Page 51 of Jump or Fall
He passed abandoned homes, their architecture vastly different from anything in Teichus. Unlike the tightly packed buildings he was used to, these houses stood alone, surrounded by overgrown vegetation.
Further along, occupied homes and small shops appeared. They looked relatively normal, but he was still amazed by the sheer amount of open space. There were no walls, so people could build wherever.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a dog following alongside him. It was keeping pace, meaning it was surprisingly fast for a dog.
Something about its gait seemed off—almost mechanical. They passed under a streetlight, so he took the chance to glance at it again.
Its eye flickered red.
How many kinds of spy animals were there?
Another dog appeared on his other side, also keeping an alarming pace. His pulse quickened and a chill went up his spine. They were definitely chasing him.
He abruptly turned down a side street, hoping to lose them, but two more dogs blocked the way, staring at him with eerie lifeless eyes.
Fuck.
With no other choice, he killed the engine.
He dismounted, groaning as he stretched out his stiff, aching muscles. The strain on just his back made him want to lie down flat.
Footsteps approached.
He looked around until he spotted a figure in a long coat striding toward him. The man stopped beside one of the dogs and scratched behind its ear. The animal remained motionless.
“Who are you?” Gordon asked.
The man smiled, stepping closer. The glow from a nearby light revealed bionic eyes and scars spiderwebbing across his cheeks.
“Good evening, Gordon.”
Chapter 18
Gordon - Four Years Earlier
“How do you know my name?”
The man smiled. “A high-level Surveillance employee goes dark in Teichus and a contact says to expect a new resident with exceptional skills. How could I not?”
Gordon pressed his lips together. What the fuck had Kimmie gotten him into?
“What else did she tell you?”
The man tilted his head. His dogs remained completely still where they sat. “I don't know this ‘she’, but I assure you that you have nothing to worry about.” He stuck out his hand. “Inu. Secretary of Security for Naxos and the surrounding settlements of Draco and Lyra.”
Reluctantly, Gordon shook the man’s hand. Who the hell told him he was coming if it wasn’t Kim?
“Did you choose the name ‘dog’ or were your parents clairvoyant?”
He let out a sharp laugh. “You don’t look like a Hayashi, yet you know some words. Perhaps part of these ‘exceptional skills’?”
“Vlach, but I’m sure you already knew that.” They only barely out-populated the Kaplans in Teichus and his surname was a dead giveaway. “I’m not interested in taking another Surveillance job.”
“Archon Singer has a bigger task for you.”
Gordon had no response to that.
“My bike is around the corner. Follow me to the inn up the road.”
