When you have done some works in the 'low life' part of the city like I have, you get to know some shady characters. Those tend to be very useful whenever I need information, like I needed now. The loading docks, next to the cargo-links were arguably the shadiest part of town, and that's where I went. Hired muscle is a normal job in this town, but still there aren't that many people doing it, and finding someone who knew 'John' was easy. He was new in town, arrived in the last month and had worked a couple of days at the cargo-links before being hired to work as a Security Guard at one of the Clubs. That's where I went after, only to find out he had been fired for not showing up to work twice, just a couple of days before. A little luck and a couple of bills helped find his house.
A small apartment much like mine, near the night district, that I broke into easily. I searched the place but the only thing I found was a paper sheet with the same symbols they had on their tattoos on one side and a address on the other. I passed by the police station to find out he was still there and that he had not yet made a phone call. Unless I pressed charges they'd be forced to let him out the next day. I promised to pass there before, and I went to the address. It was a small door between a antique shop and another building door. In front there was a hot dog stand, so I went to it, asked for a beer and leaned over to the wall, waiting, coat covering half my face, hat covering the rest. The first beer too me half a hour to drink, the second another hour and only when I was about to get the third did something happen.
A woman came out, but I only recognized her a few seconds after, already following her down the street. She had changed into less noticeable clothes and was going fast down the street. I followed her to the hyperlink. If let her enter she would be as good as lost, since this was one of the new fully automatic link. I ran and bumped into her as soon as she got her feet up to enter the link. We both traveled and I landed in top of her, she in top of sand. In front of me a pyramid and to my side a town right out of ancient Egypt. Houses of mud bricks and temples of stone as far as I could see.
"Hey there honey, there's sand in your hair." - I said while cuffing her - "And now it's you who are cuffed. Shall we repeat last night?" - She was kicking and trying to get me off of her. My hand covering her lips meant she wasn't able of screaming, so I was able to pick her up and move her into the city, mingling with the people where I put her against the wall. "So. Why did you steal my little notebook?" - being unable to speak she mumbled until I remembered I'd better take m hand of her mouth.
"That damned bitch stole something of great value to us."
"How did you know what to look for?" - since she wasn't answering I took out my gun and put it against her clothes, and asked again.
"You and the 'love of your life' are well known in the police station, and so is the little book where you write down anything connected to jewel heists or her. The Order of Horus is everywhere in the System! And if she thinks she can just run away with the Eye of God, she is very mistaken. We will find her, kill her and get back what is ours."
I must have become distracted by the thought of Stella, because the woman was able of kicking me and running away. I searched the entire link but I couldn't find her. Their symbol was everywhere, so that was not something I could follow as a lead. I returned to the Dark City, wondering how could I enter their meeting place, for I had decided that was what it was, without being recognized. I ended up going home, thinking that sleep would actually do me some good.
The door to my office was unlocked, so I took out my gun, took a deep breath and kicked it in. The gun fell on the floor, followed by my chin. She was there, sitting on my chair, my glass on one hand, one of my cigarettes in her beautiful lips, a green eye of Horus in a chain at her chest, my Stella was there.
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