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  "Don't stare for too long." a voice cut through the noise. "The Beast has been known to hypnotize newbies who stare."

  Kellan turned back toward the bar and realized she was standing right next to it. She had managed to make it through the rest of the crowd while entranced by the sight of the statue. An elf stood behind the bar, leaning a bit toward her, hands resting on the countertop, one holding a rag he was using to wipe it down. Like every elf Kellan had ever seen, he looked like a simstar: tall and handsome, his straight black hair worn shoulder length and tucked behind his pointed ears. He gave her a dazzling smile and tapped the bar in front of him.

  "What'll it be?"

  Kellan slid her credstick into the reader on the bar and tapped the display screen.

  "How about a beer and something on the side?" she asked.

  The elf kept smiling and raised one delicate eyebrow. "Sure thing. The beer is five nuyen, but the chaser will cost you fifty."

  Kellan tapped the screen. "Done. You know a chummer called G-Dogg?"

  Up went the eyebrow again. "Yeah, I know him. Why are you looking for him?"

  "Business." Kellan replied curtly. "Is he here?"

  He shrugged expressively. "I don't know. Haven't seen him around tonight, but G-Dogg is a busy guy, you know? He works a lot of dubs: Penumbra, Dante's Inferno. He might show up later on, or he might not."

  Kellan suppressed a sigh. "Okay. Well, can you tell him I'm looking for him?" she asked. She tapped a few more keys on the screen, shooting her contact info to the bar's comp. "That's my number."

  "Sure thing." the bartender said. He set an open bottle on the bar and popped a chip into the comp's port, tapping the screen to transfer her contact info. Kellan withdrew her credstick, and the elf removed the datachip and slipped it into his pocket as Kellan picked up her drink.

  "If you need anything else," he said, "just holler."

  "Thanks."

  Kellan tasted her beer. It wasn't bad, but Kellan wasn't there to drink. She was there on business, but how was she supposed to get anything done if she couldn't even make a decent contact? She caught herself then, realizing that she was still thinking like a KC runner. Seattle's shadow community was huge— she shouldn't expect to find her target the first place she looked.

  She'd come to the Underworld because she'd heard that G-Dogg was the man to talk to for a shadowrunner new to the Seattle scene; that he knew things and people who could set up an initial contact. Kellan's hand closed around the credstick in her pocket. The balance was getting pretty low. She needed to score some work, and soon, or else she was going to be back out on the streets. She didn't even have enough money left for a return trip to Kansas City—not that she ever planned on going back there. She was going to make it in Seattle no matter what, but to do that she needed to hook up with the right people.

  That was when a troll lurched out of the crowd around the tables, looked around for a moment then focused on Kellan like a heat-seeker.

  He was big and ugly, and made the bouncer out front look handsome by comparison. His head was low and squat, almost football shaped, with downward-curving horns on either side and one protruding tusk broken and capped with chrome. His domed head was shaved down to dark stubble and his big, pointed ears held numerous heavy metal rings. So did his bushy eyebrows and his broad, flat nose, which had a ring through it, like a bull. He wore a heavy leather jacket draped with chains from the shoulders.

  "Hey, baby, haven't seen you around here before." he slurred in a deep, gravelly voice. He stood nearly three meters tall. Kellan looked him square in his stomach, a slight paunch that protruded over a wide, black leather belt. Even with the distance between them, his breath was strong enough to knock down a wall. He reeked like a brewery and staggered slightly, like he'd just drunk one.

  “And you won't again." Kellan said, pushing away from the bar and leaving her beer there, barely touched. A massive, leather-clad arm blocked her way.

  "Where you goin'?" the troll said. "You haven't even told me your name. I'm Horse." He smiled, showing her a mouthful of yellowed, broken teeth, and bobbed his head in an exaggerated nod, winking at her. "That's right, honey, it means just what you think."

  "Yeah?" Kellan asked. "Well, maybe you should find yourself a nice centaur, or something."

  "Huh?" the troll grunted, grabbing for her arm. "Don't be that way, baby. I just wanna—urk!” He stopped short when Kellan snapped her stun baton up between his legs.

