Without waiting for a response, Jack turned around and led them down the empty street. He knew Oden was nervous, but he couldn’t possibly imagine why. He thought of a few reasons why the locals might avoid the street—a chemical leak, for example—but any such reasons would cause a much wider evacuation.
They made it halfway down the block when the men on the bench stood and entered the street. Jack felt a soft voice in the back of his mind insist Oden had been right, but he ignored it and continued on, determined not to back down. He was too annoyed with Bit, Johannesburg, and the world in general to care what the bullies might want.
The four men stopped in the center of the street, blocking their path. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack spotted three more emerging from buildings and cutting off their retreat. He glanced at Oden, who looked as though he was trying very hard not say “I told you so.”
“The toll is five silvers,” the nearest man said, crossing his arms over his chest to emphasize his biceps.
Jack felt his brows furrow; he had expected them to try and rob them rather than charge a toll. “You’re joking!”
Oden let out a long-suffering sigh, and Jack realized he’d put his foot in it.
“It just became six silvers,” announced their spokesman.
“I’m not paying you a toll to walk down a street,” argued Jack, despite Oden’s gestures to stay quiet.
“Your painted boy, here, seems to be smart. You should listen to him.”
Jack eyed Oden and his tattoos. The diverse group had men of all past ethnicities, but surprisingly, none of them had tattoos or piercings like Oden.
“I’m not paying a toll. Now you can accept it and get out of our way, or we take you out.”
The spokesman laughed. “We outnumber you.”
Oden reached out and grabbed his arm, squeezing until Jack struggled to keep his face neutral.
“Tell you what,” Oden interrupted, “we’ll give you three silver and avoid the conflict.”
The man smiled. “If I let you off with a discount I’d have to do that with everyone. No dice, boy. Seven silvers.”
Jack didn’t fail to notice the price was rising with each announcement.
“We’re not paying a copper. Deal with it,” he added, turning toward Oden with a glare.
Oden rolled his eyes before moving with lightning reflexes, derived from flying a hunk of junk, and slammed his fist into the spokesman’s face. The man stumbled back, nearly falling into the dirt. The entire group erupted into action.
Jack kept his gun safely stowed in his holster. The last thing they needed was for one of them to kill a guy. Jack swung at the man to his left, missing by a mile. A blow landed on his jaw, and he bellowed despite his effort not to. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his brother tussling with a man in the dirt. Randal was handling two, Reese was engaged with a bear of a man, and Oden was fighting dirty with two others.
He took a page from Oden’s book, grabbed a fist full of dust, and flung it at his opponent's face as he danced around, posturing when he should have been swinging. The dirt hit him in the eyes. As the man clutched his face, Jack kicked him in the nuts.
Jack turned to look for the next opponent to find his crew standing over the locals, ready if they made another move. He smiled, once again amazed at the men who worked for him.
“What did I say?” Oden asked, turning to glare at him.
“If the locals don’t use the street, we shouldn’t.” Jack looked down at all the groaning men. “Noted.”
They left the other men in the dust and sauntered down the street, enjoying the luxury of space while they could.
“Captain, I know I was out of line back there.”
Jack waved for Oden to stop. “You were right. It seems you have a better grasp on inner city living than I do. I’ll follow your lead.”
Oden was silent for a long moment. “You know I was in prison for a time.”
Jack nodded. The officer on the military ship had hinted as such.
“I didn’t grow up with parents, or at least not until I was twelve. And even then, my adopted parents only did it for the grant the government offered. I grew up on streets a lot like this.”
“What put you in prison?”
“You requiring me to answer?”
Jack considered the question. “No. Will you do it again?”
“Only if I have to… just as I had to then.”
“Good enough for me, but if you ever do want to talk about it, I’m always available.”
“I know, sir.”
Jack patted him on the back. “Whatever your past, you’re a good man, Oden.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
“Now, if we can only find Bit.”
