The Streets of Boston - Chapter 9: A Sly Vixen

• Posted by Teineeva May 8, 2016 - 1,421 views

  November 8, 2287
  

  A red coat, a green scarf and a maroon reporter’s cap. Over two centuries the fashion requirements that came with the job had barely changed. The only new addition to the tell-tale design was the layer of dirt that covered her from head to toe. Either armageddon got rid of hygiene or she was what would be called a “field reporter”. While I would say that the latter is way more annoying, the prospect of never having a good fresh shower or a warm bath again frightened me ever so slightly.

  But knowing my luck both would be true. The apocalypse had decided to ruin my joy and was certainly going to continue doing so.
  

  When I met her, she was screaming at an intercom in front of a closed gate. Apparently the mayor had banned her from the city. Too much trouble. And while I hadn’t even met the good man yet I was certainly starting to appreciate him already. He seemed sound of mind. At first the girl was too absorbed by the dispute she was having over the intercom to even notice, or acknowledge my presence, so I remained at a distance and lit a cigar. The weather was actually rather nice.
  

  When she finally noticed me, she beckoned me to come closer.
  

  “Hey, you, you want to get into Diamond city right?” she asked with a hushed voice, suggesting I do the same.
  

  But I am Simon Lafoy, and I would be damned if I would be plied by a simple reporter, even a cute one like this. A different thought rose up from the back of my mind; how far would she go for her big scoop? Regardless I answered her as loud as I could that I was indeed there for the city. While she looked a bit disappointed at the fact that I had not followed her suggestions, she was resourceful and immediately changed plans.
  

  “Play along,” she whispered before starting her new ruse. “What’s that? You say you’re a trader up from Quincy? You have enough supplies to keep the general store stocked for a whole month?”
  

  Now this was going to be interesting. No one in their right mind would fall for this trick, it’s the oldest in the book. How stupid did she think the guard was?
  

  “You hear that Danny, You’re gonna open the gate and let us in? Or are you gonna be the one talking to crazy Mirna about losing out on all the supplies?” She continued, giving me my answer.
  
  

  Very stupid. What was more surprising is that she was right. The guy was really stupid. Guess the Book got lost during armageddon, either that or evolution just took a dump on our species intelligence. Either way, it was going to make my job a whole lot easier. Even if I’ll have to admit I may have choked on my cigar from laughter when the poor sod replied.
  

  “Sheesh, no need to make it personal Piper, give me a minute.” And the door swung open.
  

  Piper. The name remembered me of an old children’s tale, about a musician who could control rats and children with a flute. Oddly appropriate. Maybe we were going to get along after all.
  

  With the sound of the centuries old mechanism roaring in the background, she turned to me and proposed we head inside quick, before the guard caught onto the bluff. I smiled in response, if he hadn’t already he wasn’t going to any time soon. I offered her my arm, as if we were at a dance.
  

  “Shall we then?”
  

  She smiled and accepted my invitation. And so we strolled into town, welcomed by an angry idiot in a patched-up suit. Yet another disappointment, apparently the mayor wasn’t as sound of mind as I had hoped. He was clearly no the one holding the strings in this town, that much was clear.
  

  “Piper, who let you back inside? I told Sullivan to keep that gate shut. You devious rabble rousing slanderer, the level of dishonesty in that paper of yours, I’ll have that critter scrapped for parts” The little man yelled as we passed through the initial archway of the stadium.
  

  That idiot was making a huge mistake by being so openly hostile towards a reporter. You have to see them as wolves, ready to tear you apart bit by bit if you let them. Showing fear is the first mistake to make.
  

  Piper was ready to spring in action and tear the poor sod to pieces. Never threaten a journalist to take away his or her freedom of speech. But I stopped her in her tracks.
  

  “Let me handle this,” I whispered.
  

  “Mister Mayor, I presume?” I asked in the most amicable voice I could muster, damn it had been a long time since I did this, let’s hope I hadn’t lost my touch.
  

  “Euh… Yes, why of course” the mayor replied, clearly taken aback by my calm response to his outrage.
  

  I reached out my hand in greeting. “Well, I’m glad to make your acquaintance, Simon Lafoy, at your service.”
  

  He took my hand and gave it a squeeze. “Uhm… Mayor McDonough, I’m sorry you had to witness that my good sir. I didn’t wish to bring you into this argument, mister Lafoy. Welcome to Diamond city” He mumbled. How had this idiot ever been elected?
  

  “You call this a welcome!” I exclaimed, “I was told that Diamond city was a haven of safety and freedom, that this green jewel was the biggest and most welcoming settlement around! Yet here I am, having had to lie myself inside!”

  I could see the man shrivel away. The hostility took him by surprise, good.. What a weasel. I was going to try and have some fun, how far could I push him?
  

  “I’m so sorry, mister Lafoy. Is there anything I, and the Diamond city mayoral personnel could do for you to make up for this grandiose misunderstanding?”
  

  “Misunderstanding, we were out there in the open, completely unprotected. If those mutants had attacked anywhere closer to the gate, we would have died for certain!” I pressed on. The buffoon had no clue what he had gotten himself into.
  

  “I’m so sorry Sir, the responsible will be punished and I’ll make sure you won’t miss out on anything during your stay in the city.
  

  I did my best to suppress a smile. And sighed instead. “That will have to do”.

  
  As if she had read my thoughts Piper sprung in; “I’ll show you around town, Mr Lafoy, while the mayoral office makes sure you get the best room the Dugout has to offer, there better be a good bottle of scotch waiting for you there, or did you prefer wine?.” She said as she pulled me away from the mayor, a sly smile forming across her face. We were going to get along just fine.