Luckily in their journey they didn’t encounter anyone again, reaching Algamoon quite quickly. As they neared they came to another area that had been cleared out of buildings, although this was much smaller, in the centre however was a wild building.

A spot of sunlight had come through the city above somewhere and a great mirror stood proudly, redirecting and concentrating the beam, the rest of the building sort of looked like someone had renovated a pyramid, although a perimeter wall ensured no one could actually climb to the few narrow barred windows that poked out of the structure.

It looked just as fortressy as the last place, showing clear signs that whoever had build that place had probably built this one too. A rather faded sign at the front proclaimed the words Algamoon in a flaky paint that had seen better days.

This place didn’t have a car park, but the rubble of the surrounding buildings had been flattened enough that it didn’t really need one, so Mcguckin could park just off to the side from the entrance.

Bobby again led everyone to the front of the fortress, this time bringing Fluff along with them, because the creature had spent enough time within the van. The entrance was a large set of metal double doors, big enough to get a vehicle through, possibly indicating some sort of garage inside.

There was no intercom so Bobby knocked loudly on the doors and waited. For a few minutes there was no reply, so he knocked again and this time they could hear clunking from the other side of the door.

“Who is it?” a cold voice called, slightly muffled from the other side of the door.

“Visitors, we were sent by your aunt, Mrs Borten, she said you would let us stay a few days.”

“You’re not armed are you?” the cold voice asked.

“No.”

The great metal doors slowly opened inwards to reveal a beautiful woman of around Bobby’s age, she had high cheekbones, pink dyed hair, piercing blue eyes, and looked very pale. She was wearing a checkered shirt over some sort of mechanics jumpsuit that was only half on and had its sleeves tied at the waist. Oh also she was pointing a gun at them, but Bobby in his slightly mesmerised state noticed that part last.

Gary held a hand out, “Can you please put that down, we just came to help out.”

“No, Up against the wall all of you!” she said, motioning with the gun to a wall just inside the door.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

They slowly filed in and all stood against the wall, they could have tried fighting the woman, but as two of the group were still alive and another two were maybe alive, but still probably wouldn’t survive being shot it was not a good idea to engage someone who could kill them in the blink of an eye.

The woman ruffled in a bag she had around her waist and threw 5 sets of handcuffs on the floor in front of them. “Put these on, and slowly, so I can see your hands at all times. Chop Chop.”

Bobby spoke up, “Hey I think there’s been a grave misunderstanding, we just wanted somewhere to stay.”

“A likely story!” The woman scoffed, “No one helps out anyone in the Undercity, I bet you lot are all from the Jameson Jockey Jedi, you’ve had your eye on my house for a while.”

Gary laughed, “The Jame- what what?”

“Don’t even try to pretend.” She pushed something on her gun and they heard a loud click, “Hurry up.”

The group scrambled to put the cuffs on, then she motioned for them to start walking and directed them though an actually quite cosy looking lounge, then a sort of farm with a mirror system directing the sunlight that had landed on the roof onto some vats filled with green growth.

Finally they got taken into a stairwell and down into some kind of basement where there was some sort of holding cell that looked vaguely like it belonged in a dungeon, alongside a workshop with several partly disassembled tanks and pumps.

She made them all walk into the cell, and then closed and locked the door behind them. “Now I think I’m going to keep you all here until you start telling me the truth, don’t even try to escape.”

She put the safety on her gun and clipped it to some sort of utility belt that she wore across her chest, then began walking away, but Bobby walked close to the bars and called out, “Excuse me, what’s your name?”

The woman looked back, with a faintly surprised expression, “Hmm, you should already know it, but if you’re from a different gang and don’t then I’m Lucinda Algamoon.”

Bobby put a pleasant smile on his face, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Lucinda, I’m Bobby.”

“If you are a gang member you are an awfully polite one.” The woman frowned at him, “No, I think you still are, though your acting skills are excellent.”

She climbed back up the stairs, two at a time and vanished off somewhere else. Gary watched her go too, then scratched his chin, “I haven’t had to get out of handcuffs in a while.”

He looked around, “Mcgunkin, did you see where Fluff went?”

Mcgunkin stared at him vacantly for a few seconds. “I bet it’s stealing food.” He finally said.

Gary laughed and turned to Bobby, “Hey Bobby, you can control that creature right? Do you think you can make it get the keys for us?”

Bobby didn’t reply, still staring up the stairs where the woman had gone.

“Bobby?” Gary said again, grabbing and shaking his shoulder.

Bobby turned to the older man, “I think I’m in love with her, Gary.”

Gary facepalmed, “God help us.”

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