Chapter 6

"Kira?! Is that you?!" A voice shrieked, ripping apart the routine chatter around the warehouse door.

Kira and Dan spun round. A tall girl with long brown locks jogged towards the pair. She wore a large grin, her cheeks hollowed and eyes slightly sunken. She smelt of sweat and nitric smoke.

"It's been a while," the girl panted, gulping in air to catch her breath. She looked over Dan, and then gave Kira a wink. "Nice catch."

Kira's face hued red, stepping in front of Dan she said, "He isn't a catch. Just some guy." She turned towards Dan. "Go back to Tick's, I'll send you the location where we're all going to meet up."

Dan nodded, shaking the tall girl's hand. "Nice to meet you …"

"Lara," the girl grinned, shaking his hand.

"Dan." He waved at Kira who gave him a scowl. He disappeared into the crowd of people with Runt on his heels, her short hair bouncing with every step.

Lara nudged Kira, who immediately wiped away the imaginary stain. "So, who's the cute new guy?"

"He's nobody," Kira muttered. She crossed her arms, looking up at Lara. "So what is it this time?"

Lara plopped down onto a metal bench attached to the outside of the warehouse wall. A purple and blue neon sign above her making her look like a skeleton. "Psh, doubt it. I mean, tall-ish, black hair, and don't even get me started on his eyes."

"I don't have a type. Even if I did, I wouldn't pick him," Kira mumbled. "So what do you want, Lara."

"I can't catch up with my best friend once in a while?" she huffed.

"Then I'll be seeing you around, I have a job tomorrow." Kira began walking away, Lara's long fingers wrapped around her forearm. Kira pulled her arm away, snapping, "Could you just tell me what you want?"

Lara crossed her arms, looking away. The hum of music coming from the bar filled the air. "You know, it was my birthday yesterday. Didn't even come round to say it."

Kira groaned. "C'mon, really? Are you butt hurt because I didn't say happy birthday? Fine. Happy late birthday, Lara."

"No. It's fine. You were probably too busy killing people," Lara muttered.

"I can't deal with this tonight," Kira said. She wanted to leave, she had an early morning start tomorrow. But her boots didn't budge from the pavement. She saw the pained expression on her friend's face, the hunched over body language. "I'm sorry."

Lara sighed, looking at Kira. "It's alright. Guess you're pretty busy nowadays."

Kira kicked away invisible stones, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "Yeah. Things are getting worse with the 'keepers."

Her words hung in the humid air. A barrier that separated her from her friend. She was a hired killer, Lara wasn't. She was rich, Lara wasn't. A world away from each other, and the gap kept getting bigger every passing day. Get together weren't the same. Hanging out wasn't the same. Nothing was the same between them, and now that the Stray was in the Gray, it wouldn't be for a while.

Cheers erupted from the group of men, hugging and the clasping of hands broke out around them. A Watchman at the edge of the warehouse scowled at the group, hand resting on his electroshock bat.

"I need money," Lara said, searching Kira's eye.

"For what?"

"There's this new business thing." Lara dug through her pockets, eventually pulling out a crumbled piece of paper. "It's with this guy from the East Coast-"

"Lara …"

"Just listen, please?" Lara stood up, taking Kira's hands. "I could really hit it big this time! There's a new type of blaster add on, maybe you could show it to the Rogues. Hera might like it."

"But with a guy from the East Coast?" Kira wanted to pull her hands away. Lara's hands were clammy, fingernails slightly overgrown and dirty. Dirt got to Kira the same way a fork on a plate got to everyone else.

"At least I'm going to make clean money," Lara whined.

Kira pulled her hands away. "Like I've said before, if I didn't do what I do, you'd have to get a normal job. You want that? Where you have to wake up at five every day and work for someone else?"

Lara took a step back, her trainers patting into a puddle. "No."

"How much do you need?" Kira avoided Lara's eyes as they brightened.

"Just ten thousand. Five would do too," she laughed nervously.

Kira groaned inwardly. She ran a hand through her short hair. Tapping her earpiece, she said, "Ceejay."

"What's up Kira?"

"Could you send twenty thousand to Lara's account?"

"Done."

"Thanks," Kira muttered, tapping the earpiece again, turning it off.

Lara's brown eyes large orbs in the pale orange lighting of the street, her eyebrows climbing her forehead. "W-why did you send that much?"

"Consider the extra credits a birthday present," Kira smiled.

Lara rushed in to hug Kira. She sidestepped and dodged the sweaty encounter. "But don't spend it on –"

"I won't. Promise. I'm clean now."

Kira raised an eyebrow. "Since when?"

Lara grinned, leading her friend away from the warehouse. They walked down the street, the same way the used to. Brushing past couples and bots, all of them standing around market stalls. "Since yesterday."

"Good for you, Lara." A smile tugged on her lips. Maybe things wouldn't be as bad as she thought.