Gemma glanced at Robin and saw the doubt in his eyes. Not of Mitch, but himself. He didn’t have a lot of confidence in his abilities, Gemma realised.
‘You helped get us out of the manor pretty well.’ She countered.
‘Don’t get me wrong, I’ve learnt a lot from Mitch, but I’m no stand out. I do what I’m told and that gets me through.’
Gemma frowned. ‘But doesn’t that get frustrating? Don’t you want to be your own person, do your own thing?’
He shrugged, ‘what would I do? Sit around at home all day? No. I couldn’t leave the force now. Well, I’ll probably have to after this, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take for the safety of my people.’
Gemma felt shivers flood her body, for Robin’s words, while spoken calmly, were fiercer than she first realised.
‘That’s your talent Robin. Your passion for your people.’
Robin laughed lightly, ‘that won’t get me anywhere, not if I can’t do anything else but love my people.’
‘But it’s that love that drives you. That’s the kind of dedication we need in our courts.’
Robin appeared to be in shock as he turned to her, eyes searching her face.
Finally, he shook his head. ‘I’m here now. And I like my job. Plus, Mitch need’s me. We’re a team. No, I’m fine where I am.’
Gemma wondered if perhaps he was trying to convince himself as much as he was her.
‘Town is close. No more talking.’ Mitch snapped from up ahead.
Gemma rolled her eyes and Robin chuckled. ‘Don’t worry, he’s better when he’s off duty.’ He whispered to her, and she raised an eyebrow in protest.
He gave her a reassuring smile, then jogged off to catch up with Mitch.
~
The Sargent kept a brisk pace as he passed the dim, musky underground corridors, heading for one room in particular. His confidence grew with each stride, his staph clicking against the ground in time with every second step. It was the day. The day they, he, discovered the clue to surviving the transformation. Surety flooded his veins, and when he stepped through the open doorway into the brightly lit lab he couldn’t conceal the pleased smile that was plastered across his face.
‘Well, men. Woman,’ he said, nodding his head to the one Witch in the room. ‘Let’s get to work, shall we?’
~
Drew pulled up short, placing his index finger to his lips as he gestured Laura forward. He could feel her presence beside him, strong and determined despite her exhaustion. He admired her for that. Her resilience and resolve to keep going. She was passionate, and that drove her to do anything and everything that was required in order to succeed.
He performed one final sweep of the surrounding bush to confirm the coast was clear before turning to Laura.
‘Just over this ridge is the township. We have two options. There are the Wreckers who destroy and do up bikes cheap for riders – they’re right on the edge of Tarim. Their bikes aren’t certain to go far though, and they aren’t always reliable. The best place, Motors Inn, however, is right in the middle of town. Their bikes are guaranteed to get you where you need to go.’
Laura visibly stiffened. ‘So what’re you thinking?’
Drew’s thoughts were set on one place, and he knew Laura could already tell which, but he also knew she had a habit of asking anyway in the hopes of being wrong. He almost felt bad for confirming her fears.
‘Motors Inn.’
‘Right. And do you have some kind of brilliant plan to get in and out without being seen?’ Laura asked, her voice lowering to a whisper at the sound of a motorbike starting up in the distance.
Drew felt the tension radiating off her, and glanced at her face for the first time since they’d stopped. She was afraid, he realised. Determined, of course, but afraid.
‘Hey, I won’t let us get caught. We didn’t come this far to go right back to the Manor. I have a plan. And it is brilliant.’ Drew said, his words sincere, though he flashed her one of his signature grins that always seemed to lighten her mood.
His heart expanded at the upturn of her lips, and he glanced back at the ridge quickly before that very heart got the better of him.
‘Follow me.’ He said, and began to climb.
‘Aren’t you going to tell me your plan?’ Laura huffed, though he felt her presence beside him again, already following.
‘I have to show you something first.’ He replied.
