Dead End: Ch. 2 The Harem

The streets were dim as the sun rose over Dead End, its light penetrating the thick smog above the city. Stella entered the motel lobby and found a newspaper spread out on the reception desk. Alone, she cast her gaze over the 'Dead End Daily'. She saw 'Gas Attack in Jade Dragon' across the front page.
"Hey, sorry about that," Jubi appeared from behind the corner. Stella jumped, her attention snatched away from the paper.
"Jubi! Hi, how're you? I mean... I hope I'm not bothering you."
"No, no. I was looking behind the couch for a lost dollar," Jubi fingered her ear lobe with embarrassment.
"Well, no need. I've come to pay my monthly," Stella smiled, pressing several notes into Jubi's hand.
"Thanks, Stell. Look, seeming as you've been here so long, you can buy your own furnishings if you like? If you're planning to stay, anyway," came Jubi's shy offer. She adjusted her large, black frames.
"I may do, sounds good," nodded Stella, though the chances of her affording it were slim. Still, she appreciated the privilege.

Stella was going to work the night shift, and rather than catching some shut-eye in the day, she decided to chase up a smart suggestion made by Victoria. She met the blonde in the square.
"Alright?" Victoria smiled, her mascara-coated lashes fluttering.
"Yeah, now let's go," Stella replied. The two walked towards Dead End United, located just off the square, next to Lulu's. The job centre wasn't that impressive and the idea of unity wasn't executed justly either. It consisted of a room with four desks. There was a door at the back and walking in, Stella could just see the end of a mustard-yellow sofa in the back room.
"Hi, can I help you?" chirped a recruiter. She was smartly dressed, though she wore her skirt around her thighs and several buttons too-many were undone on her blouse. It reminded Stella of her visit here nearly a year ago, when the manager screened and questioned her... she would've probed her more, given the chance. Stella shuddered. What was her name again?
"We were wondering if we could speak to the manager?" Victoria asked, after Stella hesitated.
"Oh?" the young woman twirled a curling lock of hair around her finger, "She's in the back room. Come wait here a moment," and with that, she led the pair up the room. Stella and Victoria waited near a counter. There was a coffee machine. Stella wondered if it tasted bad, like the hospital coffee, or whether Aisha got it from the Red Herring instead. That was her name! Aisha.
Suddenly the recruiter returned, with the manager of Dead End United following behind. Aisha was dressed more appropriately than her recruiters.
"Can I help you?" Aisha said flatly, lingering near the back door and eyeing the two visitors.
"I was wondering if you've seen someone around..." Stella began awkwardly.
"Why don't you join me in here?" she offered more brightly, stepping backwards and indicating more private matters should be discussed elsewhere. Stella glanced sideways at her friend.

