Checking the outside cameras on my wristband, I chose the path with less Trinity members.
While I waited for her to get dressed and bag her gear, I took a final sip of coffee.
Before heading to the door I got hit by a massive yawn that made my whole body shake as if an electric discharge had just struck me. After the involuntary biological response, I laid eyes on Officer Sun who was watching me.
"So vampires do get sleepy." As she noticed I took too long staring at her, I recomposed myself and took the lead.
The woman wore the same faded light-blue hoodie, my samurai mask obscuring her face and her hair left loose and untamed. She looked like a completely different person, definitely a master of the arts of disguise. Looking at her, I'd never say she was a cop.
"Let's go, stealthy master."
Overpopulated as always, the slum was again packed with people and noise.
Going down the stairs residents had their doors open to sell all kinds of stuff or offer suspicious services. Some were outside talking and smoking on the stairways. A few of the guys on my floor gave me a shout out when I passed accompanied by the Officer right by my side.
I signalled a greeting without stopping while Officer Sun kept her head down, unbothered by the sexist comments.
Walking to the station with that woman was going to be a parade. Everyone I knew would say something dumb about us. Can't blame them—it looked exactly how they were imagining.
"St, you beast!" A few flights of stairs down, a Trinity boy I used to make deliveries with shouted.
With a shy wave I passed by, hoping the Officer wouldn't pick up on any of it. In times like these I hated knowing that many people. I wasn't friends with all of them, we just knew each other from the block or once upon a time we worked together. It's hard to stay isolated in this place.
"St?" For the first time since we left the apartment, she said something.
I almost didn't hear it if it wasn't from how close we had to be given the small size of the staircases.
"Short for Saint."
"Why? Saint is already a short name."
"Let's say it wasn't my first choice."
Downstairs there were Trinity members everywhere. They were separated in small groups of three or four in every building and alley. It was particularly easy to point them out. The gangs had unique traces. The Church members were the steelheads, all synthetic limbs, big and robust. Circusgang had so many surgeries they looked like aliens, even their skin had different colors, they were called neonheads. Now the Pharmacygang had synthetic respiratory systems, making their faces look mostly robotic, everything just to use as many drugs as they could without dying… too fast.
As we crossed the building door, there was another group I was familiar with. Some nodded at me and I returned the gesture.
"Stay close." I told her when we entered our first crowded alley. There were people all over the place making visibility very hard.
A few meters into the alley, I looked back to check if Officer Sun was behind me and as expected, she wasn't.
I stood on my toes trying to find her red head from above and luckily she was just a few bodies behind. Probably didn't push hard enough to pass through the sea of people. As soon as she caught up, looking breathless and disoriented, I grabbed tight to her hand and pulled her as I moved forward.
Hand in hand we went all the way over to the main street, where there was more space and she wouldn't get lost anymore, I let go of her soft sweaty hand.
"Thank you." She let out after we crossed the street, right under the train tracks that shook the ground.
"I'm sorry for that, I didn't want you to fall behind." On my hand I missed the warmth that she left on it. As a habit I pulled my hair back regretting not tying it up before leaving.
"I won't forget all you did…" She looked up to me with small eyes, fighting the light of an ad right above us. "One of these days I'll pay you back for the coffee."
"Yeah… just don't die a stupid death in a stupid operation." I had no idea how to respond to such honest gratitude. All I did was fight against my hair in an attempt to get rid of her touch.
"I'll do my best."
And like that she turned around and left.
I watched her a little before starting to make my way back. It was all so strange. We started things the wrong way, she knew what I was going to do on that balcony and now she was thanking me repeatedly.
Something about her was off. The way she switched tones when talking about something random like coffee or how she looked harmless in sweat clothes. That image was something to remember, definitely. A cop in the slums, that must've been the first time in decades.