Sean Hennessy.I pull his name up on my Silverbook and the details about his life as governor of the Blue Region fill the first thirty entries. Buried underneath that, I find some pictures of the girls he’s dated, both before and after his change. He was better looking as a girl, I decide, studying the before and after pictures. I’m certain his cock can’t compete with mine, but then again, how would I know? I’ve never had to compete with a man, ever, and it fucking sucks.
I alert Yvonne to pick me up and go shower at the compound, nearly making myself late for my appointment.
Usually proud of my work, I’m distracted during my first appointment and accidentally call the woman by the wrong name...twice. She comes hard but seems a little bitter when she tells me to get the fuck out of her bed.
My second appointment wants to pretend I’m a servant and orders me to crawl on the hardwood floor then mop said floor, naked. As I lean over to wring the water from the mop, she jumps on my back and orders me to service her outside on the balcony. I oblige, all the while thinking of the conversation with Phoenix and Gwen about the End Men. Where do I stand with them? I have to drown out my thoughts and focus on the sensation in my dick. I don’t think about the women—I never do—and they can’t tell the difference. It’s shallow and meaningless, and it gets the job done. They’re faceless bodies that I will never see again, and if I did, I wouldn’t recognize them. I think about the rush, the blood hitting my dick, the few seconds of euphoria that almost make me feel human, until it’s over.
I’ve always thought that I was empty, not attributing the feeling to circumstance or life.
As soon as I’m out of there, I set out to find Phoenix. Lunch is long past, but I’ll feel better if I see her. I walk the surrounding area and have no luck. I’m all keyed up from the last twenty-four hours—that’s the only explanation I can give for the insane idea I get. I look through my contacts and find the number I need.
“Hiyam, hey it’s me.”
“Is this a booty call?” She laughs. “Because I’m working.”
“I need a favor,” I continue. “Remember that contact you had, the guy who owns—”
“Yeah, yeah,” she says. “What do you need?”
I tell her exactly what I want and I hang up with Hiyam ready to put everything in place.
It shouldn’t take long to set it in motion; hopefully, I can do my part to be a distraction.
The walk from the city to the highest point of Azul Bridge is twenty minutes. I’m cheerful as I make the climb, a welcome burn in my thighs. It’s a brilliant day; just enough of the sun and the sky to cause a rush of summer elation. Blue Region is the art corner of the New America. Displayed in the sky toward the city is a looping reel of the things it contributes to the Regions. Phoenix’s image appears, standing en pointe in a tutu before it switches to music and then film.Look here, citizens! Look what we give!
I stop to take pictures with people who ask, bending down to press my face to theirs. When I reach the top of the bridge, I scan the city below—a city built on another city. There are a few buildings left from before, poking out from among the silver glass like broken, yellow teeth. They mar the yaw of the modern skyline, but in the best of ways. A small crew is waiting for me. I allow them access to my body and they give me the thumbs up. Climbing across the barrier, I sit on the wall and swing my legs over the side of the bridge until my feet are dangling above the water. I’ll wait until a crowd has gathered; God knows I like to put on a good show. The news crews are below, that took them all of five minutes. The fear and excitement are palpable, even from this high up. I double check to make sure everything is in place, and at just the right moment, I jump.
FOURTEEN
PHOENIX
Bonobos are some of the friskiest members of the animal kingdom. These apes are nearly constantly in some kind of sexual activity, even mothers with infants clinging to them.
“How are your lessons going with the End Man?”
I look up from my soup to see a strange expression on Sean’s face. I reach for my wine and take a sip, replacing it on the table before I answer him.
“He’s surprisingly good,” I say with a half smile.
I don’t really want to talk about Jackal, but it seems that’s all anyone wants to talk about.
“That’s because his mother made him take lessons…”
“Really?” I glance up, trying not to look too interested. “How do you know that?”
Sean shrugs. “I looked into the guy a little.”
“Why?” My voice sounds accusatory, but I try to make up for it by smiling at him.
He makes a face. “We all celebrate these guys, you know? But what do we really know about them?”
I blink at him. “We know that they’ve given their lives to serve the Regions. Do you really think they deserve a full background check by every citizen?”
“Whoa,” Sean says. “Not something I was expecting from you. When did you become the defender of the End Men?”
I fidget with my napkin. “That’s not fair. He’s a human being just like everyone else. His life is on public display. I think he deserves a little privacy in the family department.”
“Don’t you even want to know what I found out?” he asks.