Chapter Six

"So where to, then?" Gabriela stood up and looked back at the car. “Got another contact, a pimp or drug dealer we can talk to?”

“Just so happens I do.” Geraldo stood up and handed their bowls back to the boy behind the counter.

“Where at?”

"Right here." Geraldo flicked the butt of his cigarette into the street. "Next contact is here, in the market."

"A vendor?"

"Wish it were that easy," Geraldo said with a small sigh. "They peddle narcotics, and they don't have a booth to advertise from."

Gabriela turned around and looked out across the sea of booths with a frown. "So, we are going to need to look for them?"

"Him, yes. His name is Pet." Geraldo typed away on his terminal before he cast a file to her. "This is him."

The man was skinny and frail-looking, with a pock-marked face and red hair. "No implants?"

"One of the lucky ones. His disorders are manageable without implants, the ones he did have he hocked a long ago. His addiction is for bliss. What do you know about bliss?"

"Chromophedrine? I know it's made from fetal stem cells. We don't see it much in the upper city. The narcotics we deal with are all digital, applied directly to a brain dock." She added.

Geraldo's bald head bobbed up and down as he nodded. "Right. Brain dock implants are elective.”

“I know.” Gabriela interrupted. “It's not covered by governmental relief.”

“Right, so most people down here don't have one. They have to take their drugs the good old fashion way. Bliss is one of the top drugs. It has relatively low negative reactions."

"I thought it burned out synapses."

"Like I said, relatively low." Geraldo waved for her to follow him through the jungle of booths and peddlers, talking louder as they went deeper into the market. "As you said; they make it from fetal stem cells, supposed to mimic the blissful feeling you get when you were in the womb."

"You ever try it?" Gabriel had to almost yell to be heard over the din of voices.

"No, have you?"

"I typically stick with wine." She admitted.

"Too rich for my taste. Beer for me, unfortunately, is made with synthetic barley and hops. You can taste the difference." Geraldo had to push people aside so that they could get deeper into the Bazaar. "Anyways, I figured that if you are right, and this chop doc is targeting pregnant women, then he has to be doing something with the fetuses. Pet is spineless, and he will roll as soon as he can; the problem is he's going to run the moment he sees me."

"So, you need me to go find him."

"You got it." He said with a smile and a wink. "We will stay on coms, and I will keep an eye out for him, but I will need you to get close to him."

"What do I do when I find him?"

"Whatever you can to keep him from running, just remember we need him alive. And bullets don't care who they hit. So, don't shoot unless you have to."

"I wasn't planning on shooting." She said as she broke way to head deeper into the Bazaar

"But if you have to," Geraldo said as he grabbed her arm and pulled her back and leaned in so close that she could feel his mustache against her ear, "when you shoot. Don't think about it. Just do it. Thinking will get you killed down here."

He let go of her arm and gave her a stiff, reassuring nod before he slipped away into the crowd. Gabriela patted her waist, reassuring herself that her sidearm was still there before she took a deep breath and pushed her way into the crowd.

The sound, sights, and smells were overwhelming. Someone was demanding her attention everywhere she looked. Everything from homeopathic remedies to pornography was for sale, as well as foods. Vendors pushed exotic foods that Gabriela had never even heard of, let alone tried. Her AFD scanned every face that she passed, text sprawled on the edge of her vision.

The smell of people was also overwhelming. The smell of sweat, perfume, and body odor was a stark difference from the sterile smell of the upper city.

"Hey, hey," a man called out, "pretty lady, over here."

"Not interested." Gabriela shot him a disapproving look. It was a mistake. The moment she made eye contact; he began to follow her from the other side of his booth.

"You look like you have a taste for the expensive, and maybe the rare."

"No."

"I have books. Pre-war books."

Gabriela slowed to a stop and glanced over her shoulder. She could no longer see Geraldo. She considered walking on to look for Pet, but the idea of seeing and holding pre-war books was too much to resist. "Which books?"

"I have a few," he waved her over, "come, I'll show you.”

She headed towards the booth reluctantly; she knew she should continue her search but figured a few moments wouldn't hurt. "Let's see."

The shopkeeper smiled a wide toothless smile before he ducked behind his booth and produced three weathered paperbacks. "Careful," he warned as she picked up one of the books, "they are old."

She only recognized one book by Tolkien. The other two were by authors she had never heard of before. Her mother had read her the Hobbit when she was young. The tale had filled her imagination to the point that she had declared that she would be a writer when she grew up. "How much are you asking for?"

"Depends on how you are going to pay. If it's in crypto, then I'll give you a discount."

"Does it matter what coins I use?" She asked as her fingers lovingly traced the faded covers of the books.

"Not as long as they are mainstream. I don't deal in shit coins."

"Cro?"

"Oh yes, I will definitely accept that." He flashed her another broad smile.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her terminal, and selected her wallet. "Where am I sending it?" She asked as she looked up. Something on the other side of the booth caught her attention. Two men shoving each other, a commotion that happened in the blink of an eye. As one of the men left, she saw him, Pet. He was sweating. His once white shirt was stained with sweat to the point it was a brownish color.

