by S T Branton
“Are you all right?” I asked.
“I'm fine. Are you?”
“Perfect. Archie?”
“Living the dream.” He looked around and occasionally shifted his position to further block what was on the ground.
I decided I wasn't going to ask. There was literally no answer he could give me that would make the situation any better. I heard a familiar squeaking sound and looked down at my feet. Splinter was running around, weaving in and out in a figure-eight position and chattering happily. It was like he was telling me about the whole battle from his perspective. Relief rushed through me. As much as I liked the idea of him living out his life as the revered and pampered King of the Sewer, I would much rather him be with me.
“Splinter! I’m glad nobody stepped on you.”
He bared his teeth and stretched out his weird little arm flaps like he was sharing war stories with me. I reached down and scooped him up, giving him a little cuddle before putting him into my pocket and patting him. Hopefully, there were still a few crumbs in the bottom that he could snack on while he took his much-deserved break.
“Did you do what you had to do?” Archie asked.
I nodded.
“Spinoza is gone. Before I killed him, he told me he knew why I was framed.”
“The Harbingers know you didn't do it.”
“Seems that way.”
Before the conversation could continue, I looked up and saw Bentham coming toward me, flanked by several other members of the Guild. They were fighting their way through the crowd at an alarming rate.
“Shit.”
“What the hell are they doing here?” Archie asked.
Ally glanced around. “Who? Ally asked. What's going on?”
“It's the Philosophers Guild,” I told her as I grabbed their arms and led them away. “I kind of called them here.”
“Why would you do that?” Archie was horrified. “You know what they'll do.”
“Yes.” I spoke firmly. “They'll wipe the memories of all these humans so they don't have to remember what they saw. By now, I'm sure they blocked the broadcast so no one else could see what happened. They’ll preserve the Pax.”
“And they'll take you back to The Deep,” Archie said.
“That's a risk I had to take. Walk faster.”
I turned back, and Bentham’s eyes met mine.
Double shit.
“Run,” Ally ordered. “Now.”
I nodded, then looked around for escape. At this point, getting through the gates wasn't an option. All I could do was scramble over one of the security fences and hope I made it out. I turned around and looked at Archie and Ally one last time.
“Ally, do you remember your first kiss?” I shouted as I ran.
“Yes?” She looked back, obviously confused by my sudden need for nostalgia.
“Remember the tree and meet me at the end of the street. Outside the city limits.”
Without waiting for a response, I took off running as fast as I could. It wasn't fast enough. I had made it to the edge of the crowd and was starting for the orange security fence when something hit me from behind and I stumbled. I got to my feet with my back against a support beam for a disabled camera. Bentham stepped close to me.
“We meet again. I have to admit, Sara Slick, I didn't think I would find you alive.”
“You have to let me go.”
“Oh, do I? You’re a fugitive. You escaped from The Deep and you still have quite a bit of your sentence to serve. From what I see, I have no choice but to arrest you.”
“I am innocent. Everything people thought I did, all the crimes that got me sentenced to The Deep. I didn't do any of them. The Harbingers know that. They framed me. Or at least Hobbes did. You’re coming after the wrong guy.”
“It's not my job to determine your innocence. It’s only my job to bring you in.”
I felt Splinter leave my pocket and watched out of the corner of my eye as he approached the Philosopher.
“Don't you care that I didn't do what everyone says I did? Doesn't it mean anything that my family was framed for horrible crimes and I spent ten years of my life serving in a prison where no human has ever gone, much less survived, while the real villain is out running around causing shit like this?”
“The Guild didn't send me to find out if you had done wrong and to clear you if you didn't. My job is to catch you.”
“You need a better job.”
Splinter scrambled up the back of her leg and disappeared.
“I am very good at what I do. If I weren't, you wouldn't be so concerned right now.”
“You won’t stop me. I’ll prove my innocence.”
“It will be very hard for you to do that once I throw you back into The Deep.”
I felt Splinter crawl back into my pocket and I reached in. His tiny little rat hands offered me something, and I felt a smooth orb clutched in them. My heart swelled. I knew I loved that little bugger, and I had never been more grateful for him than I was in that moment.
“You'll have to catch me first.”
I withdrew the marble from my pocket and threw it hard onto the ground at my feet. The massive bang made the ground shudder and the smoke billowed up around me, concealing everything. I ducked into the thickest part of the smoke and ran through it, trusting my instincts to bring me away from the Philosophers and into the depths of the trees. I forced myself through them, reached the fence, and scrambled over it.
I was out. I was safe. At least for now.
Chapter Forty-Two
Getting out of the park didn't stop the desperation in my escape. I kept running, pushing past everyone who had gotten through the crowds and out of the rally, going as fast as I could until I was away from it all. My pace barely slowed until the energy in my locket gave out. I felt like my lungs were going to explode. I dropped to a jog, then to a speed-walk so I could drag in as much oxygen as possible. When I felt like I had gotten some control over myself, I started running again. This time, I didn't slow until I was nearly at the hotel.
