Gamers' Quest Read Free Page B

’im.’
    ‘Yeah, well I is dangerous too,’ said Zyra, turning her back on him and walking away. Then suddenly she whirled around, baring her metal studded teeth, a knife in each hand. She spun one of the knives between her fingers and then threw it. It thudded into the floor at Tark's feet. As he looked down at it, she sprang. In seconds, he was pinned against the wall with a knife to his throat.
    Tark swallowed hard. ‘Ya've mades ya point.’
    ‘I luvs ya, Tark,’ she said, in a low voice that was almost a growl.
    She leaned in, as if about to kiss him, then stopped, their lips bare millimetres apart. Tark closed his eyes and savoured the feel of her breath on his skin. He desperately wanted to kiss her, to cast aside her knife and take her in his arms. But he couldn't. The World in which they lived, and the Designers’ rules prevented him. And if they broke the rules, access to Designers Paradise would be denied them. He and Zyra were strays – street-rats, without title or birthright – and the Designers’ rules were heavily weighted against them. Sometimes it felt like an invisible scorecard hanging over their heads, with a black cross just ready to be inserted in the appropriate box the moment a rule was broken. They were free to thieve, fight, even kill – in fact, as thievers it was expected of them – but a simple kiss was against the rules.
    ‘The Cracker's dangerous!’ Tark reiterated, opening his eyes and bringing his focus back to the matter at hand.
    Zyra stepped back, and within seconds the knives were concealed again.
    ‘That slimy weasel wuz workin’ me turf again,’ she said. ‘I'd been staking out the skinny rich dude for over a week. It wuz me job! Not ’is.’ A smile spread across her features. ‘But I taughts him a lesson he won't be forgettin’. Cracked one of ’is fingers for ’im.’ She laughed. ‘Guess ’e really is the Cracker.’
    ‘Oh Zyra,’ said Tark. ‘Ya shouldn't ’ave done that. Now ’e'll be out revengin’.’
    ‘Don'ts ya worry about me,’ she said, serious again. ‘I'll keeps an eye out for ’im.’
    Tark didn't look convinced.
    ‘I also gots some info from the Cracker,’ said Zyra, tugging at her earrings.
    Tark raised an eyebrow.
    ‘I knows where to gets us anotha key.’
    Tark reached for Zyra, running a hand through her Mohawk. ‘I luvs ya.’
    ‘Let's get to it then,’ said Zyra, pushing him back. ‘Gots ta move fast. Before the Cracker.’
    Zyra was hoping the Cracker got fried by the drone, but she wasn't sure and she didn't want to take any chances.
    Tark closed the chest and clamped shut the lock. Zyra flipped the hidden switch and replaced the brick. They watched the chest descend into the floor, the protective metal slide into place, and the concealing floorboards replace themselves.
    ‘I thinks I needs a bit extra for this job,’ said Zyra, walking over to her closet.
    It concealed a hole in the wall next to where her grubby old mattress lay on the floor. Zyra tugged at the shabby door with one hand, while bracing it with the other. It was tricky to open. She looked warily over her shoulder at Tark, then began rummaging through the contents.
    Tark busied himself by examining the collapsed section of wall. The basement they lived in was not at all stable. The building above it had long ago collapsed, concealing it beneath a huge pile of rubble. Hidden from the world above, it made the perfect headquarters for a couple of thievers. The basement still looked pretty much as it had when Tark and Zyra first made it their hideout, although Tark couldn't quite remember how long ago that was or where he had lived prior to that. The only difference was the collapsed section of wall. It had fallen in about two weeks ago during an earthquake, dirt and rubble tumbling into their home, and threatening to crumble even further with just the slightest encouragement.
    ‘Done!’ announced Zyra, startling Tark out of his musings.
    He turned to see