The aquatic charged out of the tent, clutching an energy weapon, and shot the blond deputy in the chest. Westin fell backward, blue electricity covering his body.
Swallowing a cry, Relda ran.
She flew through the alleys of the market. Vendors called out hellos, but she didn’t stop to laugh, chat, or flirt, as she usually did. She couldn’t risk stopping. Any of them could become targets for the men chasing her.
She had to get to a less populated area of the market. Her mind raced. She needed to come up with a plan to eliminate the men. She couldn’t let them get the Moon and she wouldn’t let them hurt anyone else. She thought of poor Deputy Westin.
A right turn took her down another alleyway lined with wooden stalls. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the aquatic charging along behind her. She didn’t see Maz, but he wouldn’t be far away. She quickly ducked down another, quieter alley and then through an empty stall and into the adjacent alley. It was less crowded here and she forced herself to slow down.
With a quick jerk, she whipped off her coin belt and dropped it. Next, she grabbed the red scarf around her waist and tied it over her hair.Just act like a tourist checking out the wares. She paused by a store filled with colorful jewelry, fingering a bright citrine necklace.
The neighboring stalls were stocked with food—the cloned, packaged variety as well as freshly grown—clothing, art, weapons. You name it, you could find it somewhere on Souk. And if it wasn’t in the market, the narrow, shadowed alleysbehind the open-air market hid the stores of the gray market. There, less legal things could be found…for the right price.
She loved it here on Souk. Had made a little place for herself, even if she hadn’t let anyone get too close. It would hurt to uproot and leave, but she had to go. She couldn’t let the Trojan Moon fall into the wrong hands.
Relda saw a fast movement at the end of the alley. The two men were striding through the crowd, knocking people out of their way. As she watched, two more joined them.
Bile rose in her throat. There were more than the two who’d attacked her. Anyone around her could be one of them.
Time to go.She pushed away from the stall.
She saw the roofs of the warehouses at the back of the market. They’d be empty of people. A good place to take on these men and avoid casualties.
With her head down, she hurried. She would have to risk using her powers. Swallowing, she forced herself to stay relaxed. She could do this.
Seconds later, she heard a shout. Glancing back, she saw the aquatic had seen her. She ducked through the crowd and started sprinting.
She spun around a corner, almost losing her balance.
The men were gaining on her.
She ducked around an anti-grav cart hovering above the ground, loaded with fresh produce. One of the warehouses loomed ahead. It would have to do.
Thankfully, the door wasn’t locked. She ran inside, pausing to let her eyes adjust to the gloom. It was a big, open space with grimy walls and dust motes floating in the air.
Suddenly, hands clamped around her biceps and she was yanked sideways into the shadows. With a curse, Relda fought her attacker. She opened her mouth to scream, but a hand clamped over her face.
She kept struggling.
Then she was spun around and she looked up into the rugged face of Hunt Calder.
Hunt loosenedhis grip over Relda’s mouth. Her hair spilled around her shoulders in tangled disarray. The swelling redness on her cheek made his jaw clench.
“Are you okay?” His voice was harsher than he intended.
She nodded. “They’re hunting me. They shot Deputy Westin. We need to get out of here.”
Hunt pulled in a deep breath and concentrated on filtering the rush of sounds and scents through his senses. Outside the warehouse, he could hear the crowd in the marketplace—chatter, laughter, footsteps. Smelled the inundation of scents—frying meat, sweat, spices. It was hard to separate out anything with so many people nearby, but he heard the increased heartbeats of a group of approaching people. He also smelled something that reminded him of the ocean. “I can smell an aquatic.”
Her eyes widened. “Yes.”
He snatched his Sync off his belt and quickly called his deputies. “I’ve got a group of hostiles in the market. I need you to converge on my current location. And remember, I want them alive for interrogation. And check on Westin!”
Relda was running her hands up and down her arms.
Hunt pressed a hand to her shoulder. “It’s okay. I won’t let them take you.
She didn’t look at him. “Thank you.”