Aisha ordered one of her staff to make some coffee for the three, as she led them into the back room. The air was thick with smoke and Stella saw the culprit lounging on the sofa.
"Tucker, take it outside. I got business to tend to," Aisha told him. The young man pulled his weight from the sofa. His chest was bare, exposing graphic tattoos across his chest. He grabbed his shirt and ambled away. Stella suddenly felt very dodgy and wished she hadn't come here.
"I hope I'm not keeping you," Stella said politely, awareness of Aisha's responsibilities concealing her true reasoning for wanting to leave.
"Not at all. Take a seat, take a seat," the dark woman ushered. The curly-haired recruiter came in with a tray. When she approached, she bent low so they could take their mugs, causing her cleavage to spill from her blouse. Stella craned her neck away.
"Thank you, Akima," the manager purred. She sipped from her mug and Stella dared to do the same. With pleasant surprise, she found the coffee palatable. Well, the cafe was only down the street from them, Stella concluded jealously.
"Anyway..." Victoria said, prompting Stella subtly.
"I'm looking for someone. I was wondering if you'd be any help, because you see people from the city all the time in here," Stella explained, aware that most of Dead End's population were workers.
"That depends. I used to freely give people's whereabouts and then find myself involved in a murder investigation," Aisha replied bluntly.
"Oh!" Victoria gasped.
"Yeah. The shit that happens in this city. There's always someone 'looking' for someone else, or rather, hunting them down. Why? I don't know. Ransoms, revenge..."
"It's not like that," Stella told her.
"No, you don't look too sinister. But then how do I know?"
"She's looking for a patient," Victoria revealed. There was a pregnant pause.
"Her name's Beliah," Stella finally added.
"Surname?"
"Hawks."
"Beliah Hawks... little blonde thing?" Aisha guessed. Stella and Victoria nodded their heads.
"She's a patient of mine."
"Oh yes, of course. You're a nurse at the hospital?" said Aisha, faintly remembering the lilac-haired girl.
"Yes!" Stella urged, as if Aisha's recollection might reach deeper.
"I don't know... what if someone's put you up to this?"
"Please, she needs my help. Bel's missed her methadone and I'm so worried about her," said Stella, her knuckles whitening as she clutched her mug tighter.
"She sounds like more than a patient."
"She is. Beliah's my friend," she told Aisha.
"Methadone, huh. A hooker?"
"Was. She used to be, ages ago," Stella answered, her tone bordering onto defensive.
"Well, I haven't seen her around here. I doubt a rehab-drop out would want much to do with a proper job," Aisha explained, much to Stella's indignation, "but she might be seeking help elsewhere. Do you know a woman called Athena?"
"I've heard of her," Victoria replied helpfully, as Stella was dumbfoundedly silent.
"She's head of the Harem."
"A harem?" Stella repeated uncertainly.
"It's not actually a harem. Athena just calls it that because only women are allowed to join."
"So it's a club?" Stella guessed.
"Sorta," Aisha grinned after some consideration. Then she tugged down the collar of her blouse. Stella turned her gaze at first, unsure of what was happening, but the manager lifted her head, indicating a black rose tattoo at the top of her left breast.
"You're a member!" gasped Victoria. Aisha nodded, her thick black hair sweeping her back. Stella frowned in her confusion.
"Members of the Harem have a black rose tattooed on their neck or chest," Aisha explained to her, "and once they've joined, they're protected. The Harem offer protection to any woman in Dead End. If a member of the Harem is hurt, Athena and the rest of the dolls go after the man and make him real miserable," Aisha's eyes sparkled darkly.
"Oh," was all Stella could muster. Victoria nodded, as if confirming the story to be true.
"So go to Athena. She might know."
"Don't you know? You're a member," Stella inquired.
"We don't have morning coffee meetings," sighed Aisha, rolling her eyes, "we meet up every few weeks for a... gathering."
"Right," Stella said quickly.
"Where can we find Athena?"
"She lives in the block of flats in Dead Fall. Number thirty-nine."
"Okay, thanks. I guess we'll be leaving then," Stella said, placing her half-empty mug on the coffee table. She stood to her feet. Frown lines were indented on her forehead as she pondered on the offered information. Victoria thanked Aisha and went with Stella towards the door.
"Will you both consider joining the Harem?" Aisha asked alluringly. Stella's hand grasped the doorknob. She turned to look at Aisha, her mouth opening. No words came. She simply pressed a shy-looking smile and continued her way out, with Victoria trailing behind her.

"At least we're getting somewhere!" Victoria cheered as they emerged back into the square.
"It was horrid in there. I'm not sure what's Aisha's leading us into."
"Well it's somewhere. D'ya wanna go now?" Victoria said, cocking her head rightwards towards Dead Fall. The district was busier than Dead Drop, with a gentleman's club and the fire department situated there, along with cheaper housing.
"Let's bring someone with us."
"Like who?"
"Gary or Cael. A guy," Stella said with a reassuring nod to herself.
"Why?"
"I don't know. I'll feel a bit better about it. I can't help but think this is all so..." she couldn't find the word.
"Okay, okay. Let's go check the hospital. No doubt one of them's there, working when they shouldn't be," chuckled Victoria. The two walked out onto the high street and headed West towards the memorial hospital.

