Chasing Shadow (Shadow Puppeteer) (18 page)

“Want to join our party, little girl?” a man with a shaved head and a silver link that stretched from his nose to his ear called.

His friends urged him on. He flicked his tongue at me and I flipped him off. When he jumped the rope, I realized my first reaction was rash.

“Hey little mama, so you want a sugar daddy?” It sounded like a threat.

“I’ll pass.” I turned my back and started through the crowd. It took a lot of control not to run, but I had a feeling that running would just encourage him.

“Don’t turn away when I’m talking to you!”

I casually glanced over my shoulder, failing at nonchalant. His friends were following him. It was time to split and fast. I slid down an alley, and when I was sure I was out of his sight, I took off running. No sense in him knowing I was intimidated.

The alley was full of bundled people hanging around trashcan fires for warmth. I felt the slightest heat from their fires as I whizzed by, rounding the corner to another alley. I had no idea where I was going, but I didn’t like how empty this alley was. The bums along this wall were curled up for the night, looking like large piles of trash. All this running wasn’t helping my headache or my hunger.

I twisted down another alley, hoping that I was heading back towards a busy street when hands tangled into my hair and jerked me back. I barely registered the wall a second before my face connected with it. Pain rocked through my nose, making my headache worse. I choked on my blood as it poured over my lips.

“News for you sista, you’re on my turf.” The man twisted me around and licked the bloody skin between my lips and nose.

I could barely contain my anger. “Get your hands off me.”

I dug my nails into his arm and he jerked me hard against the wall. I didn’t want to use the knife on him, but he wasn’t letting up.

“You belong to me now,” he said.

I felt vulnerable and small with his knee between my legs. Every breath he drew sent wisps of my hair floating. He drew me back to a time when I was too small to fight back.

But I’m not that little girl. I’m not.

I’m not—

Anger forced me into action. I gripped the knife and drew it upward, plunging it with force into his body. Skin and muscle tore under my vigor.

“I belong to no one.”

The rush of hot blood over my hands snapped me back and I let go of the blade. The man was hissing mad, but my brain was in a quiet place. Nothing he said registered until he pulled a gun. The need to survive spurred me forward. I grabbed his gun and he relented, grabbing the knife still stuck in his stomach.

Blood bubbled on his lips. “Do it, bitch.”

His laughter made my pulse tick in my temple. If I didn’t kill him, he would come looking for me. We both knew this was the only route. The gun was heavy in my hands, burning a hole through my senses. If I shot him, he would take some of my problems with him.

He taunted, “Do it.”

One shot and it would be over. But that bullet was too heavy a price.

The gun itself had a malicious need. It carried the toll of every life it took. It wasn’t keeping score, but its owner was. I should have tossed the gun once the sick pleasure started curling inside me, but I was better off with it.

The man snarled. “I’ll find you.”

“I know.”

He threw his head back and laughed. His madness imprinted on me. With his gun in my hand, I walked away from him.

“You can’t hide from me,” he called.

Exhaustion seeped in every pore, but if I stopped, I’d never move again, so I dragged myself across the next main street and into the alley. I wanted to vomit and wash myself, but this nightmare was never ending. There was a great deal of guilt in wishing he’d bleed to death. The blood on my hands made me sick to my stomach.

There were fewer bums here and it felt colder without the numerous trash fires. A scruffy man with red rimmed eyes and years of dirt held a sign that read: Endless. He didn’t meet my eyes, but chose to watch my feet as I passed him. Despair was alive and active, threatening to pull my shields down. If I fell asleep back here, I’d be open to all the surrounding sorrow.

The first quiet alley I found, I leaned against the wall for balance. The only thing that kept me from curling up and falling asleep was the cold and my nerves. At this point, I was so tired that I didn’t care if I sat on rusty nails. I dropped my bag and used the wall for support as I slid down to sit.

If only someone could make all these new issues go away.

Rex came to mind and I immediately squished him from my thoughts.

