"To Kill A Runner" Chapter 16 "Street Crime" (Cyberpunk Fiction)

In the early morning light dust specs float through the room of an old abandoned building. Britney had found her self curled up in a corner in the second floor so she occasional look out a crack through the boarded up window. Wrapped in a blanket in silent still of the morning with most of her attention turned to her VR goggles and logged into the internet through a mobile phone. Frustrated and cold she scans through all the mugshots of Megana and her. Wanted by the police, she felt alone and unable to reach out to but she directly blamed Megana and was also mad at Jarome for agreeing with her.

Lifting up her headset and taking a pack of the Native cigarettes she had taken out of the cardboard carton. Dumping out ten packs and then the others, forty packs in all. Then counting the money she had. Two thousand dollars cash, forty packs of cigarettes, the glock 45., and her hoodie pulled over her bullet proof vest.

Thinking to herself that the rifle was hers and not this pistol but covert concealment was her main concern, so she left all the heavy stuff with Jarome and Megana. She had no desire to smoke but knew they could be worth something small and it was at least something to barter with.

After the sun rose and urban fowl started to squeak out their need to eat vocaly, Britney had cataloged her inventory and packed it all back up. Gripping her glock getting nervous when she heard the shuffling feet of another person coming up the stairs, but still holding it to her hip not wanting to set off someone that was not directly looking for her. A swat teem would be a lot of people and they would be running up the stairs, this person was not a Lone Star officer.

Soon a dark skinned bearded man that appeared to be much older swayed into the doorway and made his way to slump over in an opposite corner of the dirty cold furniture less room. He pulled out a syringe, small metal spoon, a lighter and a bag of white powder, then looked around making a noise of surprise when his dim perception realized Britney was watching him.

“Eh, Do you have a smoke I could get ?” the old bum asked

"Yah, I can sell you a pack for five bucks.” Britney got up from the floor and walked over to the older man.

“Sure” pulling out a crumpled up bill he put it in Brittney's outreached hand, Britney returned with a sealed pack of cigarettes.

Then heading down the stairwell leaving the man to spark his lighter and melt down his heroin, a scene Britney usually tried to avoid. Stepping out of the building and stepping off the rotting porch she felt the cold wind on her face as she walked down the street with her head down. Noticing spray paint tags on the side of buildings that seemed to be sprayed over by another tag in a different color, a clear sign of gangs contesting the area.she found a cold street corner in the urban sprawl and decided she would stand and loiter here for a while and try to sell her reservation cigarettes.

Posted on the corner she solicited everyone who walked past selling them pack buy pack gradually making money. A few car motors roared because of faulty exhausts while the load base of the music inside slightly overpowered the sound. The day went on like this before she stepped in a corner store and bought food. It had felt so long sens she had a good meal and the hoagie style sandwich was just what she needed to keep going. Then walking up the street a few blocks to start selling again. Knowing that the tax evasion charge on selling cigarettes was not worst of her problems by far. The risk was worth eating.

She would eventually have to buy a computer but for now getting paid and a safe place to sleep was her main concerns, Besides If she went to a well-established department store, Lone Star would be there waiting for her before she could check out with a purchase. She would have to find another fence to buy her next computer from, and buying from fences was usually more money than what the item was worth.

After a few hours of loitering and selling her cigarettes outside of corner stores she was approached by a short Latino with a yellow bandanna around his head and an angry furrowed brow.

“Hey, Punta. Who gave you permission to sell on this block ?” He said as he pulled over his car and stepped out keeping the engine running, Lifting up a flannel shirt to show he was also holding a firearm. “ Dis here is a kings block and we don't like outsiders pushing on our turf. If you hand over all your shit, I might let you leave with your life. Seeing how cute you are now I'm thinking if you do me a favor I might let you go.” the gangster grabbed his crotch and gave a crude smile toward Britney.

In her mind panicking Britney thought of drawing her gun but a shoot out in broad daylight was not really smart giving her current notoriety and it seemed like the deal he was offering was one sided in every way. She looked down the street the other way and her eyes widened as she saw another car pull up with a group of more men sporting at least one or more yellow items of clothing. They got out and surrounded her and before she could react one of them cracked her knee with a baseball bat. Falling to her knees In desperation she reached for her gun and pulled it out but the second blow to the back of her head was enough pain to shatter her consciousness along with her VR goggles, and she slumped to the pavement knocked out.

Catch up on previous chapters:

1. Chapter  I - Down & Out
2. Chapter II - Bore Snakes & Hammer Bites
3. Chapter III - The Plan
4. Chapter IV - Pixie Dust Attack -i wlan0mon
5. Chapter V - A Fixer & A Fence
6. Chapter VI - Prep Work
7. Chapter VII - Living The Dream
8. Chapter VIII - Seeking Asylum
9. Chapter IX - Breathmaker
10. Chapter X - Nanook
11. Chapter XI - Wolf Hunt
12. Chapter XII - Rising Paw
13. Chapter XIII - Lucky Number
14. Chapter XIV - Drawing Dead
15. Chapter XV - Explosive Division