“Officer, if you just let me go upstairs, I can grab all the licenses proving the legality of this place…”
Kayel was supposed to have been getting ready for his lesson, but Efess, the receptionist, had requested that he cover for her for ten minutes while she took an important phone call. That was understandable, since Kayel knew that Efess’s partner had been ill for a while and that she needed the time to sort things out. However, he hadn’t expected to see Efess get knocked to the ground by an Arbiter and have the building stormed.
“No, I need you to stay here with your hands where I can see them, and another officer will go upstairs and find those documents. You should know better that prostitution is illegal.”
“It’s not illegal though in an authorized clinic or other environment. And this isn’t a brothel, it’s a family planning centre, kids spa and clinic.”
“You’re probably lying.”
This red-armoured Skyan was not listening to Kayel. And he didn’t really want to push his luck because the R-Class was pointing a loaded rifle at him. But at the same time, he needed to try and defuse the situation before anyone got hurt.
“I swear, I am being honest.”
“What is your name?”
“Kayel Theanon.”
The officer eyed Kayel up and down with a sense of disbelief. “You don’t look like a L-Class. Too muscular.”
“I, uh, work out a lot. Kids require a lot of energy to teach, you know? What’s your name?”
“Jayessar. But that’s none of your business.”
A grunt. The officer didn’t seem to believe him in the slightest. Which was fair enough, because it was only a half-truth. Outside, more R-Class had arrived, and they had began to lead all the adult Skyans, both customers and staff, outside, lining them up against the window. Efess was still on the ground, being questioned. The kids however, they had been led into one of the three classrooms, alongside Essel, Kayel’s fellow teacher. They’d come here for sex education lessons followed by a swimming lesson, which always helped them learn more easily.
“Can I see your ID?”
Kayel nodded hesitantly. “Yeah, uh… one second… I’m in the middle of having my paperwork changed, so it’s not… accurate.” He lowered his arms and pulled up his sleeves, revealing the silver wristbands that most Skyans wore. With a sigh, Kayel then held out his right arm, tapping it twice to show his ID.
“Hang on… this says your name is Elkay!”
Jayessar reacted badly, shoving their gun directly into Kayel’s neck.
“Like I just said, I am having my paperwork changed, you know it takes forever!” Kayel exclaimed. “It’s getting finalized on Monday!”
“You’re K-Class! You must be undercover!” Jayessar hissed.
“No, I swear, I’m L-Class now! I’ve been working here for six months!”
“Is there a problem here, Officer Jay?”
Another officer approached, with dark green natural plating and almost black skin. From the spiked shoulder guard she was wearing, Kayel could tell she was the boss.
“This vok is an undercover K-Class. Claimed to be L-Class when we came in but his ID clearly shows him as K-Class but not employed as K-Class.”
The other Skyavok growled, pushed Jayessar to one side, then grabbed their gun and thrust Kayel against the wall.
“What are you doing here?”
“Nothing, I work here!” Kayel replied as calmly and innocently as he could. “I have been for six months. I defected from the K-Class. I can get you all the paperwork you need to prove it.”
The boss wasn’t convinced. She pulled out her rifle and planted it firmly in Kayel’s side, while pressing her other hand around his neck.
“You K-Class are normally better liars, what with being military and all that. State your purpose here and I’ll let you live.”
“Wait… you’re going to kill me?”
“If you don’t talk, I will.”
Kayel swallowed nervously. “I am telling you the truth. I defected from K-Class seven years ago, spent five years re-educating to join L-Class and started working class-specific jobs over the last two years, having started working here back in Mayou. I put in my application for a name change on First Septemv and it is being finalized next week. I have all this information in the office upstairs and at my apartment, which I can give you the address to…”
Kayel trailed off, glancing past the R-Class, to where Efess was lying outside. Two officers were pointing guns at her.
“Leave Efess alone. She is just a receptionist.”
“Why so protective all of a sudden?”
“This is a parental planning clinic. No one here is a threat.”
“Except you.”
“I swear, I am just-”
Suddenly, Kayel felt intense heat. The R-Class emptied her entire clip into Kayel’s side, then threw him to the ground, kicking his limp body several times just to make sure.
“Kill all of them. Dump the children at the nearest hospital and let the locals deal with them. For the Circle.”
“For the Circle…” Jayessar muttered, as he poked Kayel’ with his rifle, somewhat concerned by the weirdly twitching body.