  "That big enough for you, baby?" she said. " 'Cause I'm betting that it's more than what you've got. Now, unless you take your hand off me right now, drekhead, they're going to change your name from Horse to Mare."

  "Fraggin' smoothie slitch . . ." the troll muttered, one hand balling up into a fist. Kellan squeezed the trigger. There was a sizzling crack and the troll howled on an impossibly high note, barely audible above the pounding music, then fell like a massive tree. He lay there, twitching, as Kellan backed away a few steps. She heard a smattering of applause and a few approving hoots from women in the crowd next to the bar, then she turned and stalked back toward the entrance. People cleared out of her way, though only the clubbers closest to the bar even noticed the big troll rolling around on the floor groaning.

  The ork bouncer at the door noticed Kellan as she headed out.

  "Hey." he said. "Have any luck?"

  "Yeah, all bad." Kellan replied, jamming her hands into her pockets. The drizzle had turned into a steady rain, drumming on the street, seriously dampening the spirits of most of the wannabes still waiting in line. Kellan strode past the line, pulling her phone out of her pocket to call another Grid-Cab. She thought about hitting another club, but she really just wanted to give it up and go somewhere warm and dry to crash.

  She heard a commotion back toward the club entrance and looked back to see Horse and two other trolls outside, looking around the darkened street.

  Horse was yelling. Then he spotted Kellan, grabbed his buddy's arm and pointed.

  "Oh, drek." Kellan said. Then she turned and ran as the three of them came charging after her.

  She ran as fast as she could, dodging around people on the street, but the three metahumans coming after her moved fast despite their massive size, and they clearly knew the area better than she did. She cut left into the first alley she found, hoping to lose them, only to discover a heavy chain-link fence blocking the end of it. She hit the fence at a run and started to climb, but it was slick from the rain and her boots weren't made to grab the mesh of the fence. She slipped when she was only halfway up, and a heavy hand grabbed the back of her jacket, dragging her down.

  Kellan wriggled out of the jacket and dropped to the ground, leaving the big troll holding nothing but a handful of synthetic leather. Horse slammed into her, pinning her back against the cold, wet metal of the fence, his reeking breath in her face, his bulk making the mesh dig painfully into her skin. Kellan's stun baton was in the pocket of her jacket, out of reach, along with anything else she could use as a weapon.

  The troll smiled evilly and grabbed Kellan's chin with one massive paw, twisting her head so their faces were mere centimeters apart. Rain dripped from his bushy brows and face as he ran his tongue along his tusk.

  "You're not going to be so pretty after we're done with you, baby," he growled, "but if you just relax, you might enjoy it."

  Chapter 2

  "Now we're going to have some fun." the troll grinned.

  “Hey!" yelled a familiar voice from the end of the alley. "Back off!"

  As the trolls turned to look at the intruder, Kellan could see it was the ork bouncer from the nightclub striding down the alley toward them, cracking his knuckles. He carried no weapons that she could see.

  "I said back off." he repeated.

  "Frag you!" Horse shot back over his shoulder, and his two chummers stood between him and Kellan and the bouncer.

  "Bring it on, then." the bouncer invited, and the two trolls rushed him.

  The first trol
l to reach the bouncer wore his thick blond hair in a buzz cut. He swung a massive fist the size of Kellan's head, but the ork ducked low in a blur of motion, spun around and hit Buzz Cut in the lower back with his fists, sending the bigger metahuman stumbling forward onto one knee in a pile of trash, cursing in pain.

  The other troll, who had a heavy scar running across his pockmarked face, took a swing at the ork. The bouncer blocked the punch, nailing Scar with a kick to the stomach that made the troll double over and let the ork deliver a knee to Scar's face. There was a crunching noise and a spout of blood from the troll's broken nose as he stumbled back.

  Then Buzz Cut got back to his feet and grabbed the bouncer from behind. He wrapped his massive arms around the ork's torso, lifting him off the ground. The troll's massive shoulders and biceps flexed as he squeezed, and the ork bouncer struggled in his grip.

  Scar wiped blood from his face and shook his head, then reached into his leather jacket. There was a loud snap as he flipped open a heavy knife and advanced on the pinned bouncer.

