getting nothing. Now the government could try to repossess the property all night long, but in the end they couldn’t do anything. It belonged to Eddie Gonzales, and pretty soon Eddie’d be running the same sort of business out of the building, but with less quality and selection.
Ander took the saps over to Sap Heaven and dropped off all but Nina. The diseased bloodbags at Sap Heaven were rejects, so the four new ones looked like prime targets for the riff-raff that frequented the place. But Ander would make some money off them, even charge extra for the still-clean saps. For now, Sap Heaven wouldn’t be shut down. Ander only rented the property, so it wouldn’t show up on a scan when the government went looking for his possessions. He had a few more pieces of property to get rid of, and then he’d go home and collect his things. He knew Enforcement already had an eye out for him.
He called ahead to have his neighbor get his things together. His neighbor would probably rob him blind, too, but at least Ander would get what he could. He stopped by a few more places to sell his home and other businesses. It was either that or turn himself in, and he wasn’t about to do that after all the years he’d spent building up his empire.
He got his things and gave Nina a good fuck before he got on the road. He didn’t have a particular destination in mind, but getting out of there fast was crucial. He turned out onto the road and started driving. He’d have to get rid of his car and get a new one, preferably illegal, before too many nights passed. He had money for anything he needed though, and he had food and sex right beside him. All his needs right there in the car. Hell, Nina could even make him some money if it came down to it. That’s what he called a good investment. Three for the price of one.
Chapter Nine
Draven had a craving. He’d been having a craving for some time now, as he hadn’t gone to Estrella’s for many days. He had kept busy assisting law Enforcers for three days, and then he’d had another raid, this one for overdrawn livestock.
Though most of the Enforcers treated him with courtesy, Draven caught the condescension in their comments. Byron treated him not only with courtesy, but rather like he considered Draven his apprentice. He was kind and had taken to asking Draven to join him for dinner at the end of the night. They lingered on several mornings, talking and playing Splizzle, cribbage, backgammon, or chess.
Byron acted less formal than most of the Seconds Draven had encountered. At first it had made Draven wonder Byron’s motivation, but after a few invitations he got used to it. Byron was convivial, that’s all. He liked to talk and smoke cigars and study the chess board for what seemed like hours before making a move. Draven played occasionally, but didn’t have the patience to study the board so long. He was a quick thinker and a quick actor, not one to puzzle out the minute details and plan ahead the next ten moves.
As much as Draven enjoyed Byron’s company, he hated drinking canned sap and wasting his ration card on food he didn’t enjoy. Five rations barely satisfied him, and he would rather use them on food that pleased him. But he never knew when Byron would call and ask him to help the Enforcers identity people linked to 28 Flavors. Refusing an invitation from a Second was unthinkable. Not only unpardonably rude, but a grave offense worthy of a small fine or even arrest.
The first night he didn’t have to meet with the Enforcers, he turned his car towards Estrella’s. He passed a car advertising penile implants and smiled to himself. That would be an awful car to get. Draven’s advertised Furr-Bines Industries, the company that made fancy wind turbines with whimsical patterns. He found the whole idea silly, but he could have gotten a worse car—he didn’t want to advertise liposuction, hair removal systems, or personal hygiene items like
Ander took the saps over to Sap Heaven and dropped off all but Nina. The diseased bloodbags at Sap Heaven were rejects, so the four new ones looked like prime targets for the riff-raff that frequented the place. But Ander would make some money off them, even charge extra for the still-clean saps. For now, Sap Heaven wouldn’t be shut down. Ander only rented the property, so it wouldn’t show up on a scan when the government went looking for his possessions. He had a few more pieces of property to get rid of, and then he’d go home and collect his things. He knew Enforcement already had an eye out for him.
He called ahead to have his neighbor get his things together. His neighbor would probably rob him blind, too, but at least Ander would get what he could. He stopped by a few more places to sell his home and other businesses. It was either that or turn himself in, and he wasn’t about to do that after all the years he’d spent building up his empire.
He got his things and gave Nina a good fuck before he got on the road. He didn’t have a particular destination in mind, but getting out of there fast was crucial. He turned out onto the road and started driving. He’d have to get rid of his car and get a new one, preferably illegal, before too many nights passed. He had money for anything he needed though, and he had food and sex right beside him. All his needs right there in the car. Hell, Nina could even make him some money if it came down to it. That’s what he called a good investment. Three for the price of one.
Chapter Nine
Draven had a craving. He’d been having a craving for some time now, as he hadn’t gone to Estrella’s for many days. He had kept busy assisting law Enforcers for three days, and then he’d had another raid, this one for overdrawn livestock.
Though most of the Enforcers treated him with courtesy, Draven caught the condescension in their comments. Byron treated him not only with courtesy, but rather like he considered Draven his apprentice. He was kind and had taken to asking Draven to join him for dinner at the end of the night. They lingered on several mornings, talking and playing Splizzle, cribbage, backgammon, or chess.
Byron acted less formal than most of the Seconds Draven had encountered. At first it had made Draven wonder Byron’s motivation, but after a few invitations he got used to it. Byron was convivial, that’s all. He liked to talk and smoke cigars and study the chess board for what seemed like hours before making a move. Draven played occasionally, but didn’t have the patience to study the board so long. He was a quick thinker and a quick actor, not one to puzzle out the minute details and plan ahead the next ten moves.
As much as Draven enjoyed Byron’s company, he hated drinking canned sap and wasting his ration card on food he didn’t enjoy. Five rations barely satisfied him, and he would rather use them on food that pleased him. But he never knew when Byron would call and ask him to help the Enforcers identity people linked to 28 Flavors. Refusing an invitation from a Second was unthinkable. Not only unpardonably rude, but a grave offense worthy of a small fine or even arrest.
The first night he didn’t have to meet with the Enforcers, he turned his car towards Estrella’s. He passed a car advertising penile implants and smiled to himself. That would be an awful car to get. Draven’s advertised Furr-Bines Industries, the company that made fancy wind turbines with whimsical patterns. He found the whole idea silly, but he could have gotten a worse car—he didn’t want to advertise liposuction, hair removal systems, or personal hygiene items like
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