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TRINITY SQUATTED NEXT TO Sassy who was lying on the floor near the toilet. Hugh was not going to be happy about this, but at least Sassy had stopped throwing up. It was progress of a sort. She stood. There was no point in delaying the bad news. “I’ll be back in a minute. Okay?”
Sassy waved her hand and mumbled something unintelligible. She left the bathroom and walked down the hall, stopping by Hugh who was still leaning against the wall.
“Where’s your friend?” he asked.
It was best to just spit out the truth no matter how distasteful. “Passed out in the bathroom.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He shot her a disgusted look. It was probably identical to the one she wore on her own face.
“We need to get her home. We can talk to her about helping us tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? We can’t wait until tomorrow.”
“We don’t have a choice.” She wasn’t thrilled about it either, but there was nothing she could do.
“You don’t even know if she’ll help us and I don’t know what your brilliant plan is or if it’ll work.” He lifted his hand toward his hair and stopped. “I hate this cloak.”
“It’ll work, if she’ll help us, but we need to get her home.” She turned and headed down the hallway.
“Just so you know, you stink at making plans.” He followed her to the bathroom.
“Oh, and yours was so great. Believe me when I tell you that’s not how it sounds when Dad tells it.” She opened the bathroom door. “At least mine don’t take place in the sewer with monsters.”
He glared at her as he stepped into the bathroom. “That was your grandfather’s plan, not mine, and”—he shoved his arm in her face—“yours does have a hint of sewer but only on me.”
She smirked as they bent and tried to get Sassy to her feet. The Guard was out cold and her legs kept buckling as they attempted to hold her between the two of them.
“This isn’t working.” He bent and lifted the Guard in his arms, groaning slightly.
“You can’t carry her all the way home.” Sassy was tall and although she wasn’t fat she wasn’t light either.
“Get the door.”
She held it open.
“Can we rent a carriage?” He stepped into the hallway.
“There aren’t any in this area and even if there were we don’t have any money. Plus, we can’t take the chance of someone recognizing you.”
“Like Sampson, you mean.” He glanced at her, his eyebrow raised in question.
“We can trust him.”
“Are you sure? How do you know him?” He walked down the hallway.
“I met him through Jackson.”
He slowed as they approached the Guard who’d been in the hallway when she’d first gone into the bathroom. She didn’t know this Guard but she’d seen him around. He was large with a hard, blunt face and a nose that looked like it’d been broken several times.
“Come on,” she whispered as she made her way past the Guard. They didn’t need to draw any extra attention, carrying Sassy would be more than enough.
He stopped.
“Why are you stopping?” She hurried back to him. “Is she too heavy? I can help carry her.”
The Guard was staring at them. She couldn’t blame him this time, but he always seemed to be watching. He never said much and barely drank, but his eyes were everywhere.
She tugged on Hugh’s arm. “Let’s go.”
The Guard winked at her and opened the door behind him.
Hugh twisted away from her and stepped inside. She hesitated. If they both went in there, they could be trapped. The Guard stared at her, a smirk on his lips. She stepped into the room. She was going to kill Hugh.
The door shut behind her and her heart picked up pace. An Almighty sat at a table in the back, a pile of papers in front of him. He smiled. He had a nice smile, but she didn’t trust him. She didn’t trust any Almightys besides Hugh and Kim and...Jethro. She may not have spoken to him in years, but he’d been a true friend when she’d needed one.
“Hugh? I didn’t expect to see you again so soon,” said the Almighty.
They knew each other. She spun around to stare at Hugh. How did he know this man and how had he known the guy was here? She had too many questions and no time to ask.
“Can you help us get out of here?” Hugh’s voice was strained.
“I see Sassy has had too much to drink tonight.” The Almighty stood, his eyes concerned as he studied the Guard in Hugh’s arm. “That’s not like her.”
“She’s not exactly light.” Sweat was beading on Hugh’s forehead.
“Of course. Sorry. Bruno,” called out the Almighty.
The large Guard opened the door, staying in the hallway.
“Has the carriage arrived?”
Bruno nodded.
“Follow me.” The Almighty moved toward the door.
“Who is this Almighty?” She grabbed Hugh’s arm, whispering. “Can we trust him?”
“Townsend and I think so.”
“You think so?” Her claws popped out and he jerked away from her before she could dig them into his bicep.
“Do you have a better idea on how to get the three of us out of here without making a scene? Carrying your friend across the crowded bar is not going to go unnoticed.”
She didn’t have a better idea and that stung. This was her mission, her plan and everything was falling apart. She wasn’t sure why she was surprised. This was just like the old days except Gaar and Mirra weren’t here to bail her out of her jams.
“Just as I thought.” He strode toward the door where Townsend stood waiting, an amused expression on his face.
She glared at the back of Hugh’s head as she followed him. This was his fault. Everything had been going well until she’d become involved with the Almightys again.
