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thick gauze on top of the already soaked dressing. Like her, he d learned enough first aid to know that
removing the bottom layer of a dressing and dislodging the clotted blood was a no-no.  We need to
get you some antibiotics.
 Why? I m probably going to be dead by sunrise.
 Don t say that, he admonished.  You re going to make it out of this.
 And do what? She d been asking herself the same thing. The one thing she wanted she couldn t
have anymore.
 Look, I know you loved him, but he turned his back on you.
The need to defend Menace overwhelmed her.  You don t know him. You don t know Terror
either. All the things she had been thinking during the long flight to Calyx poured of her mouth.  I
don t think he willingly gave me up. I think Terror played us both. Menace is so damn decent he
probably believed that lawyers and judges would sort this out. He believes Terror is his friend. He
has no idea what that man is really like.
 Maybe, Danny said with an unhappy grumble.  It doesn t really matter now. You can t go back to
that world. In a few months, you won t even remember him anymore.
She didn t think that was possible. What she d shared with Menace eclipsed anything she d ever
felt for any other man. She didn t know if her heart would ever recover from this one.
 Let me come with you, Danny pleaded as he wrapped her arm.  I can help you.
She shook her head.  You can help me more by getting a message to Hallie. She needs to know
where they take me so the Harcos team that comes to retrieve me can get their hands on the weapons,
the Sixers and maybe even the Splinter cell. If Terror gets what he wants, he ll leave Hallie and
Menace alone.
Dankirk put up both hands.  Wait. Back up. Who is going to take you where?
She rolled her eyes.  The Sixers, Danny! Finding their headquarters is going to be impossible. You
don t even know where it is. Anyone who does know sure as heck isn t going to tell us. The only way
to get to their stronghold is to have them drag me right into it.
 So what? You re going let them take you?
 I m not going to give them a choice. I m going to make the rounds of the underground and drop
crumbs. They ll have to come get me so they can question me. They ll want to pump me for
information before they finish me off.
Dankirk grimaced.  It s a big risk, Naya. They might just walk up to you and pop you right on the
street.
She swallowed hard.  They might.
 I ll put my eyes and ears on you but I ll tell them to stay back. They won t lose you. You better
hope Hallie comes through.
 She will. Naya didn t doubt her new friend for a moment. If Hallie could help, she would.
 If those sky warriors engage the Sixer crew, the distraction ought to buy you some time to escape.
It won t be much time but it s a chance.
 If I get an opportunity, I ll take it, Naya promised.  I d love to see my twenty-fourth birthday next
month, but it s out of my hands.
Her arm patched up and her plan laid out, Naya dug through the secondhand clothing until she found
an outfit. She stripped down to her undies and bra and hopped into the loose-fitting cargo pants and a
blue-and-white-flannel shirt. An old belt helped keep her pants in place. She stuffed her feet in a pair
of slightly too-large men s boots and shrugged into a brown jacket with an even darker hood. Winter
had come a few weeks early to Calyx. She needed to stay warm.
 Here. Dankirk thrust a sheathed knife and small pistol into her hands.  You ll need these.
 Thanks. She slipped the knife into her boot and tucked the gun into the back of her waistband.
 My offer still stands, Naya. You can come with me and we ll go to the colonies. You can leave all
this behind.
 I can t. She turned him down gently.  If it was just about me, I d be tempted to say yes. I can t let
Hallie or Menace get hurt.
 Even though he hurt you?
Naya sighed.  It s not that simple, Danny. You can t possibly understand the kind of pressure
Terror exerts. It s not like the secret police here. This guy he s unfeeling. He s a monster. He
doesn t care who gets hurt so long as he accomplishes his mission. I know what he did to make me
come here and attempt this. I can only imagine how he twisted Menace s arm.
He looked as though he wanted to argue with her but didn t. Instead he hugged her tightly.  Good
luck, Naya. Be safe.
She lingered in her friend s embrace, enjoying the comfort of another person s heat and strength.
His friendship and love bolstered her courage. Pulling back, she cleared her throat.  I ll see you
soon.
Naya fled the safe house through a side door. She breathed in the cold, crisp winter air. She d
gotten so used to the climate-controlled interiors of the Valiant that the chilly wind burning her cheeks
and nose was something of a novelty. She burrowed down a little deeper into the brown coat and
pushed her hands into the pockets.
Head down, she traversed the dirty streets in search of the bars, pawnshops and secret gambling
dens where the kind of lowlifes she needed were sure to be found. She made sure to talk loudly and
stupidly at every stop. She wanted people to hear her asking for a place to buy a gun or that she was
looking for work of the smuggling variety. She wanted a big, honking sign on her back that said
 kidnap me!
She stopped for lunch midafternoon. The food carts that lined the retail sector of the city drew her
closer. Danny had given her some money to tide her over. It was more than enough to buy a hot meal
and a drink. She found a discarded cable spool and joined the handful of day laborers gathered there
to eat. She savored every bite of the sloppy, spicy sandwich, fully aware it might be her last meal.
Her gaze moved around the bustling sector. A series of paper advertisements plastered on the
crumbling walls caught her eye. The shock of recognizing an old acquaintance arced through her.
Elladee, a fellow homeless child and orphan, had been part of Dankirk s pack of street urchins.
Even back then, Ella had been strikingly beautiful. Naya couldn t believe where that gorgeous face
had gotten her. Apparently she d risen from humble beginnings to find a career as a designer s muse.
Naya was happy to see someone had escaped that hellish existence.
She finished her meal and drank the last of her tea. Naya scanned the area while she dumped her
trash. The sensation of being watched had grown stronger. She d spotted one of Danny s tails earlier
but had lost track of her in the crowd. This felt different. No doubt the Sixers or maybe even the
Splinter cell they worked with had gotten wind of her.
Flipping up the hood on her coat, Naya hugged her arms across her chest and started walking again.
Her heartbeat fluttered wildly. She made a split-second decision to take a less crowded side street,
knowing full well she was probably going to be accosted. She said a silent prayer that they wouldn t
try to knock her out with a club of some kind. Nothing like a head injury to slow her down when the
seconds counted&
It seemed the universe heard her plea and decided to do her a solid. She heard the rushing footsteps
but didn t try to outrun them. Before she could turn around, two arms grabbed her around the waist.
She threw back both elbows and hit her mark. Her attacker grunted but got the upper hand by smashing
a wet cloth to her face. The sickly-sweet scent invaded her burning nostrils. Her body went slack but
she fought the urge to black out. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]