to.
Ava’s gaze landed on a child in rags on her right. His arms were wrapped around what looked like a toy shock rifle. His chin rested on one knee where he sat on an empty disintegrator. His other leg swung back and forth, while his gaze locked onto them. The child’s eyes moved slowly, shifting from Ava to Seth. Sharp. Hungry. Even for a child, he had the look of a predator.
He looked frail, maybe seventy pounds and less than ten years of age, but Ava knew the boy wasn’t defenseless. The child stood sentinel for a pack of wild children. A gold strip of fabric around his left arm, a primitive form of rank, told her he was a scout. The juveniles roamed the Blue District, wielding knives, razors, laser rifles, pipes, and anything else they could use as a weapon. The children wouldn’t hesitate to cut them to pieces, or beat them to death, if they had the unfortunate luck to get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. The child noted the patch on the sleeve of her shirt and gave her a curt nod, letting her know they could pass in safety. Ava reached into her pocket, extracted a credit chip, and tossed it to the child.
They might be dangerous, but they were still hungry children. She’d been there before, not knowing when her next meal would come. The streets took care of their own, and New Xiera Port was no exception. The funds would feed several children for a week. They’d share.
The child caught the chip and pocketed it. His gaze turned to the businessman. He hopped up from the trash receptacle, slung the strap of his rifle over his shoulder, and followed the man, who’d left the drug peddlers and ambled deeper into the bad neighborhood, most likely to shoot the buzz into his veins.
“He’s a dead man,” Ava said to Seth.
“Who?”
“The man in the fancy clothes who bought drugs from the dealers on the corner. He’s a target.”
“Who bought drugs?”
Ava nodded across the street to where the man walked. Seth turned his head and watched him as he rounded the corner. “You know this how?”
“He’s a junkie and needs a fix before he goes into mania, a nasty side effect of buzz. The child, he’s part of a gang—a sentinel, and he watched the entire transaction.” Ava shook her head. “Easy pickings.”
Seth lifted his wrist and the com he’d strapped on to his mouth, and Ava grabbed his arm. “Don’t. We’re being watched, and we could be targeted next if they think you’re a threat.” She snagged his sleeve and veered off course, pulling him across the street and after the man who was in danger. “They don’t like Regulators in this part of the city.”
Someone screamed as Ava and Seth rounded the corner. The children had already surrounded the man. Ava charged forward into the mass of knives, sticks, and pipes the horde wielded as they beat at the man, driving him to the ground. Several defensive wounds covered his arms and hands, and the sounds of meaty thuds filled the night.
“Ava. Oh, hell,” Seth spat and pulled his laser, leaving it on stun. The last thing he wanted to do was kill a child, no matter how bloodthirsty the little bastards were. He took aim and tagged the biggest child in the back, dropping him to his knees. Alive. Stunned and temporarily disabled, a lot less than the children had planned for the drug addict.
“Stop!” Ava yelled and wrenched a pipe from a child’s hand, flinging it against a clay-covered wall, chipping the stony surface. “Let him go!”
“Says who?” Another child swiped his razor across her forearm. Blood seeped from the wound, quickly soaking her sleeve.
Ava held the child’s gaze as he lifted his weapon to strike again. “Brodie’s Duchess.”
The children froze mid-attack and turned toward her. “How do we know?”
She lifted a medallion out of her shirt. Several children gasped. Seconds later the hoodlums backed away, slinking into the shadows from where they’d come. She tucked the pendant back into her top
Ava’s gaze landed on a child in rags on her right. His arms were wrapped around what looked like a toy shock rifle. His chin rested on one knee where he sat on an empty disintegrator. His other leg swung back and forth, while his gaze locked onto them. The child’s eyes moved slowly, shifting from Ava to Seth. Sharp. Hungry. Even for a child, he had the look of a predator.
He looked frail, maybe seventy pounds and less than ten years of age, but Ava knew the boy wasn’t defenseless. The child stood sentinel for a pack of wild children. A gold strip of fabric around his left arm, a primitive form of rank, told her he was a scout. The juveniles roamed the Blue District, wielding knives, razors, laser rifles, pipes, and anything else they could use as a weapon. The children wouldn’t hesitate to cut them to pieces, or beat them to death, if they had the unfortunate luck to get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. The child noted the patch on the sleeve of her shirt and gave her a curt nod, letting her know they could pass in safety. Ava reached into her pocket, extracted a credit chip, and tossed it to the child.
They might be dangerous, but they were still hungry children. She’d been there before, not knowing when her next meal would come. The streets took care of their own, and New Xiera Port was no exception. The funds would feed several children for a week. They’d share.
The child caught the chip and pocketed it. His gaze turned to the businessman. He hopped up from the trash receptacle, slung the strap of his rifle over his shoulder, and followed the man, who’d left the drug peddlers and ambled deeper into the bad neighborhood, most likely to shoot the buzz into his veins.
“He’s a dead man,” Ava said to Seth.
“Who?”
“The man in the fancy clothes who bought drugs from the dealers on the corner. He’s a target.”
“Who bought drugs?”
Ava nodded across the street to where the man walked. Seth turned his head and watched him as he rounded the corner. “You know this how?”
“He’s a junkie and needs a fix before he goes into mania, a nasty side effect of buzz. The child, he’s part of a gang—a sentinel, and he watched the entire transaction.” Ava shook her head. “Easy pickings.”
Seth lifted his wrist and the com he’d strapped on to his mouth, and Ava grabbed his arm. “Don’t. We’re being watched, and we could be targeted next if they think you’re a threat.” She snagged his sleeve and veered off course, pulling him across the street and after the man who was in danger. “They don’t like Regulators in this part of the city.”
Someone screamed as Ava and Seth rounded the corner. The children had already surrounded the man. Ava charged forward into the mass of knives, sticks, and pipes the horde wielded as they beat at the man, driving him to the ground. Several defensive wounds covered his arms and hands, and the sounds of meaty thuds filled the night.
“Ava. Oh, hell,” Seth spat and pulled his laser, leaving it on stun. The last thing he wanted to do was kill a child, no matter how bloodthirsty the little bastards were. He took aim and tagged the biggest child in the back, dropping him to his knees. Alive. Stunned and temporarily disabled, a lot less than the children had planned for the drug addict.
“Stop!” Ava yelled and wrenched a pipe from a child’s hand, flinging it against a clay-covered wall, chipping the stony surface. “Let him go!”
“Says who?” Another child swiped his razor across her forearm. Blood seeped from the wound, quickly soaking her sleeve.
Ava held the child’s gaze as he lifted his weapon to strike again. “Brodie’s Duchess.”
The children froze mid-attack and turned toward her. “How do we know?”
She lifted a medallion out of her shirt. Several children gasped. Seconds later the hoodlums backed away, slinking into the shadows from where they’d come. She tucked the pendant back into her top
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