  Held tightly in the troll's grip, the ork smashed a booted foot into the bigger metahuman's knee, causing Buzz Cut to howl in pain and drop him just as Scar rushed in. He dropped below the swing of the knife then dove forward to tackle Scar, and the two of them tumbled into a pile of garbage.

  "Finish him off, you fraggers!" Horse yelled impatiently as Buzz Cut shuffled toward the melee again.

  Kellan kicked at Horse and immediately regretted it. For a moment, he had almost forgotten about her, but her kick missed its intended target and smacked him in the thigh, reminding him of the girl he had pinned against the fence.

  He backhanded Kellan, sending her sprawling onto the wet pavement, and she tried to scramble to her feet before he could grab her again. Horse raised a hand in front of his face and short, chromed blades like scalpels popped out of his blunt fingertips. Behind him, Kellan saw Buzz Cut stumble back, clutching one arm and cursing, as Horse took a step toward her.

  "I'm gonna cut you good, slitch." he said, grabbing the front of Kellan's shirt and hauling her up to her feet as his other hand swung back.

  It was like time stopped for a moment, as Kellan brought up her hand in a futile attempt to fend off the razors at the tips of Horse's fingers. She felt a flush of heat, the pounding of her heart in her chest. A reddish haze obscured her vision, focused entirely on the troll in front of her. The jade amulet at her neck felt cold against her burning skin. Kellan saw her outstretched hand glow red and she could see the black shadows of the bones through her flesh. Then heat seemed to rush out of her like a wave.

  There was a whooshing sound, and the troll burst into flames.

  Horse's clothing, even his leather jacket, caught fire, instantly transforming him into a blazing torch. The troll screamed, dropped Kellan and began rushing about, trying in vain to put out the flames. He dropped to the ground where he rolled and kicked as his screams and the smell of burning cloth, leather, hair and flesh filled the alley.

  The fight came to a standstill when Horse ignited, but the ork bouncer was quick to take advantage of the situation. While the trolls stared in horrified fascination at their chummer, the bouncer delivered a kick to the chest of Scar that sent him stumbling hard into the wall. His knife clattered somewhere in the alley as the troll slid down the wall and into a heap on the ground.

  Buzz Cut looked from the ork bouncer to his chummers, one lying out cold, the other still smoldering and moaning in pain, then he slowly backed a few steps toward the open end of the alley, turned and ran.

  Kellan slumped against the chain-link fence, staring in shock at the smoldering form of Horse, his clothing and flesh charred. It was like all of her energy had left her in a rush and she suddenly felt cold and very, very tired. She dropped down onto the ground as the ork bouncer came over to her and, when she glanced down, she noticed her hands were shaking violently.

  "Kid. Hey, kid. ..." A voice was calling from far away. She looked up to see the bouncer standing over her with a concerned expression on his ugly face. Kellan saw him as if at the end of a long, dark tunnel. Her vision started to swim.

  "Hey, are you okay?" he asked. Then everything went dim, and Kellan passed out.

  * * *

  When Kellan came to, she was lying on a cot in a small, dim room, with a scratchy old UCAS army-issue blanket thrown over her. She flipped it off and swung her feet onto the floor. She immediately regretted moving, as a dull ache began pounding behind her eyes, emphasizing the bass beat of the music coming through the walls. She leaned forward against her knees, massaging her temples to try to make the pain go away.

  Then she did a reflexive pat-down of her gear, to make sure it was all there. She sighed in relief. Nothing had been touched, as far as she could tell. Even her jacket was draped over a nearby chair. She rested her hands on the edge of the cot, allowing her eyes to grow accustomed to the dimness and the throbbing in her head to ease somewhat.

  Multicolored light flooded into the room as the door opened enough to admit a shadowy figure. Kellan jumped to her feet, immediately reaching for her stun baton.

  "Hey, hey!" the gravelly voice said. "Chill! It's frosty, kid. It's just me." When he took a step forward, Kellan could make out the features of the ork bouncer. She slumped back down onto the cot as he made his way over.

  "How're you feeling?" he asked, flipping a chair around and straddling it so he could lean on the back of it.

  "Like I got run over." Kellan said. "How long have I .. . ?"