Stella and Victoria trotted down the steep steps, beholding the huge building before them. The memorial hospital was surrounded by a high, barbed wire fence before sea stretched out behind it. With its dark brickwork and tall, pointy angles, the hospital looked awfully Gothic. It depressed Stella greatly.
"Hey, is anyone about?" Victoria asked a nurse at the reception desk.
"Doctor Haigh is upstairs doing some paperwork and I think I saw Mr Revanati go down to the asylum, and one of the new nurses-"
"We should take them both! Cael's a voice of reason and Harley's really strong, I mean, in case things get messy," Stella hissed as the two kept walking, out of the lobby and down the corridor.
"Stella, listen to yourself," Victoria sighed dramatically, "We don't need a SWAT team. And besides, Harley's probably working today. He's got enough on his plate with the patients downstairs."
"Cael then. We'll take Cael with us," and so the two avoided the elevator and went up the stairs instead.
As the two ventured down the corridor upstairs, they approached the office. It was quiet today, so Cael left the door open. He was sitting at the desk, shuffling papers and scribbling his signature on a few. He heard Victoria's three inch heels on the hard floor and looked up.
"Oh, hello," he said pleasantly.
"Hiya," waved Victoria. Stella found herself saying the same thing and stammered an embarrassed giggle.
"I thought you're doing the night shift, Stell?"
"I am. We've just come to ask you a favour if you're not too busy."
"I guess not. Truthfully, I'm occupying myself. Half the places in Dead End put me off going out," Cael said soberly. He'd only been in the city for six months and sometimes Stella wondered why he hadn't ran back in the opposite direction. Why didn't she?
"Okay, well you know Beliah, my patient?"
"Yeah," nodded Cael, spinning round in his chair to face them.
"I've been chasing up some leads as to where she is and she might be involved in the Harem."
"A harem?" Cael repeated in surprise.
"No, the Harem. It's like this club, run by a woman called Athena. It sets out to protect women in the city but you have to be a member, and members have a black rose tattooed on their necks."
"Or chests," chipped in Victoria, smiling to herself with an air of triumph.
"Yeah."
"And you want me to come with you?" Cael guessed.
"If that's okay," Stella said shyly, "I need help tracking down Bel, after all."
"Alright. I don't see the harm," Cael nodded.
"Thanks, Cael!" Victoria said delightfully and dimples pinched Stella's own cheeks.

Suddenly, they heard the elevator doors slide open and Harley Revanati came bursting out.
"Help, I need help!" he yelled. He stomped to a halt and looked left, then right. Seeing the three in the office, the bulky asylum guard came rushing up to them.
"What is it?" gasped Stella. Cael stood to his feet.
"One of the patients downstairs is going crazy. She needs her meds but no one's around."
"Miss Verne?" Victoria guessed, panic rising in her tone.
"Red, cropped hair and loads of tattoos."
"Shit," Victoria cursed, dashing for the elevator.
"Shall I come too?"
"No, Stella. Go find Bel!" she called back, stepping into the elevator with Harley. As the elevator moved down, Stella could hear her complaints echoing up the shaft... growing fainter and fainter.
"I hope everything's okay."
"I'm sure they'll be fine. Victoria's good at her job and Harley? Our best guard," Cael consoled, hoping Stella would trust in Harley's stocky build and big, strong hands.
"How long do you think they'll be?"
"I don't know. I heard Miss Verne is a tough one to handle. Listen, if you want to go and find Bel, we best get to it."
"You're right," Stella said with renewed determination. Cael tucked his hands into his coat pockets and reminded Stella he'd need to change into his casual wear first. She nodded understandingly, thus the two headed for the elevator and waited.