The wealthy businessmen and the upwardly mobile young people

tended to frequent the upper levels of the district, where the action

was wild, but considerably tamer than the thrills to be found on the

lower levels. The ground level was for the real hardcore

thrillseekers, those who didn’t mind or were enticed by an element

of danger. There were police here, but they were by far

outnumbered by the street gangs, the whores, the pimps, the

pickpockets, the muggers, and the rapists. And there were a lot of

dark alleys and corners where the local denizens could ply their

trade.

Kanno brushed past several shills who tried to entice him into

their emporiums, his gaze sweeping the street. There. On the

corner. Leaning against the wall and smoking a cigarette. Showing

lots of long, slim leg in a skirt slashed right up to her waist. Red,

high-heeled pumps; black dress; snakeskin jacket. Hair down to her

waist. Not a day over sixteen. She still looked fresh, not yet used up

or burned out by drugs. Perfect. He could almost feel the vibrancy

of her life force.

She smiled as he approached. “Hi. Looking for a date?”

The negotiation took no longer than a few seconds. She hooked

her arm through his and whispered into his ear that she had a place

around the corner and flicked his earlobe with her tongue, pressing

herself up against him. She conducted him down a dark alley.

Kanno smiled.

The alley ended in a cul-de-sac. As he had known it would.

The footsteps behind him didn’t come as a surprise, either.

Three of them. Young toughs, armed with knives and needle

guns.

Kanno turned to face them.

He sensed a movement behind him, and without even turning

toward the girl, he caught her wrist and twisted it. She gasped and

the knife fell to the ground. He flung her aside.

The young toughs fired their needle guns. The slim, silvery

projectiles whistled through the air toward him… then came to an

abrupt halt, hanging motionless in the air, inches in front of his