“You think she’ll be where Douglas called from?”
“It’s Bit. Your guess is as good as mine.”
Chapter Nine
Bit stayed in the filthy vent for the rest of the afternoon, listening to the idle chit chat as the men cut hair. They gossiped about who had cheated on who, who was pregnant yet again, and who had made off with their lover’s wealth. It was all boring to Bit, who didn’t know the cheaters and mothers-to-be. She fought the desire to sleep within the cramped airless space, but finally, the hired boy swept the floor one last time, the men counted the till, and Roder locked the money in the safe.
A dirty thought crossed Bit’s mind, but she ignored the thought. She wasn’t out breaking the law for wealth. It was for a child, lost and alone. She could almost see her niece or nephew, working alone and staring up at the sky, wondering if he/she had any family out in the wide galaxy. As Bit stared into the empty beauty salon, she felt hot tears leak from her eyes and trail down her temple to mix with her hair.
“I’m coming for you,” she whispered to herself before beginning the painful journey back toward the vent.
Even when the conversation in beauty salon slowed to a crawl, Bit didn’t leave. She knew the effort of sliding backward would make too much noise, and so she waited. Now, with the salon empty, she scooted backward, her injured knee seemingly running into every nut and bolt protruding from the metal duct. She reached the end, kicking the vent out and sliding out until her legs hung out of the vent.
As the comparatively fresh air drifted across her face, Bit let out a sigh. She hadn’t realized how claustrophobic she had felt in the duct until she breathed in the air of the city. It still smelled foul, but there was plenty of it.
She groped with her feet, searching for footholds before sliding out the rest of the way. Slowly, she made her way down to the ground. Sweat poured from her hairline. She wiped it away as she leaned against the brick wall, lifting her weight off her bruised knee. As she pulled her hand away from her sweating forehead, damp grime marred the back of her hand. She could only imagine what she looked like.
As if on cue, the skies above opened and rain poured down, within seconds turning the streets into a river of mud. Bit watched as the filth of the ductwork ran off her body. She lifted her face, letting the heavy rain pour over her.
When it became clear the rain wouldn’t be stopping anytime soon, she trudged out of the alleyway, following the flow of the brown water, now up to her ankles. The main street was awash of pedestrians running towards the various shop doors. Bit dodged the fleeing women—their bags held over their heads. A few people bumped into her, making her wince with the pain. She reached the far side of the street and headed north, trying to find her own place to wait out the rain. Each doorway she found was already packed with groups of soggy pedestrians, prepared to wait out the storm.
“Bit?” called a voice from behind her.
Instinctively, she froze. Glancing over her shoulder, she spotted the man who had been following her. His openness for conversation surprised her. Slowly, she turned her body, the dark water still rushing past her ankles.
Standing a few feet away from the man, and without the masses around, he looked even bigger. His shoulders spread out above hi
s narrow hips and large hands rolled into fists at his sides. Even from where she stood in the rain she could see the scars of a working man.
“Who are you?” she yelled over the pounding rain.
He took a step toward her. “It doesn’t matter, I have business with you.”
“Well, I don’t have business with you.” She took her own step back, the rising water nearly tripping her.
“You need to come with me. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
“Anyone who says ‘don’t make this harder than it has to be’ is an enemy. Back off.”
“Don’t fight me. You can’t win.”
Bit eyed his stature. He wasn’t lying. She couldn’t beat him, but she wasn’t going to just follow him merrily along.
“That’s never stopped me before,” she said before turning and running.
Even over the sound of the pouring water, she heard him splashing behind her. Adrenaline kicked in, masking the pain in her knee and back. She ran as fast as the rising water would allow, and yet she felt the blow of his fist on her back within seconds. Bit dropped, crying out as her knee hit the pavement. Muddy water filled her mouth and panic set in.
