Quiet Piggy Part 4

Aziz had been operating a news stand in the Barrio since my first days as a trooper in the Militsiya. He was a rumour monger who heard all the tall tales and true whispered on the streets. He also 'knew' people. He didn't know them personally, but he knew of them and knew what they could do or what they could offer. My old sergeant, Cardenas, had introduced me too him on my first patrol through the Barrio. I was quick to grasp that a good relationship with this wizened old man would be essential. And so as Aeolus stared down from the heavens, a breeze began to come in off the ocean I made my way from the entrance to Bar Zero to Aziz's news stand.

He was there as I knew he would be. Seated in the cubicle, guarded against the wind and elements. Several billboards were placed around the cubicle spruiking the latest headlines from the Daily Worker (Central Committee member accused of taking bribes), Lazarus Times (Dysonists push for Dysonist Calendar as official Calendar), Red City News (Ryu Tachibana said to be in rehab), Pravda (Party Congress gathers for an extraordinary meeting). And then there were the various magazines, those aimed at special interests, those that were soft porn and copies of Jump and Marvel.

I grabbed a Daily Worker and the latest Jump. I passed over the money. Aziz rang the total up by scanning the barcodes, the typed in the amount I'd given. Then he gave me my change.

"Long time no see Detective," his voice was a growl, it always had been even when I was a green trooper. Time had not changed it.

"I went private Aziz."

"Huh, jumped before you were pushed then?"

"I'd hardly say that, I was low down on the totem pole."

"Wouldn't have made a difference what I hear. Apparently there are plans to cut the Militisya, turn over non essential services to privae contractors," he said. He reached behind his ear and pulled out a cigarette. Then when it was in his mouth reached for a rather battered zippo lighter under this counter, flicked it and lit said smoke. He took a drag then blew some smoke rings.

"Do the Politicals know about this?"

"Nope, at least from what I've heard," he said. Then he pointed to the Pravda billboard. "That's apparently what this hullabaloo of a special meeting of the party faithful's all about. The NES mob have pulled a flanker."

"Interesting, but not what I'm after,"

I pulled the photo of Ziggy's guitar from my inside jacket pocket and passed it over to him.

"Planning on taking up a sideline in case your current one doesn't work?" he said as he gazed at the picture.

"Hilarious, utterly hilarious. So where would one go to find 'used' guitars?"

"You want Cutthroat Alley, you can find gear like that no problem. But be careful, Seven Bridges have been active down that way they're claiming it as their exclusive turf."

"That's news to me, I thought it was a neutral zone?"

"Neutral zone's only last when someone doesn't get greedy," Aziz said and puffed on his cigarette.

I nodded my thanks and with my change pocketed and my purchases placed under my arm I wandered off. Looks like I was bound for Cutthroat Alley, so named for the fact it sold 'discounted' aka stolen or bootleg items. Though old timers in the Militsiya claimed it had been an area for brutal street fights back in the day.