The parking lot was empty, but I flicked my eyes around it, delving into the shadowy corners and overgrown spots to make sure no one else was there. Part of me expected to see the crew that attacked Dog and me coming back for another round, but the other part of me said even they wouldn't be that stupid. We put them through the wringer, and it would probably take them more than a couple of days to recover enough to want more.
I debated the benefits of going into my room and staying outside the building. I wanted to get my stuff packed and be on my way as soon as I could and definitely didn't want to be out in the open in case the Guild happened by. At the same time, going into the hotel would make it much harder for Ally and Archie to find me. That kept me pacing back and forth at the entrance as I mentally reviewed my clue to Ally. I hoped she could figure it out and wasn't at this moment standing under the magnolia tree in the backyard of her childhood home rather than coming to the end of Magnolia Street.
After what felt like far too long, I heard footsteps pounding on the pavement coming toward me and saw Archie and Ally duck through the broken section of the fence. I ran toward them, and we met in the middle of the parking lot.
“Oh my gosh, you made it, Slick.” Ally gathered me into a tight hug. “I was so scared.”
“I wasn't exactly tiptoeing through daisies myself. Come on. Come with me.”
“What is this place?” Archie looked around skeptically. “Where are we going?”
I brought them through the front entrance of the hotel and spread my arms at my sides.
“Welcome to my humble abode. Well, what used to be.”
“What are you talking about?” Ally sounded confused.
I led them through the lobby and down the hall to my room.
“I have to leave. The Philosophers Guild knows where I am now. I have to keep moving.”
“This is where you've been staying? You chose a creepy-ass abandoned hotel over staying with me?
I have to admit that I'm a little offended, Slick.”
“It was better this way. Staying here meant the Guild wouldn't target you if they showed up. They wouldn't be able to invade and destroy your home if they didn't know where it was or that it had anything to do with me. Besides, compared to where I've spent the last ten years, this is Club Med. If I had taken you up on your invitation to stay at your place, I might never have left.”
She grinned.
“That might not have been such a bad thing.”
I shoved my clothes into a satchel I'd gotten at the thrift store, added my trusty bar of hotel soap, and tossed it all over my shoulder.
“I have to go.”
“We've been discussing that.” Archie stepped into my path so I couldn't get to the door.
“What do you mean you've been discussing it? You know as well as I do, I have to leave. The Philosophers Guild saw me. I faced off against Bentham. The only reason I got away is because my brilliant Splinter stole one of her exploding marbles. They're probably already tracking me.”
“Which is exactly why you can't go by yourself,” Archie insisted.
“What are you talking about?”
“We want to help,” Ally told me.
I shook my head and tried to dip around Archie to get to the door.
“Absolutely not.”
Archie shifted, forcing me to step back.
“Hobbes and his cult won't stop. Which means the world is in danger. As long as the Philosophers Guild are failing at their job, the world needs a badass protecting it.”
“And that badass will need a top-notch investigator,” Ally pointed out.
“And weapons maker,” Archie added.
“It's too dangerous,” I started, but Ally stepped close to me and stopped me.
She was holding her phone again, and she held it up so I could see the image on it. It was my family.
“Look at this. This is why you're doing this. You're doing it for them.”
My hands trembled as I took the phone from her and sat on the end of the bed to keep staring at it.
“My dad has gray hair,” I murmured, touching my fingertips to the picture and the silver streaks through the once-dark hair at his temples.
“He's ten years older. But he still hosts a cookout every Fourth of July and challenges all the neighborhood kids to a hula hoop contest. He still makes the best lemonade in the world. He's still an amazing father to your siblings.”
I choked back tears.
“Look at them. I barely recognize them.”
My eyes fell on Mia, but I didn't mention I'd already seen her. I wanted to keep those moments for myself.
“They had to grow up without you, but they're strong. They're smart and they're talented and funny. You know, Violet graduated college this year. Top of her class. She wrote your name on her cap.”
“You're really going for all the heartstrings, aren't you?”
“Sometimes you have to pull out the big guns.”
“And maybe one more big gun,” Archie added.
I hadn't realized he'd left the room until I heard him come in again. He walked up and into the sliver of sunlight coming through the curtains, and I saw it. Gripped in his hand, held out to me in offering, was a sight so beautiful it made my breath catch in my chest.
“Tacos!” I gushed.
I grabbed the bag and pulled it toward me, opening it and closing my eyes as I breathed deeply, filling my lungs with the delicious scent.
“It's only Taco Bell,” Archie advised.
“But… They're tacos.”
“Can we at least eat outside?” Ally shifted. “The atmosphere is getting to me a little.”