The man grabbed her neck, and Bit began to say her goodbyes. To her astonishment, he dragged her up out of the water, pulling her arms behind her back as she coughed up the water she had inhaled. As her consciousness cleared, she began to fight him.
Bit kicked up her heel, trying to land a blow to his manly pieces. She missed, her boot ramming into his thigh instead. Though he grunted and gave her a rough shake, he didn’t seem fazed by the contact. Bit squirmed, trying to keep him from getting her hands tied behind her back.
“Stop that. You’re just hurting yourself,” he ordered, shaking her by the shoulders again.
Bit flung her head back, hoping to catch him in the nose, but she was too short. The back of her head slammed into his chest. A headache erupted in her skull, her blow damaging her more than him.
“Are you always this difficult?”
“Yes!”
“Wic, you got her,” a voice called from down the street.
Through the rain, Bit couldn’t see the newcomer, but she took her captive’s momentary distraction and jerked her body away from his. He lost his grip on one of her wrists but quickly tightened his hold on the other. The man, Wic, grabbed her by the hair and jerked her back until she fell onto her rump, sitting in at least six inches of rainwater.
“Yes, I got her and I’ll be the one taking her to Rudy. I don’t need your help.”
Four men emerged from the pouring rain and eyed her.
“Can’t believe that little thing darkened Rudy’s eye,” said the spokesman. “All right, Wic, hand her over. We’ll take her in.”
“Maybe you didn’t hear me, but I’ll be taking her to Rudy. You’re not getting the glory for my hard work.”
“This is Rudy’s business, not yours.”
“You’re trespassing on my territory,” argued Wic.
The four men glanced at each other, looking nervous for the first time. “Hand her over and we’ll get outta your hair.”
“I told you, I’m taking her in myself.”
“Well, we can’t let that happen,” argued their spokesman.
Bit jerked her head to look up at the enormous man. Rain got in her eyes, but she spotted Wic looking down at her. In that wet moment, they seemed to come to an agreement. In a swift jerk, Wic released her hair and wrist, sending her flying forward. Bit rolled with the motion, holding her breath as her head momentarily went under the rising water. She came up at the foot of the first man, driving her fist up into his chin, thankful Wic hadn’t gotten her hands tied yet.
Wic was already at her side, engaged with two other men. Disgust filled her as she spotted the glint of brass knuckles adorning his fist. All the same, the tool did its job. The man was down with one punch.
Bit pulled her attention from Wic and grabbed her opponent by the shoulder, lifting him out of the water. The man gasped, sputtering as blood dripped into the water from his split lip. Before Bit could prop him up against the side of a building, someone grabbed her around the neck, dragging her away. The man she had punched slid down, his face quickly going under the rushing water.
Fighting the man’s hold on her neck, Bit flung her feet upward, driving them down and flipping him over her back. Like everyone else, the man gasped as his face dropped below the water. He sat up quickly, coughing up what he had inhaled. Trying to ignore the agony in her knee, Bit wrapped her own arm around his neck, determined to make him faint. The man thrashed against her, and Bit felt the pinch in her knee as she kept him within her control. The man began to go limp, and as he slipped from her fingers, Wic grabbed her arm and propelled her into a run.
“Run,” he ordered.
“What about them?”
“What about them? We got away, now run.”
“They’ll drown.”
“Let ‘em,” Wic said, pushing her down an empty alleyway where the tall walls gave them some semblance of protection from the rain.
Bit ran after him as fast as her knee could manage in the water, now halfway up her shins. After the first turn, Bit’s brain woke up.
What am I doing? she wondered as she kept her eyes on Wic’s broad back. He’s trying to take me to Rudy, too.
Bit kept a few steps behind him. At the right moment, she broke to the left, turning into a tiny crack between two tall buildings. It wasn’t an alleyway. It was too narrow. Bit turned sideways and inched down it. She barely made it a few feet before Wic poked his head in.
“Get back here,” he ordered.
“Up yours.”