They made it up the ridge in a matter of minutes, and Drew quickly flattened his body to the ground, peering out over the town of Tarim. Laura sidled up beside him, leaving only millimetres between them, and again Drew found himself struggling to ignore his pounding heart.
‘See, there is the Wreckers, and further up that road, take a left, and opposite the shopping centre, is Motors Inn.’
‘Got it.’ Laura said.
‘Good. So, I propose we go with a method called ‘distract and attack’, something I learnt from this girl back when I was in Alast. Short, crazy, kinda annoying.’
He felt Laura punch his arm lightly as she replied. ‘Okay, so we distract them elsewhere… what do you have in mind.’
Drew turned to face her, ducking down below the ridgeline. He drew a little map in the dirt, marking the important places.
‘Right, so we don’t want to destroy anything per say, but if we set up a small blast here by the Wreckers, that should grant us with enough time to move in on the Inn and take what we need, especially with all the commotion.’
Laura was shaking her head before Drew even finished, and his interest peaked at her dismissal. He raised an eyebrow at her, indicating for her to speak.
‘The blast is fine, but we need to set up something more elaborate. Maybe stage a break in at the Wreckers that will bring more people running before setting off the blast. You know, cut fence, some moved bikes, then have it look like something went wrong and the ‘people behind’ it legged it out of there.’ She paused, marking places on the makeshift map. ‘It’s a small town, people won’t see this kind of stuff often, so they’ll want to come out to check what’s going on. They’ll also be on high alert, looking to solve the crime, find the people responsible. We have to blend in too. Come over and look around. Ask what’s going on. Talk to people.’ She shrugged. ‘If we’re cautious and keep an eye out for Enchanted, we should be able to make contact without anyone recognising us. Then when the coast is clear, and we know for certain Motors Inn is unmanned, we make our move. We get the bikes and go.’
Drew realised he was staring at her, a half smile on his face. He was impressed.
‘So? It’s a plan?’ She urged him, glancing up from the map where she’d still been drawing.
He inclined his head, the grin still on his face. ‘It’s a plan.’
~
‘Right, keep close, follow my instructions, and don’t pass me. It’s not a large town so we should be able to pass through undetected in half an hour.’ Mitch said, his face stern.
Grace’s heart was pounding in her chest with both adrenalin and concern. She didn’t want to be caught, and she hoped Mitch was really as good as he appeared to be. He did successfully help them escape the Manor, she reasoned with herself. But then again, that could’ve been luck.
She straightened, falling into step behind Robin as they approached the forests edge. They could see the back streets ahead, trickles of houses leading up to the township. They weren’t concerned by the quiet streets, and were able to follow the road easily through the towns outskirts. But the moment they reached the busier streets, Mitch slowed his pace and took to darting down short, thin, alleyways. To Grace’s relief, they managed to pass through the first half of the town completely unnoticed. It was the second half that proved to be difficult.
Mitch moved to turn a corner then whipped back, pulling everyone up short. He raised a finger to his lips, then mouthed something only Robin seemed to understand. Grace didn’t know what was around the corner, but if it was enough to rattle M
itch, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. She suddenly felt Logan beside her, his hand resting on the small of her back.
He put his lips to her ear and whispered, ‘Enchanted.’
Her heart began pounding violently in her chest and nerves flit through her stomach uncontrollably. She looked to Mitch, who was searching his surroundings desperately. She lifted her eyes to the building they were pressed flat against, and noticed a window not far above them.
Her instincts kicked in and she leapt for the sill, clinging onto it with one hand. She felt hands beneath her feet, lifting her higher, and she swung her second hand up, gripping onto the sill. Using both arms, she lifted her body over the edge enough to cast her eyes through the window.
‘Clear,’ she whispered down to Logan, who was still supporting part of her weight.
He passed the message on, then gave her a boost upwards so she could pull her body the rest of the way over the edge. She knelt on the windowsill, retrieved her knife from her boot, and used it to pry the window open, then climbed down into the dark studio apartment. It was empty save for a couch, and stunk of rot.
