Neon Rush {M/M} ❀

Ch. 16.1 Fake a Funeral

On a subway car normally crammed with people, Zef has to admit Damo made a good point when he insisted they nap and let Zef heal just a little longer.

He thought the extra people during commuter hours would make for good crowd cover. Help disguise him further than his new implant. After getting an elbow to the ribs from one too many disgruntled passengers, he can't imagine doing this with heavier crowds. His chest hurts from breathing hard while walking. Too much jostling could pop his stitches. If not for the miraculous healing technology repairing him so quickly, this journey would be fox-in-the-henhouse bonkers.

It's still pretty bonkers.

His 'colourful' clothing style, as Damo put it, would have attracted too much attention. Dressed in a wig, dress shirt, and slacks with suspenders, Zef feels a bit like a department store mannequin.

Damo speaks to him through an old-fashioned earpiece connected to an 'unhackable private communication network.' In other words, so obsolete no one uses it anymore. Apparently it's called Bluetooth.

"How you feeling, champ?" Damo says. He's gone masc for the day, a head taller than the crowd and visible from Zef's spot crammed between two musty individuals.

It's alien as hell to have to open his mouth and reply out loud, "Like someone's kicking me in the chest."

Even spoken under his breath, it attracts some scattered looks from fellow passengers. Thankfully, they just think he's one of the subway crazies and shuffle a safe distance away.

"I meant, like, emotionally," Damo replies.

"Oh," Zef says, "Same answer, I guess."

"Not to sound like a therapist, but do you want to talk about it?"

"Not like this," Zef says, even lower, because people are staring again. "This is all just— weird. Can't believe people used to communicate like this."

Damo says, "Not many people used it, actually, because even back when you couldn't just translate your thoughts to text, you were considered a weirdo if you suddenly start talking into a tiny earpiece to a different person than the ones in front of you. We should probably keep our radio chatter to a minimum."

Zef says, "Copy that."

They arrive in the bayou around supper time. Zef can't risk being seen near his dad's trailer, even disguised. Instead, he splits up with Damo at the train station and heads to an abandoned bus stop on a defunct route to light a cigarette he won't smoke.

The jitters set in, so maybe he should take up the habit. He goes over their plan in his head. Damo goes and knocks on Leo's trailer. Pretends to be a hook up and pushes him inside to talk in private. He gives Leo a message for Matthias. Zef's okay, but they need to talk where nobody can listen. After an unsuspicious length of time, Damo will emerge looking sex-rumpled and entrust Leo with the delivery of the message.

If all goes well, Matthias will get it and come to meet Zef. Damo will skulk around to ensure Matthias isn't followed.

Zef didn't really like the part where Damo pretends to be Leo's lover, but it made more sense than approaching Matthias, who might be on edge enough to put a screwdriver through Damo's jugular.

After a tense waiting period, Damo's voice comes over his earpiece. "Got all our ducks in a row."

Zef lets out a relieved sigh. "Leo believed you?"

"Oh, no. He definitely thinks it's a trap, but he's been worried sick."

Muffled, Leo's voice says, "The deal was you let me talk to him."