"Just cast me the address, and the transaction will be complete. Ma'am?" The merchant asked when she didn't respond.

"I'll be damned." She said as she moved past the booth, forgetting about the merchant and his books.

"This is a one-time deal!" The merchant called after her, but she had already forgotten him and his books.

She slowly rounded the booth, keeping the dirty man in her sight. Her hand reached up and touched the earpiece, activating the two-way come. "What is it?" Geraldo's voice whispered in her ear.

"I found him."

"Already?"

Gabriela looked over her shoulder, making sure no one else had eyes on Pet before she looked back at him. "About three rows back from where we ate. He looks agitated, just got in some sort of scuffle with another man."

"Just keep your eyes on him. I'm coming to find you.”

She kept her distance, stopping from time to time to look at booths or listen to a peddler try to convince her to buy their wares. Still, each time the man moved, she would move with him, abruptly ending whatever monologue that had struck up.

Pete kept looking over his shoulder, his beady eyes scanning the crowd nervously as he made his way deeper and deeper into the Bazaar.

Two men seemed to be trailing the skinny man as well. They were significantly bigger than him. Their augmentations only added to their muscular build. The AFD alerted her that one of the men had a warrant out for his arrest. "I think we have trouble." She whispered into her com.

"Why?"

"A man named Marcus Grant is following him, as well as another man."

"Fuck." There was a moment of tense silence. "They are Chrome Domes. A local gang around here. I'm sure Pet is scalping their turf. We need to get to him before they do, but do not engage them. They would have no problem putting an officer down."

"Is everyone here a potential killer?" She asked with a sigh.

"Yes." That was all he replied.

"Great." She mumbled to herself. "I need to keep a blisser from killing me while keeping two chrome domers from killing him, while also keeping them from killing me. Perfect."

"That's the idea." Geraldo's sudden voice made her jump. "Welcome to the Lower City."

Gabriela had thought she had disconnected the com. She quickly closed the channel and focused on the contact.

Pet nervously scratched at his neck while he shuffled his way through the Bazaar. It was apparent that their contact was unaware that he was being followed or watched.

Pet wandered aimlessly from booth to booth while he twitched and scratched at dirty, open sores. Soon he broke away from the Bazaar. Gabriela cursed and pushed a vendor out of her way when she lost sight of Pete.

The sea of people had swallowed him whole. Gabriela frantically searched the crowd, her AFD scanning and highlighting every face it could. "I think I lost him." Finally, Gabriela opened the channel and admitted.

"Do you see the chrome domes?"

Gabriela hesitated, standing as tall as she could to see over the ocean of people. Then, finally, she climbed up on a booth. "What the fuck do you think you are doing!?" An old woman yelled up at her.

"Taurus security." Gabriela barked down at her. Her eyes darted about as she slowly turned, sweeping her gaze over the Bazaar.

"I don't care who you are!" The old woman screeched. "You are scaring away my customers."

Gabriela looked down at the old woman and lifted her jacket, revealing her sidearm. The old woman backed away but said nothing more.

"Anything?" Geraldo's voice whispered into her ear.

"Found them." Gabriela saw them pushing their way through the crowd. "Looks like they lost him as well. "

"Okay, we need to find Pet before they do."

Gabriela was about to jump down from the booth when she spotted him. He weaseled his way through the crowd towards a back alley. "I found him. Headed west to the alleys."

"There are fire escapes he will use to try and get to higher ground."

Gabriela leaped down from the booth and started shoving her way through the throng of people.

“Bitch!” She heard the old woman call after her.

Finally, Gabriela broke free of the crowd and sprinted for the ally. Pet's beady eyes locked on hers for a brief minute before he ducked away, scrambling down the alley.

"Shit." Gabriela unholstered her sidearm and followed him into the dark alley.

"Taurus security!" She called out into the shadows of the alley. She could hear Pet swear and a crash and rattle of metal.

Weapon drawn, and at the ready, Gabriela crept into the darkness. She rounded a dumpster and jumped in surprise when Pet rushed at her. He threw what little bulk that he had at her. It was enough to cause Gabriela to stumble back and drop her weapon.

Pet lunged at her a second time, and the two fell to the hard asphalt. The putrid smell of sweat and vomit infiltrated her nostrils, filling her lungs with the vile stench of the man.

He managed to get her on her back before he pulled his fist back and slammed it into her face. Stars erupted in her vision, and she felt her lip burst, the blood filling her mouth. "Bitch!" He screamed at her as he raised his fist once more.

Gabriel regained her senses and struck with the flat of her palm. The skinny man toppled backward.

Gabriela rolled away and groped for her weapon in the darkness. She heard the familiar click as the gun was armed. Gabriela froze and looked back. Pet held the gun in his shaking hands. There was a wild look in his eyes as his finger began to tighten on the trigger.

"Pet." Geraldo's voice boomed in the darkness. Pet swung around just as Geraldo stepped from the shadows and swung his fist with all his might.

The gun spun from Pet's hands. He crumpled to the ground.

Geraldo stood over him. His hands were still clenched into fists. He looked over at Gabriela. "Good job, Detective Fohren." He said with a smile before he pulled the lifeless Pet to his feet.