage, huh?”

“Don’t think there’s enough liquor in the bar for that.” He downed the shot. “Your software didn’t work, by the way.

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