Tube Riders, The by Chris Ward Page B

something struck him hard in the back, and he stumbled out from his hiding place, dropping the bottle on the ground.
    ‘Look what I found here!’ someone said behind him. ‘I got us a spy!’
    Dan looked round to see a muscular, shaven-head man with a black tattoo of a hawk to the side of his left eye. Sober, Dan would have put up a decent fight, but drunk he had no chance. He grunted as a fist slammed into his face and he sprawled forward on to the ground.
    ‘Pick him up, Maul.’
    ‘He just watched Petey die, Dreggo. Want me to throw him under the next one?’
    ‘I said, pick him up .’
    ‘Okay, okay.’ Strong hands pulled Dan to his feet. His face ached under his right eye, but as he went to rub it he found his arms clamped to his side.
    A young woman of no more than eighteen or twenty stepped in front of him. She was slim, with long hair that framed her face, and a hawk tattoo beside both eyes. If they were a sign of authority then Maul was merely a henchman.
    She smiled and reached up to cup Dan’s face. Her skin was smooth but icy cold.
    ‘You just watched one of our group die,’ the girl said, in a soothing, serpentine voice. ‘Tell me why I shouldn’t have Maul do as he suggested.’
    ‘I didn’t–’
    Dreggo’s other hand came across hard, and Dan recoiled from the shock of the blow, the rum doing little to mask the pain. She hit harder than the goon did.
    ‘Don’t waste time lying to me.’ The hand holding Dan’s chin squeezed tighter. ‘Answer my question.’
    ‘I want to join you.’
    ‘Is that so?’
    ‘Yeah. And–’
    ‘And what? ’
    ‘And I want you to help me.’
    With a flick of her hair Dreggo laughed. It was cold, like her hands. ‘Um, why? Give me one reason. This really is your last chance. It doesn’t bother me if you live or die.’
    ‘I’m a Tube Rider.’
    Dan felt Maul’s hands tighten on his shoulders and begin to pull him away. In front of him, Dreggo’s eyes thinned, her face going hard.
    ‘ Was a Tube Rider,’ Dan corrected.
    ‘Let go of him, Maul.’
    The hands dropped. Dan allowed himself to breathe. ‘I left them, and –’
    ‘So you’ve broken their code by coming here. Regardless of what I feel about the Tube Riders, breaking codes is something we don’t believe in. Breaking the code of the Cross Jumpers means death under the trains.’ Dreggo took a step away from Dan and waved an arm back towards the platform. Her arms too, bore a number of tattoos. He caught a glimpse of her inner elbow, and saw the scars of old needle track marks there.
    ‘They have their code, and we have ours. But one thing links both – community. If you become a Tube Rider or a Cross Jumper you join a family. Our two families might feud, but dishonour is something we both understand.’ She gestured behind him. ‘Maul, take him to the track.’
    ‘I know where they are,’ Dan blurted.
    He heard the intake of her breath, sharp, desperate. ‘Wait. Maul, leave us a moment.’
    ‘Are you sure–’
    ‘Yes.’
    The big man shot a dark look at Dan and lumbered away towards the other Cross Jumpers, most of whom were looking down at Petey’s body. Some were openly crying now, others were comforting each other, cursing, punching the concrete pillars in anger. Dan wondered if the other Tube Riders would have acted like this had it been him lying down there on the tracks. He didn’t think so.
    ‘So, you know where they ride now,’ Dreggo said. ‘While I pity your disloyalty, I admit this is information I want.’
    ‘And what do I get in return?’
    Dreggo smiled. Despite the coldness of her eyes she was attractive. Pretty face, nice ass, pert tits , he thought, tucked away under that t-shirt of hers. She wasn’t in the same league as Marta, but she would do well enough. The act of being completely asexual and robotic might be something she just kept up around her goon army.
    ‘Aside from keeping your life?’ Dreggo said.
    ‘I want to join you,’ Dan repeated.
    Dreggo