Maybe Draken—

My misery was great. It was overpowering, but it was a universal sadness. I was mourning for the people of this island, for Ms. Sable, Starr and even myself. It made my own aches small in comparison, even as my stomach twisted with bursts of pain…

Someone was projecting—

I sat up straighter, catching the sick sound of shoes hitting against something soft. My shields were up. How could I possibly feel the victim’s pain? I lowered them long enough to feel the sick pleasure gained by those causing the pain and immediately lifted my shields again. It was fainter now and with it, the sadness I felt for the island people. The person being hurt was another empathic person like me, but I never felt it on such a great level until now.

Another victim of this island—

I should walk away while I have only one new enemy tonight. I pushed away from the wall, intending to do just that when a cry halted me.

Walk away. That’s all I had to do.

But I wasn’t walking away. I peeked around the corner, dreading the scene. There were five people, lean and tall wearing all black, right down to the masks over their faces. They were going to town beating the hell out of their victim. I couldn’t take it.

My feet lead me around the corner before I could think better of the situation. I had the safety off and the gun pointed. They didn’t see me standing in the shadows. They were too distracted. I could still walk away and save myself a few extra enemies.

By sound alone, each kick made my stomach ache. There was no way I could wait this out. It didn’t look like they were going to get bored anytime soon and waiting could be deadly. It wouldn’t take long with the force they were plowing their boots into him. Despite the danger, I wasn’t turning my back.

“Stop.”

That got their attention. Too bad I lacked an actual arsenal.

They stopped kicking the kid to stare at me. I couldn’t see their eyes through the horrible carved masks they wore. The need to run was great, but I fought it. I couldn’t leave this person at their mercy.

The leader threw his arms up in a teasing manner and made low clucking sounds. I kept the gun pointed, though a bluff could only go so far and they were clearly unimpressed with the gun.

“You’re a long way from home, sheep,” one said. His voice was nothing human.

I was too tired to shudder, but fear had no problem working the adrenaline back in my blood.

“She thinks she can patrol these streets like World Congress,” the one directly to the left said.

“Fresh off the boat and on our land,” the first one said. “So much to learn child.”

Unwavering, I kept the gun pointed at them. “Walk away from this while you still can.”

They laughter was high pitched barking, which I found very discouraging.

“Go ahead and feed,” the leader said to his group.

The three dropped on the victim so fast that horror froze me in place. It took a moment to realize they had removed their masks, though their faces still appeared as cracked and harsh as the wood they hid behind.

I couldn’t see their mouths sinking into his flesh, but I felt it. The pain stole my breath. As much as it hurt, I was also overcome by greater warmth; he was giving up.

My link to the victim was confusing at best. Strong emotions could pull my own feelings, but not this time. He couldn’t force me to give up too. I wasn’t going to let them eat him or me. I took aim and fired.

The bullet discharged with such force, that I felt the stream of burning heat in the air. The bullet hit the shoulder of the creature closest to me and blood exploded out the exit wound. It didn’t slow him down at all. His mask was thrown off and his burning red eyes were set on me.

I pulled the trigger again and the bullet tore through the air. It took a second to realize I missed.

“Shit!”

I fired again. He moved so quickly that he missed every bullet. I kept pressing the trigger even after I ran out of bullets. Stress kept my finger twitching, desiring something more to happen.

One thing was clear, I was going to die.

I stopped breathing, as I pulled the bone blade from my belt and waited for the thing to attack. A thunderous clap sent it flying off its feet as blood sprayed the wall. I’d be sick if I wasn’t so grateful.

The second attacker stopped in his tracks, his head tilting upward. I tried to follow his gaze, but flung my attention back to him when the gun went off. The bullet got him between the eyes. I was close enough to hear the exploding wetness or maybe that was in my head. My ears were ringing.

I waited for the shot that would lay me on the ground like the others. It never came, yet I stood there afraid as three more bullets were released. The creatures dropped so quickly, there wasn’t a chance for them to try and escape the bullets.

