“Shit,” he said as they reached the same intersection as before.
Bit looked back to find the strange man standing on the steps of a building and straining his neck to get a glimpse of them.
“Run, Bit,” Jack ordered.
She didn’t need any more prompting and took off at a run, oblivious to the traffic trying to work its way through the crowded intersection. As she ran, she bumped into the nearest vehicle, jumping to the side at the last second. She dodged around the luxury sedan, guessing it was one of the expensive types that could drive on the ground and hover like the vehicles flowing ten stories above her head.
Bit weaved through the traffic as fast as she could, assuming Jack was on her heels. The vehicles honked at her, some leaning through their windows and yelling obscenities at her. Bit ignored them and plowed forward. She reached a lane where the ground cars were sitting bumper to bumper. Bit jump up onto the low hood of a compact vehicle and ran across the metal, grimacing at the sound it made before jumping back down to the pavement.
She reached the other side of the enormous street and turned back, seeing no sign of Jack. The only thing she could see was the enormous bulk of a cargo lorry that had evidently taken a wrong turn. It was stopped, its driver arguing with the driver of another vehicle.
“Uh-oh.”
Bit jumped up onto an ugly planter, its contents looking exotic and overpriced, and scanned the ever-shifting crowds, hoping to catch of glimpse of Jack’s black hair and long features. Panic built in her chest, suffocating her as she jerked her head from side to side, still looking for her captain, but the more she looked the more lost she felt. Suddenly she spotted someone else—the man chasing them.
She jumped off the planter, barely keeping her feet under her and the jacket gripped in her hands, and took off at a run, no longer worried about blending in with the evening rush-hour crowd. Bit elbowed her way through the masses, ignoring their outcries of indignation.
Bit raced to the far end of the block, finally spotting what she wanted—stairs leading up to the elevated light-rail train. Running up the stairs, she stopped at the switch-back landing and glanced out over the crowd below, quickly spotting a single face turned up to scan the stairs.
Doing an about-face, she pushed her way back into the throng. Bit jostled her way up the stairs to reach the platform. The crowd slowed as they each realized the train hadn’t come yet.
Bit pushed forward, trying her best to get away from the staircase. She glanced around, looking for some place to hide. She spotted a large map, positioned near the manicured wall on the far side of the platform. Running toward it, she worked to finish turning her jacket inside out.
She reached the large sign and squeezed herself in behind it, aware that her feet were still visible below the map. Bit pressed her back against the wall, willing her breathing to slow. Her body ignored her and she continued to pant.
Okay, change the rules of the game, Bit, she told herself. You’ve been in this situation before, and you survived. Calm down and get it done!
Bit took one more steadying breath before glancing down at her body, noticing her deep purple shirt. She wedged her jacket between her knees and, in fast, jerking movements, tore her shirt off her body. With the fabric, she wound her dreadlocks up into a heap on her head, the fabric hiding the recognizable hair. Before anyone could notice her half-naked body, she pulled her inside-out jacket on and awkwardly jerked the zipper up to her neck.
As casually as she could, Bit stepped out from behind the map and merged with the crowd. Those closest to her glanced her way, but quickly went back to their conversations or glossy pads. Bit kept her tread slow and casual as she weaved her way through the crowd toward the front of the platform.
Her breathing came in panicked gasps. She knew she needed to get a grip or someone would notice her for sure. No one stood on the platform waiting for a train in mid panic attack. She wanted to glance over her shoulder and check her surroundings, but Bit knew the more she did that the more bizarre she would look. Instead, she forced herself to stare straight ahead while trying to look bored like everyone else.
At last she heard the rumble of the approaching train. It swooshed into the station, slowing at the last second, much like the elevator in the fancy skyscraper. Moving with the crowd, Bit climbed aboard. The seats were quickly taken by those not glancing up and down the length of the train. Bit resigned herself to standing in the middle of the train, gripping the poles provided.
While she had ridden the trains many times throughout the enormous city, she had never seen one so packed. Men and women, dressed in their flashy suits, stood pressed against her. Bit strained to see over their shoulders and craned her neck to look behind her. Just as the doors slid shut and the train took off, she spotted her pursuer standing at the far end of the cabin, wedged between a middle-aged woman with gray streaks in her hair and a man looking down at his pad.
Bit turned away as fast as she could and forced herself to keep staring straight ahead as the train raced away from the platform.
Stay calm. Stay calm. He didn’t see you. He didn’t…
“Hey!”
“Seriously?”
“You’ve got to be kiddin’!”
Bit heard the cries of the passengers and prepared to weave her way through the crowd toward the door leading into the next cabin when a strong hand wound around her arm.
“Let’s not make a scene,” the man said, gripping her arm until she winced.
“What do you want?”
“What’s your cargo?”
“Isn’t that public record with the commissioner?” She didn’t know if it was, but it sounded plausible.
The man squeezed his grip. “Don’t mess with me.”
The train slowed suddenly, sending everyone swaying on their feet. Bit took the opportunity and slammed her free elbow into the man’s gut. He grunted and doubled over, loosening his grip on her other arm. Bit jumped forward, plowing right into the shoulders of the people crowding against her.
“What the…” began one of the passengers as she elbowed past them, her eyes on the door.
The train stopped, the doors slid open, and Bit fell out of the train car. She raced away, reaching the staircase before the other passengers began to file out of the cabin. Half falling, half running, Bit reached the bottom and took off at a sprint.
At least my ribs aren’t broken this time, she thought as she ran away from the train station.
The brief ride on the train had taken her into another ritzy neighborhood, though the buildings weren’t quite as monstrous in size. Bit raced down the empty street, turning at the first alleyway she could find. She skidded to a stop, slamming into the hood of a delivery truck parked in the alleyway. Glancing over her shoulder, she quickly decided forward was the best option. Bit dropped to her stomach and began squirming her way under the road-bound vehicle.
Even with her jacket on, Bit felt the gash on her arm open and warm liquid fill the sleeve. She crawled out from under the other end of the long truck and climbed to her knees.
The other end of the alleyway was filled with crates, wheeled carts piled high with boxes, and even a hover lifter. Bit clambered to her feet and stumbled to the nearest pile of crates. She climbed over one and wedged herself between the pile and the wall of the nearest building. Before settling down on her rump, Bit tore her purple shirt from her hair and bit down on it, trying her best to quiet the raspy breath coming from her gaping mouth.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
/>
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter One
Broken & Hunted Page 31