Ajax: Relinquished Read online

  Ajax rose from the seat and made his way into the aisle. He followed a guard towards the transporters door, whilst another walked closely behind with weapon in hand. They stepped outside into sleeting rain that cut through to the bone. His jacket did little to stave off the weather as he was marched towards the hover that awaited them. Ajax was thankful for its shelter as the four men climbed onto worn leather seats and dripped water. The vehicle roared into life and set off.

  Their ride took them through streets he did not recognise, passing areas far worse in appearance than those he was used to in Sector Four. They only slowed on the ascent up steep roadways to pass through the great gates that separated each sector. This was the first time Ajax had seen a gate, he now knew why they were only accessible by hover. Each sector gate could only be reached by a steep incline too sheer to be climbed, the long road up to each gate blanketed by turrets that trained on the vehicle the entire time. He was surprised that there was no visible staircase to the gate, but his mind was quickly pulled back to more important matters.

  Ajax could not tell how long had passed since his arrival, he certainly did not want to risk checking his tablet in case any of the guards spotted it. By his estimation they had taken at least a couple of hours to traverse three sectors before the hover finally came to a stop outside the far too familiar police headquarters of Sector Four.

  Within a few minutes of pulling up outside the building Ajax was in an office he had never seen before, standing in front of both the police chief and mayor. The look on the chief’s face was becoming familiar; it mirrored the wardens from last time they met. Henry Steel seemed to have a strange effect on those around him.

  “I'm surprised to see you so soon, Mr Frost, I thought I would have shook off this mortal coil before you were released from your sentence. I have been handed your release papers,” the chief opened an unseen draw and pulled out two papers he set on desk, “and a full pardon for the crimes you have been convicted of. I need you to place your right wrist on this scanner.”

  The chief motioned to a small square block that sat next to the papers on his desk. Ajax rolled up the jackets sleeve and placed his wrist on the block, making sure to line up his implant. The chief pressed his thumb on the closest side of the scanner, which met with a quiet bleep.

  “Consider yourself a free man, Mr Frost. My advice is that you use this second chance wisely; even a pardon won't save you the death penalty for a second offence. It might be an idea to keep these papers on you at all times; I would not want a case of mistaken identity to be your demise.”

  The papers were handed over to him, which Ajax took great care in stowing away in a safe place. Henry stepped forward, having to raise his head slightly in order to stare Ajax in the eye, and shook his hand. The half-smile he wore did not extend past his mouth. Ajax understood that this man barely concealed his hatred for him, the look in Henry's eye was filled with malice and threat; the feelings of hatred were mutual. They released and Ajax briefly shook the chief’s hand, before being showed the door; he did not look back as he left.

  “I don't know what importance that man has but this pardon could be your careers biggest mistake, Henry. What were you thinking to free a killer like him?”

  “It is a risk worth taking for the love of a good woman. Don't worry yourself about this man; he won't be a problem for much longer.”

  Stepping out into the cloud covered streets Ajax could not believe the weather; he had thought it extreme when he arrived on the outskirts of Konar, yet now he struggled to step forwards. Since his brief meeting the rain had doubled its strength, adding hailstones that pelted the city's streets and bounced up to head height with incredible force. In the distance he could see darker clouds and he judged them to be heading in his direction at speed. The flashes and forks of lightning heralded a fresh storm, one he was loath to be caught in. Ajax ran through the streets, heading for the only place he knew.

  Duke, Greg and Lev sat around their table in an uncomfortable silence. They avoided eye contact with each other and the only noise that came from the men was the intermittent sipping of beer. Even if they could bring themselves to talk it would have been nigh on impossible, the loud tavern could do nothing to drown out the noise of hailstones dancing across the tiled roof.

  Each window of the tavern looked out at the darkened skies, giving the patrons excellent views of the horrendous weather. A flash of lightning briefly illuminated the room, followed by a thunderous boom that shook the lights in their holder and caused strange shadows to dance around the room. The men kept silent, the tablet Ajax had given Greg sat at the centre of their table; each waited for a message to lift their sombre mood.

  Greg raised his tankard to dry lips, about to take another swig when the taverns doors swung outwards. Against a back drop of rain, hail and a lightning bolt Ajax Frost made his dramatic return to the Haven Inn. The image was ruined as he made a beeline for the roaring fire, shaking off as much water as he could to try and dry out faster. He had not even noticed the men sat a few tables away; their shocked stares met only his soaked back.

  Chairs scraped on the floor as the trio raced across to the steaming Ajax, almost bowling him over in a group embrace. He was still trying to fight off the men when Lev's bearded face came into view and he finally relaxed, relief washed over him as Ajax knew he was safe with friends.

  “Where is Ilya, I don't see her?” asked Ajax, scanning the room between gaps in the group hug.

  “She is over at her fiancées mansion, I'm sure she will be here soon as we tell her you are free.” said Greg, finally releasing Ajax from his tight grip.

  His joy fast disappeared as Ajax realised it had already begun and that he might not even get a final goodbye with Ilya. He was led back to the table and removed his sopping jacket to hang on the empty seat next to him as the captain ordered a fresh round of drinks.

