He couldn’t have been older than twelve. He tried not to draw attention but that’s never been easy for kids here. When you see a kid in this city, they’re usually one or two things. First, they’re one of those crazy fuckers that run with gangs. These kids are brainwashed to the core and will do anything for another hit of whatever they got hooked on. Secondly, they are thieves, pickpockets, that sort of thing. They band together and do what they have to do to survive. But this kid, he was different. He had the same desperate look, sure, that scared chased into a corner look most of those kids have. Mischievous dangerous eyes, a careful demeanor. I guess he just reminded me of myself, mostly, which I always take as a red flag. I was waiting at my bus stop, when I spotted him but I let the bus drive on without me. Something in my head told me I should talk to this kid, and so I did. 

He was leaning against an alley wall watching the crowd move pass. His clothes were dirty and his sandy brown hair was covered in dirt. I crossed the street and sat on the ground next to him. 

“What’re you waiting for, kid?” I fished out my watch from my pocket and fiddled with it. “You a beggar? Waiting to get some pity, are you?”

“No, miss. Just waiting for some friends.” He didn’t look down at me, just stared at the crowd.

“Oh, so you’re in with one of the gangs. I see.” I stood up and leaned against the wall with him. He didn’t respond. “Can’t be much of a life. Most of you don’t make it past fourteen.”

“And what would you have me do, lady?” He seemed to be getting annoyed with me. 

“I don’t know, work on the assembly line. The pay is shit and you might die anyways but at least you don’t have to worry about getting shot in the back.” I slipped my watch back into my pocket and stretched. 

“Why would I work for someone I don’t even know? I been hearing about those organ harvesters. The ones that kidnap gullible children and slice em up into pieces and sell whatever’s left.” He was looking at me now, sizing me up. 

I laughed. “Kid, you seem alright so let me give you a bit of advice. Know your place. Know where you are. You ain’t on Earth with all the rich folk. You’re here. You gotta be willing to kill or be killed, if you catch me. Alls you gotta do is learn some tricks. Hell, I could teach you quite a bit.” 

The kid laughed. “Lady, who are you again?”

I smiled at him. “Just a concerned citizen, sweetie.”

“So you wanna teach me how to kill? That’s it?” He was looking intensely at me now.

“That’s the gist of it. It’ll be work, don’t get me wrong. But I’ll make sure you end up all right.”

“Why are you helping me?” He picked up a rock off the pavement and chucked it down the alley. “We don’t know each other. You don’t owe me nothin`.”

“Let’s just say I’m trying to right some wrongs. And my name’s Blaire Valentine. See? Now we know each other. What’s your name?”

“Alek.” He dusted off his pants. “No last name. No family.”

I checked the time on my watch. “I got places to be kid, so what’s it gonna be. You gonna run with me? Or take your own chances with your… ‘friends.’”

Alek rubbed his eyes and sighed. “Fuck it all.” He turned his head to me. “Fine. But if it turns out you’re a harvester I’m gonna haunt you for the rest of your life.”

I ruffled up his hair and smiled to myself. “Now the fun starts.”

We walked back to my apartment in the red light district. On the way we made small conversation and I got to know him a bit better. His tale didn’t shock me at all. Abandoned at birth. Raised in a shitty orphanage. Ran away. Our conversation had died down quite a bit until we entered my apartment.

“What do you think?” I asked after giving him a quick tour.

“Better than anything I’ve ever lived in.” He jumped on the couch and sat his feet on the table.

“Jeez, don’t get too comfortable.” I sat in the chair next to him.

“Whatever.” He took off his shoes and let the putrid stench of his socks fill the air.

“Jesus, take a shower kid.” I got up and walked into my bedroom. I stared at myself in the broken mirror propped against the wall. My eyes looked tired and my hair was an absolute mess. My ugly scar across my face still taunted me for my failures. I sighed and undressed myself. I put on my sunday best and put my hair up. Feeling a bit better, I walked out of the room and looked for Alek. I heard him in the shower, very loudly pleased with himself.

“Hot water! It’s amazing!” He started to hum and sing to himself.

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I banged on the door. “Two minutes! And don’t use my shampoo!” I sighed and chuckled to myself. Damn kid was growing on me. I waited for him to be done with the shower. He walked out of the bathroom with a big smile on his face.

“I could get used to that.” He trotted to the couch.

“C’mon, I want to show you something.” I threw his clothes at his face. “We’re going out.”

We walked down 12th street past hookers and junkies. The kid was in total awe at everything. The red light district really well, for lack of a better word, lights up at night. The city always did really come alive at night, especially this part of town. Eventually we came across Crossroads, this old bar I found a while ago that I took a liking to. I held the door open for Alek.

“Is this okay?” He seemed unsure about entering a bar which I found cute.

“Sure, this is Mars. No one gives a damn.” I pushed him inside and followed closely behind.

“Well, well.” A voice called out. “Our mistress returns.” I looked over to the source of the voice and saw Brea, an older woman no-nonsense sort of gal that I talked to on my visits here. She bartends most nights. She eyed Alek. “Just water for you, I’m guessing?” 

“What do you think? He’s my latest prodigy.” I sat myself at the counter. “Think he has a lot of potential.” 

Brea poured a glass and shook her head. “I don’t get you, Blaire.” She handed me a pint of beer. “You seem to get yourself in a lot of trouble.”

I took a sip. I noticed Alek was standing awkwardly by the door. “Alek! Why are you standing over there? Come sit!” Alek shuffled over uncomfortably.

“Relax kid, we don’t bite. Alek, was it? Think I dated an Alek.” Brea filled a jug with ice water and handed it to him. “Was a real smart-ass.”