She heard a scuffing of boots and suddenly Gemma was flying through the window. She landed awkwardly, but recovered quickly.
‘Still haven’t quite got my grace back.’ She said, brushing herself off, then grinned at the realisation of her words and the look that must have been on Grace’s face.
Logan came through the window next, closely followed by Robin, then Mitch. Robin closed the window firmly and Mitch sat down by the edge to keep watch.
‘What do we do now?’ Gemma asked.
‘We wait. They’re doing street checks, which would have only pushed us further back if we wanted to avoid them. Good call Grace, by the way.’ Mitch said, giving Grace a nod of approval.
‘So we wait them out?’ Logan asked, settling into the couch.
Mitch nodded.
It didn’t take long for the Enchanted to check the alleyway then pass on. Once they were gone, the group went back through the window, making their way along the winding streets in a flash. Grace was thankful when they finally made it to the bush on the other side of town. It was thinner, though, and they all knew it would come to an end soon, which meant they would lose their cover.
When the bush did end, they resorted to running in the hopes they would cover as much ground as possible without being seen. They kept up their pace for half an hour before finally their destination came into view ahead. They slowed to a walk, taking refuge behind a single red gum tree.
‘The Zoo is on this side of the city, to our left. Approaching will be hard without cover and in daylight, but if we’re quick and keep low to the ground, we should be able to make it. There are scattered trees throughout the land we can hide behind in intervals, but for the most part we’ll be pretty exposed.’ Mitch explained.
‘We should go one at a time.’ Gemma said, glancing out from behind the tree at the ground they had to cover.
Grace could see the wheels turning in Gemma’s mind as a plan of her own came together.
‘Exactly what I was thinking. We can meet at the base of the Zoo to the right there. There’s a small cluster of bushes, can you see?’
They each took turns peeking around the base of the tree, familiarising themselves with where they needed to go.
‘And what about after that?’ Gemma inquired, hands on her hips.
‘We’ll talk when we get there. Remember, five minute intervals.’ Mitch said, and before anyone could disagree, he was gone.
‘He really is quite infuriating.’ Grace said, glancing at the others.
Gemma threw her hands up, ‘what did I tell you!’
Robin shook his head and laughed, ‘I have to live with it.’
‘I thought you said he’s better when he’s off duty?’ Gemma asked.
Robin shrugged, ‘well, slightly better anyway.’
Grace giggled, peeping around the base of the tree to watch the route Mitch took across the land. He was swift and agile. He moved with such surety and skill that Grace could see why he was in the force. Why he had so many badges pinned to his uniform.
Logan followed next, taking a slightly different route to Mitch. Grace admired Logan as he ducked down into bushes and dove behind trees, all the while keeping on his feet and moving quickly across the land.
All of a sudden it was her turn, and she took off, following Mitch and Logan’s lead in keeping low to the ground and staying as hidden as she could.
It was a thrill to be running through such open country, despite her constant searching for cover. The idea that she could be seen, that she had to be as quick as the lightening pulsing through her veins, was both terrifying and exciting.
Before she knew it, she was beside Logan and Mitch, huddled in the bush, waiting for Gemma and Robin. They made it safely, one after the other, then, they all turned to Mitch, ready to hear the plan.
Chapter Eleven
Break and Enter
Drew hauled the petrol container to the corner of the Wreckers and hid in the bush, awaiting Laura’s signal. It was Laura’s job to hang around in the town’s centre so she could be seen and therefore not blamed for the situation. They’d cut a hole in the fence by two newer looking bikes at the back of the yard, and while it would be so much easier to take the bikes and run without all the drama, they both agreed the bikes were not reliable for the distance they needed to cover.
He heard a crackle on his walkie-talkie.
‘Ready.’ Laura whispered.
Drew switched his radio off, emptied the contents of the container into the grass, struck a match and threw it into the liquid from a distance away.
