Page 46 of Crocodile Tears
Josiah shrugged. “Maybe I could have made it, but not as a freelancer; sooner or later I’d have had to sign with a houder to get anywhere – and I wasn’t prepared to do that. Losing Jason made me realise it’s a fool’s game, so I gave it up. There must be other ways out for you.”
Fred shrugged. “I met with an IS recruiter yesterday, and there ain’t much going right now, ’cept construction. Sign-up fee was crap, and the end fee was almost as shite. It weren’t enough to get my mum and kid brothers outta the Quarterlands, so I’d end up right back there after my five years were up.”
“That’s tough.” The best and brightest kids from the Quarterlands might be able to land a good IS contract with reasonable fees, but most ended up doing dangerous and unpleasant jobs for a risible amount of money.
“I heard the army has a deal on for new indies; Winston says I should take it,” Fred sighed. “Take their ID tag and let ’em send me wherever the hell they want.”
“No.” Josiah put his hands on Fred’s shoulders. “Don’t do that,” he said firmly. “Army indies get all the worst jobs and most of them don’t live long enough to claim their completion fee.”
“You sound like my dad, when he was alive, but I can’t keep my mum and brothers safe an’ fed with the little jobs I can get.” Fred looked up at him, his good eye gleaming wetly.
“Can’t you join the army as a free man?”
Fred laughed. “They don’t take nobody on free in the army these days, ’cept officers.”
“That’s a shame.” Shortly before Jason’s death, he’d been spotted in the ring by a friendly army sergeant who’d taken him under his wing. Even back then, it wasn’t easy to enter the army as anything other than an indie, but the sergeant had pulled a few strings for him. He’d never regretted it.
“I do other stuff,” Fred murmured. His fingers went to Josiah’s towel. “You’re fit. You know, for an old guy.” He gave a cheeky grin as his hand disappeared under the towel.
“No.” Josiah blocked him immediately, almost as a reflex. He didn’t want this stranger touching him. He didn’t want anyone touching him like this except Peter. He turned away and got dressed quickly. Fred stood watching, perplexed.
“Why not? A quick blowjob – nobody’s watching. You got a wife at home or somethin’?”
“No.” Josiah pulled on his jacket.
“A husband, then?” Fred grinned cheekily. “I reckon that’s it.”
“No husband,” Josiah said, and it still hurt, even after all this time.
“Winston’s right,” Fred told him. “You should shag someone, or you’ll go nuts. Fightin’s fun, but fuckin’s better.”
“Not for me. Look, join the army if you want, Fred, but try and get in as a free man, not an IS. You’re worth more than that.”
“As a free man? You gotta be kidding me,” Fred said, rolling his eyes. “Hardly anyone gets into the army ’cept as an indie these days, ’specially if they’re Quarrie scum like me. Ain’t just the army, neither – nobody wants you to do an honest day’s work for ’em unless they can put a chip under your skin and a tag on you.”
“Look, I hope it works out for you, whatever you decide to do.” Josiah took a cash card from his wallet. “Here.” He handed it to Fred, who took it, looking puzzled.
“But I didn’t do nothin’ for ya,” Fred protested.
Josiah touched Fred’s injured face gently. “Yes, you did,” he said softly.
Chapter Eight
NOVEMBER 2084
Alex
Solange’s flat was a bright, airy place in the centre of town. Alex always met her at an art lecture every Monday, after which they went back to her flat to take croc and make love. She had a sweet, sad aura that Alex found attractive, and she made no demands on him, seemingly happy to see him once a week and not interfere with the rest of his life.
She’d never once told him she loved him – which he found even more attractive. She also appeared to have an unlimited supply of croc, which she was always willing to share.
“You’re lucky to have this place all to yourself,” Alex told her as they lay on the bed after making love. “I wish I didn’t have Neil breathing down my neck the whole time.”
“You could tell your dad he’s been blackmailing you,” she suggested.
Sitting up, she wrapped a white sheet around her naked body, then settled down beside him again, her cloud of corkscrew curls spreading out over the pillow.
“If I did that, I’d have to admit to taking croc.”
