Sketches by Teyla Branton

Author:Teyla Branton [Branton, Teyla]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Dystopian, Science Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-939203-78-6
Publisher: White Star Press
Published: 2017-05-17T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

JAXON STARED AT Witt, digesting the man’s words. First the girl, Nova, and now Witt saying no one ever left the colonies. People he’d known were missing. The anxiety in his gut increased. How had he missed this for so long? He was a detective, for CORE’s sake, and yet he’d been so obsessed with fighting crime that he hadn’t realized the people he worked for were committing even bigger crimes.

Except he had no proof, and no motivation. Not yet.

But he trusted his gut.

“Thanks,” he said to Witt. “Nice seeing you.”

“Yeah, see ya around.” Witt turned and crossed the few steps to his front door, lifting his skin and guzzling sauce as he went. Jaxon pursed his lips in revulsion, reminded of Colony 5 and the sour stench of sauce on his foster father’s breath as he screamed out his daily frustrations.

Reese and Eagle were staring at him, as if he’d zoned out. He swallowed the lump in his throat and said, “Guess we go back to see Carla.”

“What’s Dani want with babies?” Reese wondered. When no one answered, she took out her sketchbook and began to draw. Her hurried, almost angry strokes told him she’d seen something she wasn’t pleased about bringing to life. He wondered if it was as horrifying as Ty with a broken neck. Whatever it was, she didn’t show him the resulting sketch.

Carla was just as slow to get to the door as she had been for their first visit, but this time the baby wasn’t in her arms. She didn’t contain her surprise when she saw them. “You again? Got more money for me, I hope?”

“We just had a chat with my old buddy, Witt,” Jaxon responded. “Interesting thing is, he says you do know Dani.”

“You’re friends with Witt?”

“I used to live there.” He thumbed at the house next door.

She leaned forward. “Really? I don’t know you. Did we go to the same school?”

“Yes, and you should remember Dani,” Reese said. “Black skin, white hair. She hung out with the twins.”

“I remember them. Dark hair, slanted eyes, right?” Her mouth opened. “Wait,” she said to Jaxon. “You’re the hooker’s son.”

Jaxon slowly clenched his fists, mentally counting to ten. “Have you seen Dani? We’re her friends. She’ll want to see us.”

“Well, it wasn’t really her,” she said, glancing back into the house as a crash sounded behind her. “Mandy,” she hollered, “get away from that or no more Teev today!” She refocused on Jaxon. “She sent one of her guys, is all. He told me she had a place for the girls, if I needed.” Her voice lowered. “Look, Witt hates her for something he says she did years ago, but she gives us stuff that helps us get by—food, medicine, iTeevs. Things are bad for us regular people, and Dani helps.”

“Does she live nearby?”

“No one knows. Or if they do, they ain’t saying.”

Jaxon stifled his frustration. “How do we find her?”

“You don’t. She finds you.”

Well that sounded promising. “What aren’t you telling us?”

“Me?” Carla blinked a few times.

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