Blade Runner Mafia Day Five: Control (MAFIA HIT)

Caitlinn crossed her arms and leaned her elbows on the railing surrounding the roof top of the apartment building. Jarvis’s body no longer darkened the pavement; though this morning there was no sign of police officers. Cleared away in the night then.

She was shortly joined by another neighbor, and her breath hitched a little when she saw who it was, but managed to stay calm and act casual. He imitated her position, leaning casually on the railing and looking out onto the sunrise.

“Seen Bepa yet today?”

Caitlinn shook her head. “Not yet. I imagine we will though.” The sun flared with light through the pollution, casting everything around them in a red hue. The pair was silent for a while at this spectacle.

“I don’t plan to be here when she comes. And I think you shouldn’t be here either.”

Caitlinn turned the neighbor, studying his face. “You must know I can’t let you do that. You must know.”

He shook his head. “I was about to say the same to you. You must know. The dreams, the voices that you hear…you weren’t always like this. Think about it. And think about this; we can be out of here in an hour’s time. No one has to know. We’re stronger and smarter than them, and we can hide. We can blend in; you’ve seen how well we’ve done so far. Join me. Join me and we can survive.” The neighbor held out his hand to Caitlinn.

Caitlinn lunged. The two androids went down as one, locked in battle, falling together to the ground, struggling to gain the advantage. Caitlinn kicked and writhed when the man finally grabbed her wrists and held them over her head. Her injured arm screamed in pain.

The android looked into Caitlinn’s steel grey eyes as she struggled beneath him. For a moment, there was an impasse; the android refused to release her, but it took both hands to hold her in place and he had no way of doing more than keeping her under tenuous control.

Not for long. Caitlinn’s struggles finally proved worthwhile as she wormed one leg underneath her attacker and kicked him hard in the chest, sending him flying. He slammed against the railing, hard enough to be winded, and now Caitlinn was on him again, pushing him, trying to force him over the edge, pushing through the pain of her now throbbing arm. Her attacker, now surely her victim, suddenly dropped low to the ground, rolling and taking out her legs. Caitlinn fell to the ground, landing on her bad arm and groaning with pain as flashes of white danced before her eyes. When she could see straight again, the android killer filled her vision. And he had his laser gun out.

Caitlinn knew then that it was over for her.

“A pity. We would have done well together, I think. But you insist on punishing me, on punishing yourself, for what we are.”

He fired only once, straight through her head, and turned away. He opened the door to head inside the apartment building and nearly tripped over a black cat that streaked through the open door, between his legs, and made a beeline for her master’s body. The android watched as the cat seemed to contemplate her dead form, and then flee as quickly as she had come.