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Before he took a step off the porch, he scanned his surroundings. Aside from a few people making their way toward Eisen, where the shops and restaurants would remain open another six or so hours, and parked hovercars, there was nothing suspicious, no one lurking in the shadows.
He debated whether or not he should just go to Eisen himself, find a cheap street vendor that would let him buy something for less than four dollars, and hog a table until closing. The only problem with that would be what he’d do after.
No, Midnight was the smartest play, as much as he hated admitting it.
With no other choice, Hunter took off, trying not to notice how the streets grew darker and darker the further away from the main part of the city he got. Fortunately, though the dark lingered the silence didn’t remain. It wasn’t long before raucous sounds of laughter filled the air, drifting toward him accompanied by the sounds of music. This was another part of Hohum that would be bursting with life even as the moon beamed down at them from above.
It was nothing compared to what Hunter imagined the Red Light district of Sixpence was like, but it was still something.
Something that put him instantly on edge and had his stomach churning.
He passed by open establishments, ignoring whistles and the occasional second glance as he went, determined to make it to his destination. That feeling of being watched was back, but he shook it off, attributing it to all the curious sex workers he passed and the other patrons who roamed the streets looking for something to help warm their night.
Hunter just wanted a bed; it didn’t even have to be soft. Just somewhere he could lay his head and a door with a lock on it. Then he wanted to sleep and forget that this weird interaction had ever happened.
He was already starting to convince himself he’d imagined being stalked from work. Paranoia must have set in due to lack of sleep and food. If someone had been after him, surely, they would have made a grab for him by now, when he’d wandered all the way here on his own.
He grunted at his stupidity, hating himself for being so cautious over nothing, for putting himself in this shitty situation. Maybe he should just turn back and head home…
Midnight came into view then, a sprawling black building with strings of white fairy lights strung across the three balconies. There were lights in every window, some gold, others red, a few purple. It was the dark squares of glass he sought out, sighing in relief when he counted at least five empty rooms.
He’d made it in time.
“Welcome,” a man dressed in a sheer black t-shirt and tight leather pants greeted him at the front desk, smiling wolfishly at him when he approached. He tactfully pressed a finger beneath his nose when the wind blew a gust of the fish smell his way.
“One room,” Hunter said, pulling out the loose coins to deposit them on the counter.
The man barely even looked at the money, already clacking away at the keyboard in front of them. “Sure thing. Here’s your key. Check out is…well. It doesn’t matter, does it?”
Hunter frowned, but took the key anyway, too mentally drained at this point to bother with cryptically spoken words from a stranger. “Thanks.”
“No, no,” the man told him, “Thank you.”
Whatever.
Hunter made his way up the rickety stairs to the second floor, trailing down until he found the door with the same 2B as was printed in fading gold paint on the side of the black key in his hand. The lock clicked and the door swung open easily enough, and through the open blinds, the moon cast the single bed in its glow like a beacon of hope.
Before he could so much as feel an inkling of relief, however, the air shifted at his back. He went to turn, but it was too late. Someone hard and solid slammed into him from behind, arms wrapping tightly around him to press a damp cloth against his mouth.
He struggled, kicking back, and even turned to slam his assailant against the wall, but whoever it was held firm.
His vision began to wink out, and his last thought before darkness overcame him was that he’d been right after all.
Someone had been stalking him.
Go figure.
* * *
Hunter groaned and blinked, frowning when he was met with nothing but darkness. It took him another second to realize it was because there was something tied around his head and not because the lights were all off. He shifted, stilling when his movement was met with resistance.
He was blindfolded and his hands were tied behind his back.
Fuck.
His legs were unbound, but he was on the ground on his side. Slowly, he eased into a seated position, straining to hear anything, desperate to get an idea of where he could be. The last thing he recalled was entering his room at the Midnight and then being attacked.
There was nothing to help give away where he was currently being held, just the soft inhales and exhales of his own breathing and the slight smell of something spicy and rich in the air. Nothing familiar. Depending on how long he’d been out, he might still be in the Midnight even. This could be the floor of the room he’d rented with his own damn money and—
