Untraceable | A flash fiction story
16 of 💯
Miranda lay on her side in the cheap bed, her breasts painted a cyan zebra pattern by the neon lights that flooded the room through the blinds. A thin line of smoke raised lazily from her cigarette.
"Zik," she said, "you're a smart gal."
Zik was sitting on the other side of the bed with a laptop. They immediately stopped typing and turned to Miranda.
"I am smart," Zik said. They turned back to the laptop. "Not a 'gal'."
"Yeah," Miranda winced, "sorry. But tell me this, how come you're untraceable? Don't the city do anything? Why don't Atlanta throw you out?"
"First of all — " Zik threw the laptop and it folded itself, landing perfectly on the sad-looking table in the corner of the room " — I really am untraceable." They jumped into bed and grabbed the cigarette from Miranda's hand. "A.S.S. couldn't catch me even if they tried."
Zik smoked and gently positioned the cigarette back in her hand.
"Second of all, it's more profitable for them to have me here."
Miranda frowned. "But you don't pay no Argon subscription."
"Yeah, but you do, and I pay for your lovely services." Zik brushed her chin and she giggled. "I paid for this nice room and the owner has to pay the stupid tax too. Atlanta is a mega-corporation, honey, even when you think they're losing, they're winning."
Miranda nodded and looked out the window, lost in her thoughts for a second. "Don't you ever think of leaving?" she asked. "From Argon, I mean."
"And give all of this up?" Zik stole her cigarette again. "No way! Besides, there's a heart in this city I still have to win."
"Aw, Zik." Miranda wrapped her arms around them. "My heart is already yours, silly."
"Yeah," Zik said, "I'm not talking about you."