  “I could really do with something to eat, I'm sick of soup and stale bread.” said Ajax, just as on cue his stomach began to rumble; it was audible even over the thunder rolling across Konar City.

  A laugh started and Ajax took it up, laughing for the first time in so long; he had almost forgotten the sound. When the waitress brought their drinks over Duke ordered Ajax a large meal that started him salivating just at the thought. The girl was about to leave when Ajax gently grabbed her by the wrist.

  “Maria, aren't you going to say hello to your best customer?” he asked.

  Maria turned around and he saw her eyes fearfully dart to his hand, a terror welling up inside of her. She looked him in the eyes and he was greeted by shock mixed with anger, the bruising barely concealed by heavy makeup.

  “I'm sorry, Ajax, I didn't see you there. Wh...where have you been all this time? I heard you might be dead, or in prison.” said Maria, flicking her fringe to cover the vivid bruise.

  “Something like that,” said Ajax, through gritted teeth. “What happened to your face, who did this to you?”

  The awkward look said it all to him, she wasn't about to give him details on how this happened; but he was not about to let it go.

  “Just an accident, nothing for you to worry about. I will go see about your food now, enjoy your drinks, gentlemen.”

  The usually shy Maria was taking meek to a whole new level, her behaviour was worrying even for her. Ajax gulped down several more mouthful of beer as he watched the woman's movements, before turning to the captain.

  “What do you know about that black eye, Duke?” he asked.

  “I can't give you a straight answer there, kid. We've all got our suspicions about who might have given her that shiner, but it didn't happen in public. You see that table in the corner, the one with the big group sat around it?” Ajax spotted the table in question with ease, a group of seven crowded the corner, only one vacant seat between them. “I heard it was their leader of sorts, except Sal is too scared of them tearing up the place to ban them; they've been coming in daily for best part of two weeks now.”

>   Ajax gave each of the men a scan. He noticed that several had barely concealed weapons under their cheap clothing. His first thought was hired thugs, or thieves at best, but the air of arrogance they exuded made him uncertain; perhaps mercenaries?

  “Is it just Maria working the tables tonight?” he asked. “I haven't seen Sarah yet and it's a busy night, not like Sal to be understaffed.”

  The crew shared a look that did not include Ajax; no one wanted to answer his question. When the silence had gone on too long Greg decided to step up to the plate, despite knowing he was now putting himself in danger.

  “It's like this, Ajax. You remember whilst you and Sarah were together you would buy her gifts? Well, I think she just got a taste for being treated nice and pampered with things, not usual behaviour in Four. When you were sentenced she sulked for a few days, pined for a few more, then found men willing to reward her company, so that she could buy herself gifts. I hope I don't have to spell it out to you.”

  He did not need to press the men for more details, he surprised himself by how quickly the shock subsided. His food arrived and it gained all of his attention, Sarah forgotten to him. Real meat practically glistened up off the plate and Ajax savoured each mouthful, his face a picture of contentment. He was only vaguely aware that someone had asked him a question, but the food was taking him to a higher place.

  “Are you all there, Ajax? I swear you just had some kind of food orgasm.” said Duke, laughing as Ajax grinned inanely at him.

  “You try living off rotten food for that long and you would understand my delight. Have you ever seen a horde strip away a body, using their hands to tear off chunks of flesh and eat it raw, blood dripping down their scarred, wretched faces? I have seen what levels humans are willing to descend to; cannibalism is not the furthest man can sink.”

  The stunned silence enveloped the table, only the sound of Ajax's teeth wearing down chunks of meat could be heard. They all knew he had been through a lot but had tried not to think of his suffering in prison, only of a time when he would be returned. Greg had long since started blaming himself for not getting the ships system working in time to rescue Ajax; this revelation only hammered home the thought.

  “So what are you going to do now that you are free and soon to be a whole lot richer?” asked Duke, avoiding the grisly subject entirely.

  “I've already ticked off the first thing on my list, which was to enjoy a real meal. Next, I am going to brush my teeth and have a nice, hot shower; three months was far too long to go unwashed. What happens after that just depends on their order. I'm in need of a real bed that isn't made of mud covered in blood, shit and piss. As for the money I have had some time to think about it and I might spen-”

  The crashing sound had them all spinning around in their seats to see its source, the sentence abandoned. Maria had dropped a tray of drinks when carrying it over to the corner table and coated the flagstones in wine and beer. Curses rang up from the seven men as Maria tried to hastily clear up the mess. The largest man stood over her, swearing loudly as he slapped her hard in the face. The sound silenced the room immediately, Maria's quiet whimper was lost among the groups outburst of laughter.

  Greg's hand did nothing to slow down Ajax when he tried to grab his arm as the man threw back his seat and paced over to the table. He picked Maria up off the floor, ignoring the look all seven men gave him. He inspected the rapidly swelling lip that tricked blood down her soft face and did not hold back the anger that flared inside.

  Ajax turned to the rotund man behind him, staring into his cold eyes. The man’s face practically glowed red, evidence of years of alcohol abuse. Despite the stench emanating from Ajax the smell of alcohol and cigarettes filled his nostrils.