Seconds turned to minutes. My legs started to feel solid again. My heart was calming and I was able to breathe without my lungs hurting.

“You should pickpocket them before the real scavengers get here. There won’t even be bones left in another hour,” a man said, passing by me. His accent was warm and surprisingly friendly.

“There’s a shooter on the roof top,” I warned.

It wasn’t until he was directly in front of me that I saw the long nose rifle clinging to his back by a leather strap. I knew, even without lowering my shields, that this was the shooter. Relief flooded me. I wasn’t going to die just yet. He passed me, leaving the faint scent of cherry cigar smoke in the air.

He leaned down by the victim and felt for a pulse, then looked back up at me. “I’m serious,
senorita
. You want a place to sleep tonight you’re going to need money. Start looking in their pockets.”

I stooped down beside the first dead body and nausea stirred within me. Vomiting was the last thing I needed when my face ached this severely. My hands shook as I attempted to reach into the pocket, but the reward wasn’t so bad.

As I stuffed the money into my bag, I made my way to the man. “He has a strong sense of empathy.”

The man glanced back at me and I jerked my chin at the young man he was diligently checking over.

He grunted. “You have no idea.”

He wasn’t a real old guy, but his skin was weathered. The crow feet at the edges of his eyes turned upward like he smiled or squinted a lot.

“You’re brave for a little sheep,” the man said.

I really wished people would stop calling me a sheep. Since he saved me, I could overlook his comment. His accent was intriguing. Despite the fact that it was illegal to travel between the countries, there were a lot of foreigners here.

“What were they? What did they want with him?” I asked.

My jaw shuddered and I wasn’t so sure it was from the cold. I was having a hard time sorting my thoughts. I wanted to bury my head, but at the moment, I couldn’t even stand closing my eyes. I kept seeing blood.

“The streets want victims,” the man said. He bent down and put his arms under the young man.

“We can’t move him. It might make it worse.”

With all those layers of clothes, I couldn’t tell if he was breathing.

“
Mira muchachita
! If you failed to notice, this isn’t the place to leave a fallen brother.” For an older man, he easily picked up the beaten youth.

With his duster brushing behind him, he started back in the direction he came from. He didn’t get too far before he stopped and glanced back at me.

“You probably don’t want to spend your first night on the island sleeping on the street,” he said.

Was this an offer? I wish he’d just come out and say to follow him, because he was right.

“I’m not a prostitute,” I said. I’d done some things in the past for a few conveniences I wasn’t willing to put out for now, but even that was a fine line. Fear trumped pride on this one.

He chuckled and I liked the sound.

“There’s no time for that in my life.”

He was an okay guy. By the time he got to the edge of the alley, my mind was made up. I followed him.

“B
rave people, who are still sane, are hard to find. If you plan to stay on the island for a while, I could use your help. It would be worth the room and board,” the man offered.

“I’m just passing through.”

He nodded and made a sympathetic sound that was all too knowing. He thought I was in denial.

“I’m not staying here on this island,” I said. This time the statement was more for my benefit than his. I’d die if I thought I was stuck here.

He raised an eyebrow. “Would a compromise work?”

At my silence, he continued.

“I could use an assistant and I can make arrangements for you to be settled until the day you leave,” he said.

“Why me? I’m a lousy shot.” Two times now, I meant to kill a man and missed.

“If you are willing to try, I’m willing to train you,” he said.

When he put it that way, it sounded strangely logical. I did need a place to stay until Bliss came back. Bliss didn’t say he was coming back, but I knew he was. It was the uncertainty in his face that said he would be back with questions.

“Okay, I agree,” because I was too tired to do anything else.

He stopped in front of the biggest hotel looking building on the street. “My name is Jose.”

“Belen.”

He didn’t offer a last name and I didn’t either.

A series of gunshots echoed in the air. I expected sirens, but there was nothing. The outside world didn’t care about the safety or wellbeing of the people here.

“Let’s go inside,
si
.”