| |
––––––––
Tuck waited in the darkness as JD’s breathing slowed and steadied with sleep before rolling away from his friend. It was late. He needed to go so he could get back before JD woke.
He put the papers he’d used to cover himself over JD. It was the best he could do to help keep him warm. The kid was so small. They needed food and protection but joining the gangs wouldn’t be a good idea for either of them. In the gangs, only the strongest survived. The rest of them were used for the dangerous jobs, the ones that got them killed or arrested.
JD wanted them to join Con’s gang. The kid had been talking to a few of the members, and they’d made the idea of joining sound sweet, but Tuck knew it was all lies. His mom had been in a gang when he was born, and it hadn’t ended well for her or him.
“Tuck?” JD’s eyes fluttered open.
Dang it. He should’ve left.
“Where are you going?”
“To piss.” He bent, brushing the hair from JD’s forehead. “Go back to sleep. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” The kid’s voice slurred as his eyes drooped.
Tuck waited another few minutes and then squeezed against the brick wall and slipped from behind the pile of junk where he and JD lived. It was a pretty safe setup. No one looked long enough at a pile of junk around here to see that it was stacked in a way that they had a little home. It wasn’t much, but it was a few feet of solitude where they could rest without worrying about being attacked. It also had an escape route through an air vent into the building.
He checked to make sure no one was around. He wouldn’t risk leaving JD alone if bigger Servants were hanging out nearby, but the alley was clear. He scurried out onto the street and then darted through a maze of alleyways, going farther and farther away from the Servant section of town.
It was risky to go so close to the Guard’s part of the city, but they needed food. He’d heard rumors that Manny left the window open above his store. He stayed in the shadows, the quiet of the night putting him on edge. He should be glad he didn’t see anyone, but there was something about tonight that made his skin prickle. Maybe he should go back, but then they’d be hungry again tomorrow. He had to check and see if that window was open. He crept through another alleyway. Footsteps sounded on the pavement. He hopped into a nearby dumpster to hide his scent as two skinny Guards walked by, chatting about some fight they’d seen.
He waited until he could no longer hear them and then hopped from the dumpster. He hurried to the end of the alley. Manny’s sign hung over a door. His eyes skimmed up the building to the window. It was open. A cold sweat broke out across his skin. It was two stories high, but the building was brick. He could climb it. He was small but strong. Most Servants could climb to the window, but they were too big to fit through the crack. He was sure he could do both.
He glanced around, sniffing. It stank of Guard around here, but he and JD needed food too badly for him to worry much about that. He patted his pocket where he’d stuffed a bag. He’d slip in through the window, grab some food and then be back in the alley before anyone even saw him.
He glanced both ways just to make sure no one was around before racing across the street to the building. He turned, pressing his back to the wall, and checking the area one more time. Once he started climbing, there was no turning back. The street was empty. A few voices drifted on the wind, but they were muffled and in the distance. It was time.
He began scaling the wall. The brick was old and worn, but there were still plenty of toe and finger holds. He moved quickly, but that window was a lot farther away than it’d seemed from the ground. His fingers spasmed and his legs ached, but he kept going. His bag was big. He could get enough food to last them a few days, maybe a week.
He paused, his ears perking up at a soft flutter. He knew that sound from somewhere. He stared into the darkness but there was no movement on the street. He shook his head. It was just his imagination. He had to focus. He stared at his goal as he crawled up the wall. Another minute and he’d be inside the building with all that food. He moved faster, his mouth watering as the window loomed above him, getting closer and closer with each....A whoosh of air hit him, knocking him sideways. He lost his grip on the wall, his fingers scrambling for purchase and his flesh tearing from his hands as he clawed at the building.
It was no use. He was falling. He screamed, twisting his body so he didn’t land on his head and then something hit him...hard, like a Grunt on a rampage. He flew forward in the air, his body bucking and spasming as something stabbed his side and back. He screamed again, louder than before, louder than he’d ever screamed as pain lanced through him.
Find out what happens next.
https://www.lsodea.com/books/machinations-and-sacrifices/
––––––––
Also, check out my other books. An excerpt from Chimera Chronicles: Rise of the River Man is next followed by the Characters section where I list all the characters from the series.