Page 141 of Sky Song
“Howdy.”
The voice stopped her in her tracks as the voice’s owner blocked her path. It was Gus, the pugnacious recipient of the ale shower.
She had no energy for this. “Let me pass.” She sidestepped him, but he sidestepped with her.
“Not so fast.”
Only now she noticed the other two in the darkness behind Gus: Mark and their Tarai friend without an ear.
She crossed her arms and assumed a bored expression even as unease nagged at her. “What do you want?”
“Well, how do I say it?”
“Using your meager language skills, please.”
“Har-har. I bet she won’t be so smart when the authorities get a hold of her. What do you think?” He addressed his friends who snickered in response.
The main thought that quickly dominated Cricket’s mind wasOh, shit.
Without wasting any more time, she pulled out the little stunner she’d had kept since the hospital bust and sent a charge into the ground next to Gus’ feet. He jumped back with a vile curse, and she used his shock to dive for the side door, hoping, praying Mark had left it unlocked when he went outside.
The door gave in and Cricket stumbled inside. But they burst in right after her, too fast, denying her an opportunity to lock it and forcing her to retreat deeper into the club.
She turned and pointed the gun again, but now they were onto her. The Tarai’s boot kicked out, nearly snapping her wrist. The gun fell to the floor and slid away.
“Corral her by the bar! That’s right, kitty-cat. Nowhere to hide.”
She scrambled to get away, pressing her wrist to her belly to stifle the pain, but they were effectively surrounding her, tightening the ring of their bodies.
“Get away from me! What do you want?” But she knew. They wanted the reward, and they were likely to get a big one when they produced not the information about her whereabouts, but her person before the magistrate.
“Shoulda stayed on this side of the law, you alien ho.” Gus’ sneer was gloating, like he had the right to judge.
Gus lunged and grabbed her in a loose chokehold. She fought him madly but the difference in their sizes and hand-to-hand combat skills was not on her side. Her foot caught on a barstool and sent it to the floor, but Mark caught it before it fell.
“Careful, there are people downstairs,” he admonished.
“Ren?”
“Him, too.”
“Our lucky day. His ass is also wanted. We’ll get him next.”
Palm pressed against her mouth, Gus started dragging Cricket toward the door. She tried to kick him, to dig her heels in, but all it earned her was a tighter choke hold that cut off most of her oxygen.
This was how it was going to end.
Yet some noise must have penetrated a well insulated construction Zaron was so proud of.
“What’s going on?” The owner himself appeared on the floor, with Ren close behind. They halted and stared inastonishment at Gus who was twisting the wiggling Cricket into a pretzel.
Some help here, gentlemen?she projected silently.
“Not much, boss. Just taking this lil’ one downtown for a chat with the magistrate. Seeing as they’re looking for her and such.”
Ren stepped forward. “Let her be.”
“I don’t take orders from you, scrawn. Do you think we don’t know what you are? An alien by-blow. And don’t worry, you’re going with us.”