  “What was the need for you to strike her for a simple mistake? Are you the man who gave this girl that black eye too?” asked Ajax.

  “She soaked me and my men in beer, she offended us and needed punishing. The eye was for another insult on us, nothing less than a wench deserves. What a silly bitch.” he spat past Ajax, hitting Maria in her sobbing face.

  Ajax's punch both lifted and spun the man, sending him crashing through the table, splintering wood and throwing food up into the air. Before they could rise from their seats Ajax grabbed the heads of both men his side of the ruined table and brought them together with a sickening thud that made the room collectively wince. They dropped to the floor without a sound.

  Ajax ducked as a machete was swung at head height, he kicked out and swept the legs from under its wielder. The scream he heard was a result of the machete that slipped from his grasp and sliced through flesh. A bottle fragmented as it struck Ajax's skull; he did not even register the blow as glass shards sliced open the owners hand and blood began to flow. A swift punch to the thorax dropped the man instantly to the floor. The last two attackers seemed quickest on the uptake, hesitating as they saw their five companions laying in different stages of pain on the stone floor. Both chose the wisest option and put up their hands to signal their surrender.

  “You’ve both made the right call. Carry your men out of here; I don't want to see any of your faces ever again. I should not have to explain what would happen if any of you made that mistake.”

  Ajax relaxed a little, but remained in place and watched as the men picked up their wounded one at a time and began shipping them out of the tavern. None of the wounded men made a move for their weapons.

  The machete's owner was in a bad way. The blade had sunk into his gut when it spun out of his hand, and he clutched at the wound in a futile attempt to stem the blood flow. The others would certainly live, though they would all wake up sore tomorrow. When the men were carried outside not one looked back to say anything to their lone assailant. As the door closed on the last man a cheer broke out.

  Sal appeared like a tug, his vast bulk moving with a confident purpose across the blood soaked floor to reach Ajax. Maria was desperately trying to make herself invisible as hands clapped Ajax on the back, too many words of praise mixed together for him to distinguish individuals. A large enough gap opened up for Sal to slide through.

  “I am sorry, Sal, I will pay for the damages; I couldn't let those men get away with that.” shouted Ajax, struggling to be heard over the din.

  “Don't talk such nonsense, those thugs were trouble from day one and you have done me a great favour. I am glad you could not stand there as they abused Maria; it's free drinks for you tonight.”

  He had no idea what was going on around him but strong hands lifted him up and Ajax was now atop someone's shoulders, cheers still echoing around the room as he was paraded. Ajax looked down at Maria's face and saw her mouth the words, “Thank you.” The real smile on her lips was the first he had ever seen from Maria.

  Sal had kept to his word and made it his purpose in life to ply Ajax with a seemingly endless supply of alcohol for several hours. His gesture had somehow spilled over to the rest of the taverns occupants, who shared in Ajax's feat by being horrendously drunk. It was a miracle the floor was not slick with vomit by the nights end, most made it outside into the chill night air before voiding their stomachs; at least the wind and rain had halted its assault on the city.

  Ajax's head had been spinning for some time, the men around him swam in and out of focus at random intervals; the only thing he could concentrate on was the drink in his hand. Long ago the taste had disappeared, he had no idea what it was he drank nor what he drank for, but that wasn't stopping him. He revelled in the camaraderie, the sweet taste of free air and the contentment of friendship.

  Eventually the lights were dimmed as the tavern door was opened to let anyone not staying in the rooms to return to their homes. This was greeted by a few soft, or slurred, curses mixed with drunken affection and the tavern finally emptied. Ajax felt the sensation of weightlessness as something unseen picked him up, a distant grunt signalled that it might be a person. When he next opened his eyes Sal had got him into his room, mumbled good night and left him to h
is own devices.

  Ajax might be drunk but that did not stop him recognising his own bed, its sheets left made up for weeks. He tried to figure out how to take off his clothes, gave up, and lay down on the bed. Its unforgiving mattress felt softer than a sack of feathers as his eyes closed. His breathing soon deepened and became heavy. He fell into an untroubled sleep for the first time in far too long.

  Chapter 2

  Ajax regretted waking up, more so than anything in his new life. Up until that moment he had been blissfully unaware of the raging headache that now sat behind his eyes and made him wish he had never been reborn. The only small consolation for him was the dim light that filtered through his room’s window, he was spared from intense light at least. Dark clouds occupied all of the sky above, heavy with moisture that threatened rain imminently. It did little to ease his pain.

  As the vibration began again he realised what had woken him up. Ajax pulled the infernal tablet out of his jacket pocket and cursed its existence. He wasn't in the mood to wonder why he was still fully clothed, the answer probably had a lot to do with his hangover. By the time he found his tablet there were two missed calls from Aiko and a message, which read:

  Rine wants to meet you. I will be around in an hour to pick you up – Aiko

  Ajax swore to the empty room and checked what time the message had been sent; he was relieved that he still had a half hour to get ready. He could not face talking to Aiko in his current agony filled condition, so he sent a reply instead, telling her he would be waiting outside when she arrived. The screen had barely turned off before her reply came through.