I didn't want to leave the security of the room but was willing to up my risk a little for the promise of tacos. We laughed and moved around to the back of the hotel so we wouldn't be visible from the street. As we sat on the pavement, each of us grabbed a taco out of the bag. I inhaled the first one, offering Splinter the pieces of shell and lettuce that crumbled down into my lap, but slowed down for the second. It was so glorious, I almost felt like I was in a trance. It took Archie's jaded voice to snap me out of it.
“These suck.”
“What do you mean?” I finished my third taco and started on my fourth. “They're delicious.”
“No, they aren't. They're Taco Bell. They aren't authentic at all.”
“Authentic?”
“Yeah. There are much better tacos out there.”
My eyes snapped to him, my expression serious.
“Show me,” I demanded.
Epilogue
The door to the hidden chamber had barely closed before the robed figure let out an angry growl.
“I’m sorry, but Spinoza’s plan failed. You planned everything so carefully. I can’t believe the fool messed it up.”
“It's not to worry, Aldrich,” Hobbes said in a calm, even voice. “The crack is thinning, even now. There are plenty of those inspired by my words, powerful allies that we can call upon.”
“I don't know.” Aldrich shook his head as he paced back and forth across the stone room.
“Do you doubt me?”
Aldrich froze.
“Of course not.”
Hobbes smiled, assuaged by the declaration.
“Good. Because it’s time for us to move forward. This Sara Slick has served her usefulness. It’s time to bury her once and for all.”
The End
A dead body. A strange cult. A terrified people.
Sounds like the perfect place for the Heinous Sara Slick.
Continue the adventures in Kill the Wild!
Forgotten Gods
Available now at Amazon and through Kindle Unlimited
The gods are real...and they want their world back.
Thousands of years ago, ancient deities fought a civil war that nearly destroyed the earth. They were defeated by a great warrior—and banished to spend eternity beyond the reach of the humans who once served them.
Their war is raging once again.
And once again, it will require a great hero to save humanity.
Unfortunately for humanity, I’m that hero.
My name is Vic Stratton. I’m no saint, but I’m the best chance we’ve got at surviving the chaos about to be unleashed. But hey, at least I have my good looks, a quick tongue, and the sword of the gods on my side.
And I’m going to need it. Because when the gods return, all hell will break loose.
Read now and discover The Forgotten Gods
The Forgotten Gods Boxed Set includes the entire eight book series: Forgotten Gods, Goddess Scorned, Hounded By The Gods, God In The Darkness, Gods Of New York, God Country, Haunted By The Gods, and Gods Remembered.
Grab your copy now at Amazon and through Kindle Unlimited
Author Notes
June 10, 2020
Oh hey!
The book’s done, but before you leave I just wanted to take a second to share an important message:
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU!
Ahem. I mean, ya know...thanks.
You’ve just finished Escape the Deep, book one of The Heinous Crimes of Sara Slick, a series we’ve been working on for a while now, and I couldn’t be happier that you decided to pick it up. I absolutely love Slick. Not just her grit and determination, or her badass left hook, but the thing that I like the best is her positive attitude in light of all the crap that goes on in her world. She’s determined to enjoy the life she’s got, no matter what.
A lesson I sorely need sometimes.
I guess I should introduce myself, I’m Lee, one half of the writing team that makes up ST Branton (my other half, Chris Raymond, will introduce himself in the next book). If you followed us here from one of our other series (maybe Forgotten Gods or The Rise of Magic or Steel City Heroes), then you already know the drill (and a special thanks for sticking with us), but if you’re new, I just wanted to extend a special welcome to this world.
Chris and I have been writing together for almost five years now, and we’re just warming up. And the thing that sustains our writing career is the fact that you all keep reading. So maybe take a second and head on over to Amazon to let us know what you think.
And if you liked the book, you should come talk to us over at our Facebook page. Sara Slick has three more books slated for release this summer, and that’s the best place to get news and updates about the series (and ya know, a good place to say hi).
Oh, and one last favor you could do for us: tell your friends! Word of mouth trumps any other form of advertising. So spread the world!
Just don’t break the Pax Philosophica to do it.
Lee
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Want more snarky heroines? Well, Chris and Lee also have an urban fantasy series about the mythic gods return to earth in their series with ST Branton, Forgotten Gods. The tagline is: The gods are real, and they’re assholes. And it couldn’t be closer to the truth. This series is fun, fast, exciting, and a little irreverent.
Vampires, werewolves, and all manner of monstrous creatures serve the unknown powers of old, but the story centers on the humans who make the heroic choice to fight them. Join Vic and her crew as they attempt to save earth from the gods who want it back. You won’t forget, Forgotten Gods.
Oh, and… it is an 8 book omnibus almost always on sale for silly cheap!
While you’re at it, we really thing you should try the new and improved Steel City Heroes: