A tiny stream of red laser fire sizzled the air between my brows, instantly melting a neat hole through my mask. I flinched, even though the laser did nothing more than that. The hole quickly seals itself.
Nanobots. Always handy.
The man uses my momentary surprise to try and bolt. Of course, he doesn’t get far. I snag him by the collar and fling him against the opposite wall.
“What are you?!” he yelled, his voice cracking, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
I aim a punch at his head, and he instinctively tries to block it with both arms. CRACK. The crisp sound of his arms breaking from the force of impact rings in my ears. He crumples to the floor, unconscious.
Oops. Maybe I overdid it a little. Well, that solves that problem. For now.
Rexy and I start searching him. Rexy, ever the resourceful one, cleverly finds a hidden pocket inside his jacket, which contains a black metal card and a small, familiar device—Bailey’s device.
I wait in the room. It isn’t long before the man slowly blinks his eyes open, groaning. He clutches his obviously broken arms. I hoist him up by the scruff of his neck.
“WHERE… DID… YOU… GET… THIS?!” I punctuate each word with a little shake. “I know you’re the real seller. Stop playing games!”
“Those asses at the auction house sold me out, didn’t they?” the man muttered, a sour look twisting his face. “Knew they couldn’t be trusted.”
“Wait!” A sudden, desperate plea escaped his lips as I wound up to throw him against the wall again.
“These…” He stammered, his voice trembling. “They’re from a… a stout fellow I’ve been tracking. You see, someone’s looking for him. Someone… very powerful. And rich.” He swallowed hard. “Big bounty on his head in the black market. Don’t know why, though.”
“He rushed on, eager to please. “I followed him for a couple of days. Real cautious type. But I’m good at this. He went to the vault one day, and all his stuff was gone. Figured he was about to bolt. So, I tailed him, jumped him in an alley. This…” He gestured weakly to the items. “…and a notebook… were all he had left. So, I, uh, relieved him of them, tied him up, and sent a message to the people who want him. Waited a bit before hitting up the auction house with the notebook. Didn’t realize it’d fetch so much…”
Bailey…
“How long ago was this?” I asked, my voice dangerously soft.
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“Two… two weeks ago…” he whispered.
I give his wrist a little nudge. It makes a satisfying snap.
“AHHHHH!” he shrieks. “That’s all I know! Please! I’m just a bounty hunter!”
I release his broken wrist. “How did you contact these people?”
He rattles off a string of numbers, then promptly faints. Again.
Shrugging, I decide I’m done with him. I turn to leave. But when I open the door, the large, bald man stands there, blocking my exit. He glances into the room, then fixes his gaze on me. Not a flicker of emotion on that face.
“He’s alive, don’t worry. Just a bit shaken up, with a couple of minor fractures,” I say calmly. “Could you possibly tidy up this mess? Maybe drop him off at a hospital, and perhaps…strongly suggest he never show his face in this city again.”
The man wordlessly takes out his little machine again. I tap the black card once more. Ding!
Guess everything has a price in this town. Even discretion.
On my way back to the auction house, I get that familiar feeling. Like I’m being watched. Someone’s tailing me. Could it be the people who grabbed Bailey? I wonder.
Ducking into a narrow alley, I use a nearby wall to scramble up to a high balcony. Peeking down, I spot two guys I don’t recognize entering the alley, glancing around. Definitely not professionals. They check the ground, look up once, then give up.
Amateur hour. Even Rexy could do better than that.
Deciding to return the favor, I tail them. They return to a ridiculously luxurious vehicle. The window rolls down, and they lean in to speak to the man inside. He responds by smacking both of them on the head. Hard.
The vehicle speeds off, and I give chase. It pulls up to a tube leading to a massive, shimmering dome. Inside, a sprawling mansion dominates the landscape.
I watch from a distance. The man emerges from the vehicle, practically dripping with gemstones. Servants swarm from the mansion to greet him. From the vehicle, they unload…the hide I sold at the auction.
“That’s the loudmouth who tried to outbid me for the notebook,” I mutter to Rexy, perched on my shoulder. “Looks like he was looking for me after all. Should we pay him a little visit?” Rexy wiggles excitedly and nods.
I wait in the shadows, scoping out the shimmering dome. No obvious second entrances. Figures. Before I can even formulate a plan, the gem-studded guy reappears, hops back into his luxurious ride, and zooms off again.
Naturally I tail the vehicle again. The vehicle screeches to a halt outside a building that screams “expensive restaurant.”
I thought people like him would be a private chef type.
He struts inside. I follow, only to be immediately intercepted by a snooty host. “Good evening. Do you have a reservation?”
“Uh… no…” I stammer.
“I’m afraid this establishment is members-only, reservations essential,” the host replies with a dismissive tone.
A melodic chuckle ripples through the air. A delicate hand rests lightly on my shoulder. "My, my, Val… it seems fate has a rather… persistent sense of humor. Or perhaps…" a familiar voice came from behind me with amusement. "Perhaps our destinies are simply… drawn to one another."
It’s Raven. Of course it is.