  "About an hour." the ork replied. "It's a little after 2300."

  Kellan shook her head slowly and massaged her forehead with one hand.

  "Coulda been a lot worse." the ork told her.

  "Yeah." she said slowly glancing up at him. "Thanks. I appreciate the help."

  "Null sheen." the ork said with a tilt of his head. "But I wouldn't have been so fast on the draw if I'd known you were packin' mojo."

  "What—what do you mean?"

  "That trick where you turned ol' Horse into a matchstick." he said. "Nasty."

  "But I—I didn't do that." Kellan said. Had she? She recalled the sensation of heat right before the troll caught fire.

  "No? Well, it sure wasn't me." the ork retorted. "The way I saw that fancy necklace of yours kind of glimmer, and the way you were so tired out, I figured for sure it was you. So you're not a spell-slinger?"

  "Me? No, I mean, I've never . . . I've never been able to before. . . Kellan's hand went almost involuntarily to the amulet, recalling how it had almost burned with cold against her skin. Now it was comfortably warm. Then she remembered her hand, glowing red-hot, and the shadows of the bones showing through the skin. She held it in her other hand, but both looked completely normal now. She glanced up at the bouncer and touched the amulet.

  "You said that this . . . glowed?"

  The ork shrugged. "Well, not exactly glowed, but kinda shimmered a bit. I've seen stuff like that around magic types before an' figured you must be one of them, too. Is that thing magical?"

  "I don't know." Kellan said. "I just got it recently. It belonged to my mother."

  "Well, maybe that's got something to do with it." he said, scratching the back of his head with a couple of blunt fingers. "I dunno. I know magic when I see it, but I don't know much about how it works." Then he looked at Kellan again, this time like he was seeing something new.

  "You know, if you're not a magician, then it wasn't a real smart thing you did, going up against those three Spikes. Horse and his chummers, they're bad news. No place for a newbie to be messing around."

  "Who says I'm a newbie?" Kellan bristled.

  "Well, I haven't seen you around here," he countered, "and you didn't know to leave well enough alone, or at least make sure that Horse stayed down for the count the first time you tangled with him."

  "He decided to mess with me." Kellan shot back. "And I handled myself just fine."

  "Well, yeah, until you ran into that alley."


  Kellan bit back a retort, letting it out as a sigh. "I guess you're right. Sorry. I do appreciate your help."

  "Like I said, null sheen. Gave me an excuse for some roughhouse, and I've been looking for some of that all day." He gave her a broad grin that showed off his tusks, and Kellan couldn't help but laugh.

  "You are new in town, though, aren't you?" he asked pointedly. "What's your name?"

  "Kellan Colt." she said. She stopped short for a second, realizing that she had given the ork her real name instead of the fake name on her credstick. If he noticed, he didn't show it.

  "Where are you from, Kellan?"

  "Kansas City." Kellan replied. "I just got here yesterday. I'm working on making some connections to find work."

  "How long were you working the shadows in KC?" he asked.

  "Two years."

  "That's a pretty long time, but Kansas City isn't Seattle, kid. Things are different around here."

  "Yeah, I'm getting that idea." Kellan said.

  The door opened and the elf bartender stepped in. He handed Kellan a plastic cup of water and a small slap-patch.

  "Here." he said. "This should help fix you up." He nodded toward the patch when Kellan just looked at it. "It's for your head." Kellan read the label, then peeled the patch off its backing and stuck it on the side of her neck over the artery, where the pain relievers could work their way quickly into her bloodstream. Then she took a long sip of the cool water.

  "Thanks." she said, and the elf nodded.

  "Yeah, thanks, Leif." the ork echoed as the bartender headed for the door.

  "Anytime, G." he said, closing the door behind him.

  Kellan's head whipped around so fast she almost dislodged the slap-patch.

  "You're G-Dogg!" she said to the bouncer, who just nodded.

  "Yup."

  "Why the frag didn't you say so?"

  "Because I didn't know you from any other wannabe off the streets, kid, and because you obviously didn't know me or you wouldn't have been asking me. I told you, this ain't Kansas no more. You're in Seattle now, and things are different here in the plex. If you don't get introduced by somebody, then you're nobody. That's the way it is."