<b>Roo'd</b>

# Roo'd

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# Chapter #42

They made it to the airport in no time, the filthy cab Cessus hailed outside tearing through side streets and around traffic. Cessus gave the man a big tip and walked through the revolving gates, Fede and Poulpe right behind. He waved their IDs over the auto-teller and folded the paper receipts into his pocket. They moved on.

“We got an extra half hour before our flight. Let’s use the time to get dressed for China, because this Hawaiian bullshit isn’t going to fly, not to mention it’ll be cold there. Poulpe, you can dress yourself, but Feed and I aren’t going to pass for bizmen. Here’s a cred card. We’ll hit Nike town and meet you at the food court, okay? Be there in 45 minutes. No less. You got me?”

“Yes, Cessus. I have got you” replied Poulpe, his rosy cheeks puckering a little as he said the words. Cessus began to walk away, and as Fede turned to follow him he saw Poulpe pull out his little tin. He palmed the lid and gently laid a small red candy on his tongue. His pale gray eyes slowly raised to meet Fede’s, and he reached the tin towards him. Fede discovered, suddenly, that he did want one. He wanted one very much.

Then Cessus was there, his long fingers wrapped tightly around Poulpe’s hand, hissing something fierce at the smaller man. He pulled the tin away and casually lobbed it into the trash bin of a passing service cart. Fede could barely see Poulpe’s face through the forest of dreadlocks as Cessus whispered in his ear. He was smiling, grinning like a naughty schoolboy who knew he wasn’t really going to get into trouble, but who would bear the teacher’s lecture anyway. Cessus threw Poulpe’s hand down and spun around, wrapped his arm over Fede’s shoulders, led him briskly away.

“Don’t fucking pull that shit on me” he said, anger hissing under his quiet voice. “You want to play around on the beach, okay. But you take candy from that motherfucker piece of shit you going to be flat out when we need you most.”

“It’s okay” said Fede.

“No, dude, it is not okay. You know what you took the other day?”

“No.”

“Me neither. That’s means neither one of us knows what you got floating around in your blood right now, how addictive it is, what the long term affects are. Nothing. We don’t know shit, which means we got to trust that slimy motherfucker.”

Fede stumbled a little, Cessus’s long arm propelling him down the arcade past tall thin mannequins wearing sequined skintights.

“You know what that fucker did for a living, Fede?”

Fede nodded, but Cessus continued anyway.

“That guy designed biological pharmaceuticals for Disney.”

Cessus pulled him in-between two stores, in front of an unmarked metal door, spun him around to face him.

“That’s not the kind of guy you want to take drugs from.”

Fede felt a hot flash of anger.

“I fucking get it, Cessus” he said, pushing the larger man’s hand off his shoulder. “I fucked up. Once. Don’t worry, I’m not going to do it again.”

“I got to trust you, Fede” said Cessus.

“Damn straight” said Fede. “You do. Now help me find something to wear in China.”

Cessus got himself with a pair of nylon camo pants and a bunch of skater shirts. The pants had the Nike swoosh stitched through the fabric in reflective thread, multicolored bits of light reflecting off him as he moved. He topped it off with an enormously oversized red hoody, plastic fibers sewn in to poof it out. He wanted the bright white sneakers they had in the window but they didn’t have them in his size, so he settled for the tanned leather hightops.

“Okay” he said after his unmarked cred card slid through. “Now we get to dress you up.”

“Tell me I don’t have to look like you” said Fede.

“No sir, you do not. You could not, in all fairness” said Cessus “I would have set you up like this, but it’s my only choice and there’s no way they’re going to believe you’re a U.S. rapper in China.”

“That’s crazy talk, Cessus. You couldn’t rap your way out of a paper bag.”

“Yeah, but you got to play to the stereotypes, you know? I’m a black man with dreadlocks and expensive implants; what do you want me to pass for when we get there?”

Fede shrugged. “Okay, but what about me?”

Cessus smiled. “You get to be a businessman’s son.
Think you can handle that?”

Something about the way he smiled put Fede’s teeth on edge.

“What do you mean?”

It turned out Cessus meant for Fede to wear a pressed white polo shirt with the alligator logo on the cuffs, slightly tight wool pants cut a little bit short. Stiff black leather shoes matched a suit coat that forced Fede’s shoulder’s back. Fede was willing to put up with it until Cessus came back with a beige knit vest and a little plastic box of hair wax.

“Fuck you” said Fede as Cessus cornered him in the dressing room.

“Dude, we all have to do our part. Once we get out of there you can do whatever you want. But for now it’s my call, and I want you looking as innocent as possible.”

“Absolutely fuck you” said Fede. “I’m not wearing that vest and I’m not wearing that sick fucking wax.”

Fifteen minutes later they were walking swiftly down the walkway, Fede’s face pulled tight against his skull by the rapidly hardening shell of his waxed-down hair. He was carrying his jacket, and had stuffed his goggles and chord into its pockets. They didn’t fit in his pants.

Poulpe was standing by a fountain, gently smoking a long white cigarette. He was wearing a neat black suit with miniscule grey stripes and had a long tan overcoat thrown over one arm. His hair was pulled back in gentle waves, and as he caught sight of them he cocked his head and waved.

“My my, you are looking very nicely, Fede” he said as they walked up.

“Don’t fuck with me” said Fede.

“I’m not” said Poulpe. He seemed genuinely puzzled at Fede’s reaction. Fede snorted and rolled his eyes, disgusted at this whole affair.

“Listen up, kids” said Cessus. “We can’t go strolling on there together. You two go on ahead and I’ll tail you. We’re all sitting next to each other on the plane, but for gods sakes don’t start chatting as soon as we get on. Poulpe, you get your headphones on as soon as sit down and space out for the rest of the trip. Fede here will play your useless son. Fede, I’ll start up a conversation once we get going. Follow my lead.”

Cessus looked them both up and down.

“Okay, we’re good. One last thing. Poulpe, you offer Fede anything and I’ll see to it you die good and slow. Fede, I find out you asked him and I’m going to tell your brother about this plus what happened on the beach. We clear, gentlemen?”

They both nodded.

“Good. Now move your ass and I’ll see you two on the plane. Here are your tickets.”

Cessus handed them their papers and strolled off towards a bookstore, waiting for them to get ahead of him.

Poulpe waited until they had strolled a ways down the arcade before he reached out one white hand and rested it on Fede’s shoulder.

“You had a good time on the beach the other day, yes?” he asked.

“It was interesting” said Fede. He walked slightly apart from Poulpe, let his hand fall off his shoulder.

“I am very glad. I feel a kindred spirit in you, Feed. We are both... apart from the others. Not the same, you see?”

“They’re my friends” said Fede.

“Of course. And Tonx, he is your brother. But you are not the same. This is difficult, yes?”

“Poulpe, I don’t need this bullshit. I appreciate the hook up the other day but we’re not bosom buddies, you got me?”

Poulpe stopped, reached over and slowly stubbed out the butt of his cigarette in an ashtray.

“Of course, Feed. I am not a bosom buddy.”

He reached into his jacket pocket. Fede looked around, but he couldn’t see Cessus anywhere.

Poulpe pulled out another cigarette. He lit it with a cream-colored wooden cube, exhaled slowly.

“But who is?” he asked.

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