“I’m no smart-ass ma’am.” Alek took a cautious swig from his cup. “Just never been in a bar before.”

“Well it ain’t all that exciting.” Brea sighed. “We get a lot of quiet, drinkers here. Sad types. Why I look forward to this girl dropping by.”

I smiled. “You’re sweet, Brea. Hey, is Krill in town yet?”

Brea shook her head. “Nope. Left the keys to me and everything. I’m pretty much in charge of the place.”

“What do you think it is this time? My theory is that he ran away with a girl.” I gulped down my jug. “Always was a weird fella.” 

Brea leaned forward. “I hear it’s more serious than that. Apparently he’s caught up in a feud with a drug lord. I could be wrong, just something that one of the regulars told me.”

“Bad business…” I stood up. “Well we should get going. It’s the kid’s bedtime.” Alek gave me a look but I ignored it. I dropped a few dollars on the table. “Goodnight, Brea. Always a pleasure.”

“Goodnight Blaire, and you too kid. Stay out of trouble.” Brea returned to her duties around the bar. Alek and I stood outside the bar, taking in the sights. Neon lights buzzed all around us. 

“Why’d you bring me here?” Alek looked up at me.

“I wanted you to see it. Our first mark.” I listened to the chatter of nearby pedestrians, and felt lost in the sea of sounds and stimuli. 

“Mark?” Alek looked around, uncomfortably.

“We’re coming back tonight. After hours. The place basically has no security system in place. Just an expensive safe.” I looked over at Alek, who looked positively stunned.

“You can’t be serious.” Alek turned around and looked through the window, at Brea.

“Don’t worry, it’d be hard to come across an easier gig. You in?” I smiled at the kid, already knowing his answer.

“It’s dirty, for sure…” Alek looked up at me. “But I’m in.”

I took out my watch from my pocket. “It’s still early. What do you feel like doing?”

Alek patted his stomach. “I could eat.”

I heard a low grumble from my belly. “I could eat too. My treat.” I pulled Alek in close. “Stick with me, kid, and we’ll go places. We’ll have all the money in the world. No one on Mars will look down on us.” I beamed at him, and honestly, I really believed every word of what I was saying.

“You’re crazy, Blaire.” Alek pulled away from me.

I chuckled. “What’s wrong with a little crazy?”

“Just as long as you don’t get me killed.” He walked ahead of me. 

“I hope so, kid.” I muttered to myself. I caught up to him. “So what do you wanna eat? There’s Mikey’s by my apartment, but the guy is a bit of a loon. There’s this great place with all you can eat tacos.” 

“What the hell are tacos?” He seemed interested.

“Oh it’s this food from the olden days, way before our colony. Food basically goes inside this edible hard shell and then you eat it. Trust me, it’s good.” I was getting excited talking about food. I’d always been a huge fan of eating and tasting.

We ended up going for the aforementioned tacos, and damn the kid could eat. He must’ve been really hungry, but elected not to tell me earlier. The place was pretty much empty except for the cook, Eddie. But even he went on break and to the back room.

“So,” Alek talked with his mouth full of meat and salsa. “How are we gonna break into the safe? Do you have some hacker gear or something?”

“Nope.” I drank my soda. “But I do have an industrial-grade portable saw. Will probably do the trick.”

“Won’t that be, you know, loud?”

“Probably. I’ve never actually used it.”

“That’s great. Just great.” Alek shook his head and wiped his mouth with his arm. “You don’t think things through, do you?”

“Not one of my strong suits.” I admitted. “But I think fast on my toes, you know? It’s never let me down.” I patted my pocket. “That, and I always pack some serious heat.”

Lettuce fell from Alek’s mouth. “Let me see!”

“Easy, kid. We’re in a public establishment.” I pulled out my shiny revolver and beamed at it. “Which means this is the best place to show it off.”

Alek leaned forward in his seat. “Wow, I've never seen a gun like that.”

“It’s an old relic from the past, sure. It’s a bitch to maintain and the kick hurts.”

“So why not throw it away for something new?”

“Because…” I paused. I didn’t really know. Just never felt like changing it. “I don’t know, kid. You live for so long and get lucky on this planet, you get afraid of changing things, you know? Why fix what ain’t broken?”

“You’ve gotta get me one. You know, for tonight.” Alek looked at me with hopeful eyes.

“No. Not until you’ve proven yourself. For now, though…” I reached into my bag and pulled out an electric baton. “I lifted this off someone, a while ago. One zap of this will fuck anyone up.” I handed it to him. “Be careful not to touch the blue ends of it, okay?”

Alek pressed the trigger and it crackled to life, electricity flowed chaotically through the weapon. “Niice.” He smiled to himself.

“Okay put it away now, cowboy. Ain’t exactly a welcome sight for us to be flaunting this shit in the open.” I pointed to a button on the baton. “Press that… See? It retracts. Fits right in your pocket.”

“Cool.” He slipped it into his back pocket. “So what now, Blaire?”

“Now, we wait. I’d say four in the morning is our best shot. Brea closes up shop at three.”

I left a twenty on the table and we left the shop. We took the evening bus home. I fell into my bed as soon as I entered. Alek knocked on my door. “Blaire? You going to sleep?”

“Yeah, kid. You should too. We got a big night ahead of us.”

“Okay.”

I closed my eyes and heard his footsteps shuffle away. I wondered if I was right about him. Part of me didn’t know what the hell I was doing, but that was just par for the course, really. He seemed smart enough, and tonight would tell if he was capable. I fell asleep thinking about what the future might hold for us, for me.