They moved quickly down the hallway away from the main room. Bruno opened a side door and they entered a storage room. The Guard stepped behind a stack of liquor boxes and opened a hidden door. He peeked outside, nodded and Townsend slipped outside and into a carriage that waited in the shadows.
She grabbed Hugh’s cloak as they stepped through the door and whispered, “Maybe, we shouldn’t do this. We’re outside now. We won’t make a scene.” Once they were in the carriage they’d be trapped. She could escape on her own and maybe even with Hugh but not with an unconscious Sassy.
“This friend of yours isn’t light. I’m not going to be able to carry her much longer.”
“Still...”
Hugh placed Sassy on the carriage seat opposite Townsend and climbed inside. The alley was clear. No one was around. She should bolt but she couldn’t leave Hugh and it was her fault Sassy was here. Bruno stared down at her from the top of the carriage, still smirking like she amused him.
“Is she coming?” asked Townsend. “We can’t wait here all night.”
“Get in,” said Hugh.
“I don’t take orders from you.” Obviously, she did because she hopped into the carriage. She had no choice but to trust his judgement, but she didn’t like it and he’d hear all about that once they were alone.
The carriage took off down the street. Once they got away from the Howling Hut, the heavy clops of the Grunts feet echoed in the quiet night.
“Do you have somewhere to stay?” asked Townsend.
“Yes,” she said at the same time that Hugh said, “No.”
They glared at each other. Townsend laughed.
“You can drop us off near 21st Street and Holly Avenue,” she said.
“And I thought this was a bad part of town.” Townsend studied her. “Of course, that area’s not so bad if you’re a House Servant.”
“Exactly.” She stared at him, not blinking. It usually made all the non-House Servants squirm, but Townsend stared right back at her.
“Who are you?” asked Townsend.
“None of your business.” She glanced around, looking for ways to escape. To get them all out of there, she’d have to incapacitate both the Almighty and his Guard. The Almighty wouldn’t be a problem, but Bruno...That wasn’t going to be easy.
“Townsend,” said Hugh. “I’m losing faith in your reporter’s instinct.”
This Almighty was a reporter. He must be on the side of the Allied Classes or Hugh wouldn’t have been talking to him. She relaxed a little. At least Townsend wasn’t some old friend of Hugh’s, waiting to betray him.
“Bruno, take us home.” Townsend continued to study her.
She was not staying at the home of an Almighty.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Hugh’s eyes met hers.
Townsend laughed. “Trust me, High Hugh. You’re both going to feel comfortable at my house. Plus, no one will ever think to look for you there.”
“I asked you not to call me that.” Hugh ran his hand through his hair, finally pushing the cloak off his head. “I appreciate the offer but I don’t—”
“I’m only a few blocks away from Midtown Lane. It’ll be a short trip to the shelter.”
“Okay, then.” Hugh’s eyes met hers.
“I’m not staying with him,” she said.
Townsend smiled at her but remained quiet.
Hugh shot the other Almighty an apologetic look and then leaned forward. Townsend looked out the window, giving the two of them at least the appearance of solitude.
“What do you suggest we do?” He looked down at Sassy, who was snoring slightly. “I can’t carry her all over town.”
She wouldn’t let Townsend drop them off at Sassy’s house. It was too dangerous. She wasn’t sure if Townsend was a friend or foe and Sassy was often on the run from someone. The young Guard thrived on adventure and risk-taking. Although, she wouldn’t say it out loud, Hugh was right. Neither one of them would be able to carry Sassy for very long.
“Plus, I don’t want to go to Sassy’s house, not with her brother after me,” said Hugh.
That was another problem. Once Sassy woke, she could handle Rocket, but until then, they’d have to deal with him. She leaned back on the seat to get as far away from Hugh as she could. She wasn’t happy about this and if he so much as smirked she was going to scratch the smile off his face. “Okay. You win. We’ll go to his house, but I’m not staying inside.”
Townsend’s lips twitched as he continued to stare out the window.
Hugh shook his head in exasperation, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t’ acting like a child, she was being cautious.
“Why is it that I’m supposed to trust your friends without question but you don’t have to extend me the same curtesy?” asked Hugh.
“Because I know my friends.”
“And I don’t know mine?”
She leaned forward. “You said you didn’t know if we could trust him.”
Hugh’s face reddened as he glanced at the other Almighty.
Townsend didn’t even try to hide his smile as he turned toward them. “Don’t worry, Hugh. I wouldn’t trust me either if I were you.”
That was all she needed to hear. As soon as they stopped she was grabbing Sassy and Hugh and they were leaving.
“But, I promise that I’m on the side of the rebellion.” Townsend glanced out the window again. “Have been for years. Even before there was a rebellion.”
“Why?” asked Hugh.
“You’ll see. Once we get to my house, everything will be clear.”
Hugh glanced at her, his eyes uneasy. Good. He didn’t trust this Almighty either. They were finally in agreement on something.