The Title

by David Caldwell

When Shiva Starts to Dance: Part 10.

Encounters

Gaff stood at the top of the stairs looking out over the main bar of Taffey Lewis's club. A couple of drinkers sat at the bar, a few more customers sat at tables, but the room was largely empty. Gaff saw Lewis sitting in one of the booths and made his way carefully down the stairs and across the floor towards him.

The club-owner was playing a digital game of solitaire on the touch screen table; he looked up as Gaff put his silver headed cane on the table.

"Well, well, well, look what the cat's dragged in! Officer Gaff, it's been way too long. Let me buy you a drink." Taffey gestured to the waitress "Sabre, bring this man a stinger".

Gaff sat down in the booth.
"Business a bit slow Taffey?" he said looking around the nearly empty club.
"Business is frigging dead and don't look like reviving any time soon, my friend. You might say the party's over."
The waitress brought two drinks and placed them on the table.
"Here's to the not so dear departed," Taffey said raising his glass and looking skyward.

"So Gaff what brings you here? If you've come for Opesynth you're out of luck there's not a drop to be had, not even for the pride of the Blade Runner Unit"

"I'm not after junk Taffey, just information," Gaff replied, "According to the central file a guy called Rick Deckard spent his last few credits here four days ago. What do you know about him?"

Taffey's mouth twisted into a grin, he lit a cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke. "Deckard, um, what's it worth to you?"
Before he could react Taffey felt Gaff's pistol poking into his side under the table.
"How about your miserable life Taffey."
"Okay, okay, easy I'll tell you. He's Blade Runner right?" Gaff didn't reply. "He was in here. I sent my Ubermusc to take care of him, he never came back, the end."
Gaff took a sip of his drink, "This Ubermusc wouldn't have been Michael Yeats a runaway Skinjob by any chance?"
"Now Officer Gaff that would be against the law wouldn't it?" Taffey replied then felt the pressure of the pistol against his ribs increase.
"Just tell me where they are and what they're up to or I'm going to end all your troubles right here and now."
"Okay lets keep it friendly," the shaken Taffey whispered, "I don't know what's going on. I figured either Deckard retired Yeats or Yeats wasted Deckard although a couple of days later two other Skinjobs I had in the show took off as well. Anyway Gaff what's all this to you? It'll all be over soon, no fifth Birthday party for Skinjobs right?"

Gaff rose with difficulty from the booth and left the club without replying.

As Michael and Opal worked in a lab creating the new batch of nanites with which to vaccinate the replicants now making their way to Los Angeles, Rick and Rolf set out to explore the huge Tyrell complex and salvage anything that might be of use.

Rick led the way obviously making for a definite destination.
"Where are we going?" Rolf asked.
"Tyrell's private suite," was all Rick said in reply as they made their way down litter strewn corridors and up stairways lit only by the dim green glow of emergency back-up lighting.

"Did you ever meet Dr. Tyrell?" Rolf asked as he worked on the circuitry of the security access panel at the entrance to Tyrell's private quarters.
"Yes, not long before he was killed," Rick replied.
After a few moments the heavy, metal door slid back, the pale light illuminating only a few feet into the dark room.
"Let me go first, six's night vision is nearly perfect," Rolf said, his voice echoing in the cavernous space as he moved ahead of Deckard into the room.
"So what was he like, Tyrell I mean?" Rolf asked as he picked a candle off a tall candelabrum and lit it.
"He was a cold, evil fucker, not your ideal father figure at all," Rick said grimly accepting a candle from Rolf.

The two of them moved around the huge room stunned by what they could make out of its dusty, overwhelming, baroque décor. Coming finally to a huge canopied bed Rolf put down the candle he was carrying and turned to face Rick. In silence he put his arms around Rick's neck and pulled him into a deep, powerful kiss. After a minute Rolf withdrew his tongue form Rick's mouth and pulled back.

Rick reached up his hand and touched the beautiful replicant's face. Without needing to ask or give permission they proceeded to undress each other. As Rick stood naked in the candlelight Rolf caressed his body first with his hands and then his full moist lips, sliding them down over Rick's flat belly through the tangle of dark curls and then along the length of Rick's hardening cock.

As Rick's cock was enveloped by Rolf's dark, moist lips and as his fingers grasped Rolf's soft hair he realised for the first time since Rachael had "stopped " what it was to be alive. He was glad that Michael had saved him.