There was a whoosh, and then Drew took off. He rounded the Wreckers and hightailed it through the back streets of town, meeting Laura by the bakery they’d agreed upon.
The fire was already growing, smoke billowing into the sky, and there were shouts and cries as people took off for the Wreckers. Drew and Laura followed the crowd, watching cautiously. They passed the Motor Inn, observing the building as they did so. Two men left at a run, however besides that all appeared to be quiet inside.
Laura’s second job had been to check out the Inn in the hopes of discovering how many people worked there. Drew nudged her, and she mouthed the number six to him. Six people. Two gone. Four were good odds. Not the best, but good.
Drew followed a short woman who led a crying child through the streets, trying to hush him as she searched the Wreckers for the source of the fire.
‘Mummy, is Daddy okay?’ The little boy wailed as the Mother quickly bent down and lifted him up into her arms.
‘Daddy will be fine honey.’ She said, then whisked him away into the crowd.
Drew felt a pang of guilt in his gut. He’d made sure no one was in close range and the wind was blowing away from the Wreckers, but that didn’t halt the responsibility he felt for the worry he’d caused everyone.
He and Laura slowed as the crowd grew thicker, eyes rapidly searching their surroundings. No Enchanted were visible, so they pushed their way further into the mass of people.
‘What’s happened?’ Laura asked an elderly woman wrapped in a blanket.
It was still winter after all.
She shrugged. ‘I don’t know dear,’ she replied, pausing to cough. ‘A fire started it appears.’
‘Someone tried to break into the Motor Wreckers, started a fire and got away.’ A man dressed in farm gear interjected from beside Drew.
The woman in front of them turned around. ‘People are saying the fire was an accident, but stopped the thieves before they could take anything.’
Drew heard Laura’s intake of breath as she faked shock. He bumped his shoulder with hers, and they started moving back towards Motors Inn.
‘Is everyone all right?’ Laura asked a passing paramedic who yelled she didn’t know before running into the yard of the Wreckers.
The smoke was thinning ever so slightly which meant the fi
re had already been put out, but the smell was still thick in the air.
‘Come on, it’s time.’ Drew said, and they turned and ducked down an alleyway.
An ambulance suddenly screamed past, catching up with the paramedic no doubt, and Drew felt his heart contract. Was someone hurt? He prayed not.
‘We’re very bad people.’ Laura hissed, before turning to sprint down the ally.
Drew was inclined to agree as he followed.
They hurried down a number of streets before making it to the back yard of the Motor Inn where they hid by a building and watched for movement. Motorbikes of all kinds were splayed throughout the yard on display. To Drew’s relief, no one was outside, and the gates were open, so they ducked down low and jogged through them, diving behind a parked car.
‘Which ones?’ Laura whispered, her breath coming in heavy gasps.
There was a brand new dirt bike to their right. Drew recognised the make, and knew it was a good one. However they still required a second one for Laura, and the next best bike was at least fifteen meters towards the main building.
He shook his head. It would be too much of a risk to try and steal it. He kept searching. There was another bike close by, but it was second hand, and not a reliable brand. Drew looked back and forth between the bikes. It’d have to do.
‘Take that one over there.’ Drew told Laura, pointing towards the second one.
‘Are they fuelled up?’ She asked.
‘Should be enough to get us to the next town, they keep them toped up for test rides.’
‘What about the chain locks through the wheels?’
‘We’ll have to pick them.’
‘Right. Easy.’ Laura snapped sarcastically. ‘I’ve never picked a lock!’
‘Give me a minute. I’ll run out, unlock it, then come back and unlock this one. Then we go.’
‘I’ll keep watch.’
Drew gave a nod then dove out from behind the car and charged towards the bike. He hid on the other side as best he could and pulled the thin lock picks from his sock, something he kept on him at all times since their time in Alast where he realised how important they were to have at hand. He set to work and had the lock off in under ten seconds.
The Sacrifice (Wicked Book 2) Page 13