Dirty Work: Volume 1

Lura - 4

Ashrore was waiting a street away, tucked inside under the hanging roof of a grocery store that had long since run down into disrepair. A sign swung in the breeze, creaking away like the croaking of a dying bird. A KCrow carcass wasn't far off, being picked at by a stray hyuntiger.

'You ok?' Ashrore asked Lura. She nodded. She was tough, but anyone would have been shaken up by what had happened.

'Does the boss know?' I asked. Ashrore nodded, taking the time to take a quick drag on her stick of smoke that was between her fingers.

'Made hissss way to a ssssafe housssse nearby jusssst in casssse. Told me to get you two back to Dirty Work and to carry on assss ussssual.'

'I walked here,' I said. 'Don't have transport, do you?'

Ashrore gave me one of those looks, one that only a female can give, that when you're on the receiving end of it, makes you realise you asked a stupid question.

'Can you go out tonight?' I asked Lura. 'I mean, on stage.'

Lura nodded. 'Will take more than being tied up to stop me getting out and working. And besides, it's not the worst thing they could have done. I happen to have gone through a phase of enjoying a little recreational bondage.'

'Pretty sure that's a bit too much information,' I said. 'Oh what the hell, I work at a strip club, go the whole way if you want.'

'Full thing, or jusssst the wrisssstssss and legssss?' Ashrore questioned.

'Oh, full thing,' Lura replied. A spark passed between the two of them.

'Rec room at two?'

'Done. Be good to get the metal back on my skin.'

'Ok,' I butted in. 'Now that you two are done flirting and making plans for casual bdsm in a room with paper-thin walls, can we please go and make sure the club is fine?'

'Don't want to join in?' Lura asked.

'I'll refrain from putting a glass to the wall, thanks,' I replied.

*

We jumped onto a Zoomus that had a little improvement to allow three riders, and blitzed through the streets. Guys and girls were parading the streets dressed up, or down, as they always did, getting ever thicker in their crowds the closer we got to the main section of the Great Complex. Shrouded faces and long coats covered the dealers, money changing hands and body fluids sure to follow. There were more liquids on the streets than rain, especially as the nights drew on and the lusts of Celestria raised their heads.

We parked up behind Dirty Work, one of the guys meeting us by the door. He'd just come off the stage, a red hand mark on his rear.

'Someone get you?' I asked.

'Don't worry about it,' he said, waving away my concern. 'The boss got out. And said to get Lura on stage as soon as possible.'

'Yeah,' Lura said, 'I've been thinking about that. Won't they know something's up, if I get out there and start taking my clothes off for the wolves?'

'They'll know already,' I said, 'but they can't do anything in front of everyone. Besides, they wanted the boss, not you. They got nothing out of you, so unless they try you again, which they won't because nobody is going anywhere outside of the club until we know what's going on, they've got nothing.'

'Who made you in charge?' Ashrore asked. 'You've only jusssst sssstarted?'

'You got a better idea than holding up here, everyone together?' I asked. She looked away.

'I was thinking the same thing,' she muttered.

'Right then,' the guy with the hand mark on his behind said, 'shall we begin?'