“Girl, I’m telling you, get back here.”
“I don’t answer to you,” Bit barked back as she sucked in her gut and tried to squeeze farther into the crack; if she wasn’t careful she was going to get herself stuck.
Wic fought his way into the gap. “Those men will come for you again.”
“Oh, right, ‘cause your intentions are so honorable.”
Wic stopped moving forwards, flung out his arm, and grabbed her by the shoulder. She cried out as he pulled her back, dragging her up against his side. The heat pouring off his body warmed her in the cooling temperatures. Bit hated the way her body melted into his. She felt so lost and alone without the crew helping her along.
“Look at me, girl. Those men won’t hesitate to do worse before handing you over to Rudy.”
“But you’re a gentleman?”
“I never said such nonsense. Still, I’m not a rapist.”
“Honor among thieves. Color me amazed.”
“I’m not leaving you out here with them running amuck. C’mon.”
He dragged her out of the crack and back into the full force of the storm. “We’re gonna drown out here.”
Wic gripped her wrist until she grimaced in pain and pulled her along the flooding street. After two blocks, he turned to a door. Beyond it, they found a dark, narrow set of stairs leading up and up. On the third floor, he pushed her through another door into a small studio apartment that looked as though it hadn’t been touched in a year. Wic released her and locked the door, using several different locking mechanisms. From there, he moved to the one window and checked the padlock holding the iron bars in place.
“So what? You just gonna hold me here then give me over to Rudy?” she demanded, sounding as angry as possible to hide her fear.
“That depends. What’d you do to piss him off?”
Bit rolled her eyes and lowered herself to the floor, leaning against the wall by the door. “Why does it matter?”
“Look here, girl. Rudy is not my ally. If turning you over gains me something, I will, but if keeping you for myself pisses him off enough, I’ll do that.”
“Keep me?”
Wic shrugged his brawny shoulders as he grabbed her ankles and dragged her away from the door. Bit let out a scream, only half aware the horrible screech had come fr
om her own lips.
“Let go,” she cried, kicking with her good leg.
Either he didn’t know she was injured, or he didn’t care.
“Show me the leg.”
“What for?”
“So I can take care of it. Are you always this stubborn?”
“Yes, now let go!”
Wic clamped his large hand down on her ankle, stilling her thrashing. He jerked her wet pants up until he revealed her knee. It was worse than she had expected. The joint was twice its normal size, with black and blue bruising marbling across her skin.
“What did you do?”
Bit tried to think back, but her body had taken so many bumps and bangs she couldn't remember which one had caused this much damage. She shrugged.
Wic shook his head as he stood up. He rifled in a drawer and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and an enormous t-shirt. Bit assumed he was providing for his own needs. It came as a surprise when he tossed them onto her lap.
“Go get changed.” He nodded toward the tiny bathroom. “I’ll dress out here.”
Bit stared at him for a moment before struggling to her feet and limping into the bathroom. She slammed the door shut, determined to be the most annoying hostage ever.
Chapter Ten
Wic stared at the door to the bathroom for a moment before he remembered she would be out in no time. He rummaged through the drawer and found another pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Wic began peeling off the sodden clothing, happy to have the cold cloth away from his skin.
He glanced back at the door as he stood naked in the main room of the little apartment. It was one of his many hiding spots—part of what kept Rudy from taking out his organization in full. All of his inner-most circle knew about his hiding spots. If necessary, they could go underground and hide out until Rudy gave up, and he often did. Rudy wasn’t known for his patience.
Wic scrambled into his dry clothing.
And that brought Wic back to the girl. What did she do to piss him off? And why is she still so close to his territory when he’s after her? Doesn’t she get the danger she’s in?
The girl emerged, her wet dreadlocks piled atop her head. She looked silly in his oversized clothing, but in a way he liked it. Wic pushed the thought aside. He wasn’t interested in a relationship, especially with someone wanted by his part-time enemy.
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