Page 111 of Stealing Mercury
“Maybe I don’t like climbing down buildings and jumping from ledge to ledge.”
They both stared her down, unappreciative of her sarcasm.
“We don’t have time for this,” she pleaded.
Both men spun as two guards practically tripped over them. One of the guards caught Mercury with a stun-stick. Samantha scrambled back out of the way and Mercury had the man pressed into the ground in a blur of motion. Lo had an arm around the neck of the other guard and he squeezed tight until the man went limp.
Mercury pulled her back into his arms and ran, hunched low and using as much cover as he could find, taking her to the transport. And then they were there.
A click and a thunk signaled the moment they crawled into the transport. Mercury and Lo curled in a ball around her behind the seating. The passenger door swooshed open and she heard voices. Captain Artane! She was saying something about a twisted knee. Two otherGwendellacrewmen climbed into the transport in the guise of patients.
When the doors slid shut and the engine started, Samantha whispered, “Too easy.”
Lo laughed—a rusty sound.
Mercury stroked her cheek. “They were unprepared. Nothing like this has ever happened before.”
She lifted her chin and let her determination show in her eyes. “We’ll make sure—”
“It happens again,” finished Mercury. “Rest now,courra.”
She eased back and let her muscles relax. It was time to trust the others to see to their escape.
“Rest, little one.” Lo’s voice stroked her with comfort.
“I’m resting,” she protested, letting her eyes drift shut as she listened to the sirens and shouts outside the safe bubble of the transport. The noise faded as they moved into the darkened areas of the city.
The memory of Chelle’s sightless face came back to her. Maybe, not so easy. They’d been lucky and they’d had friends. That had made the difference.
“I hate to interrupt your beauty rest back there,” said Knock. “But we have a long hike ahead of us. The roads to the port are shut down.”
Samantha pushed up to look outside as the transport hummed to a stop in an alley behind a hotel. “The tunnel?”
Knock made an affirmative noise. “That’s right. I followed you when you left with Rachel.”
Lo tensed at Rachel’s name. “It might not be safe.”
Knock pushed open the door and stepped out then slid the back door open. “It’s safe. I checked it myself.”
Mercury pulled her against him and wrapped her around him as he climbed out of the transport. No one spoke as Knock led them through the service areas of the hotel and down into the tunnel. Samantha looked over Mercury’s shoulder to see Captain Artane grinning back.
“Feels good,” she said in a hushed voice. “Being back in the action. Didn’t realize how much I missed it.”
Samantha frowned. “I wish I had your enthusiasm, Captain. I’m afraid this isn’t over. Not for me.”
“Not for us.” The Captain’s grin stretched into something more serious. “You aren’t alone Samantha.” The grin popped back into place. Even Pillar, that old coot, wants in on the action. Heard from him right after you left the ship. Seems he found something interesting on some symbol you asked him to look into.”
“The surrogates.” The word came out as nothing more than a breath, but Mercury heard.
He smoothed a hand along her spine and whispered back, “The Mothers.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
TheGwendella
EarthAllianceBetaSector
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