Read Online Sullivan Saga 1: Sullivan's War by Michael Rose - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michael Rose
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captivity, it had been five and a half months since he’d seen natural light.
Sullivan looked up at the building that had been his prison. It was nothing more than a standard apartment block, badly rundown and apparently unoccupied. The room he had been in must have been converted into a cell by the addition of a wall along the back of the room, blocking the window.
Sullivan returned his attention to the street. He had no idea how he might look to anyone he encountered. The street was filled with tents, shacks, stands and tables. It was part shantytown, part marketplace, where everything from alcohol to electronics to exotic animals was for sale. He briefly wondered why the inhabitants of the shanties hadn’t taken up residence in the abandoned building. The tall man, he realized, must have a great deal of power in the city; he must command a great amount of respect. Or fear.
As he scanned the street, Sullivan soon realized that his appearance would not be a problem. All around him were people who seemed to live in filth and squalor, either by choice or by necessity.
Sullivan walked through the crowd, leading the girl by the hand. He moved confidently and purposefully. Any sign of weakness on his part could get him killed here. He was intentionally rough with the girl. If he looked as though he were taking her somewhere against her will, he was more likely to be let by unmolested.
After a few tense moments, they emerged from the densest part of the shantytown, and he realized that it occupied a strip of land next to a long row of warehouses. This was the spaceport. He doubted there would be any safety to be found here. Sullivan turned back toward the direction he had come. The shantytown gradually thinned until it was replaced by typical, if not rundown, apartment buildings. Sullivan went into one of these and tried a few door handles. He found one that was unlocked. As he pulled it open, he called into the apartment. “Hey! Is this where Joe lives?”
He waited for a reply. Hearing none, he pulled the girl in and closed the door behind him. He understood why the door was open when he went to lock it. The lock was broken; the knob turned uselessly in his hand. Sullivan turned away from the door and looked around. It was just as well; there was nothing much here of value.
Sullivan found the bathroom and tried the faucet to make sure the building had running water. “Take a shower,” he said to the girl as he gently pushed her into the bathroom and closed the door. He waited until he heard the shower turn on then searched the room for clothes. He found some clothes that looked like they would fit them and put these in a plastic bag, along with a few packets of dried food, and then used the sink to wash up himself.
CLEAN AND WITH somewhat cleaner clothes on, Sullivan felt better, more alert. The girl looked better, too, and now followed him through the streets without being led. The prepaid credit card he’d put all his money on before leaving Edaline was gone, but he had the tablets; he might be able to get something for those. He also had Wilson’s gun. He decided he’d better hang onto that.
Sullivan found a stand selling used electronics. He took out the tablets and set them down. “How much for these?”
The merchant picked each one up in turn, making sure they were functioning. “Eighty credits.”
“One twenty,” said Sullivan.
“Ninety.”
“One ten.” He stared hard at the merchant.
“One ten,” said the man sheepishly. “Give me your card.”
“I don’t have one. I need a prepaid.”
“That’ll cost five credits.”
“No, it’ll cost one.”
The merchant scowled but did not argue. He waved a card with its embedded chip over his terminal, transferred one hundred and nine credits onto it and handed it to Sullivan without a word. Sullivan glanced at the terminal to make sure the amount was correct, shoved the card into his pocket and turned away. With the money, they could get
Sullivan looked up at the building that had been his prison. It was nothing more than a standard apartment block, badly rundown and apparently unoccupied. The room he had been in must have been converted into a cell by the addition of a wall along the back of the room, blocking the window.
Sullivan returned his attention to the street. He had no idea how he might look to anyone he encountered. The street was filled with tents, shacks, stands and tables. It was part shantytown, part marketplace, where everything from alcohol to electronics to exotic animals was for sale. He briefly wondered why the inhabitants of the shanties hadn’t taken up residence in the abandoned building. The tall man, he realized, must have a great deal of power in the city; he must command a great amount of respect. Or fear.
As he scanned the street, Sullivan soon realized that his appearance would not be a problem. All around him were people who seemed to live in filth and squalor, either by choice or by necessity.
Sullivan walked through the crowd, leading the girl by the hand. He moved confidently and purposefully. Any sign of weakness on his part could get him killed here. He was intentionally rough with the girl. If he looked as though he were taking her somewhere against her will, he was more likely to be let by unmolested.
After a few tense moments, they emerged from the densest part of the shantytown, and he realized that it occupied a strip of land next to a long row of warehouses. This was the spaceport. He doubted there would be any safety to be found here. Sullivan turned back toward the direction he had come. The shantytown gradually thinned until it was replaced by typical, if not rundown, apartment buildings. Sullivan went into one of these and tried a few door handles. He found one that was unlocked. As he pulled it open, he called into the apartment. “Hey! Is this where Joe lives?”
He waited for a reply. Hearing none, he pulled the girl in and closed the door behind him. He understood why the door was open when he went to lock it. The lock was broken; the knob turned uselessly in his hand. Sullivan turned away from the door and looked around. It was just as well; there was nothing much here of value.
Sullivan found the bathroom and tried the faucet to make sure the building had running water. “Take a shower,” he said to the girl as he gently pushed her into the bathroom and closed the door. He waited until he heard the shower turn on then searched the room for clothes. He found some clothes that looked like they would fit them and put these in a plastic bag, along with a few packets of dried food, and then used the sink to wash up himself.
CLEAN AND WITH somewhat cleaner clothes on, Sullivan felt better, more alert. The girl looked better, too, and now followed him through the streets without being led. The prepaid credit card he’d put all his money on before leaving Edaline was gone, but he had the tablets; he might be able to get something for those. He also had Wilson’s gun. He decided he’d better hang onto that.
Sullivan found a stand selling used electronics. He took out the tablets and set them down. “How much for these?”
The merchant picked each one up in turn, making sure they were functioning. “Eighty credits.”
“One twenty,” said Sullivan.
“Ninety.”
“One ten.” He stared hard at the merchant.
“One ten,” said the man sheepishly. “Give me your card.”
“I don’t have one. I need a prepaid.”
“That’ll cost five credits.”
“No, it’ll cost one.”
The merchant scowled but did not argue. He waved a card with its embedded chip over his terminal, transferred one hundred and nine credits onto it and handed it to Sullivan without a word. Sullivan glanced at the terminal to make sure the amount was correct, shoved the card into his pocket and turned away. With the money, they could get
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