A Surprise Favor – Chapter 26

“What do we do?” I ask Nina, peering out over the crowd.

“We find another way around.” She rises to her tiptoes and scans the area.

“There is no other way around,” Declan says, joining us. He gestures to the back of the group. “We sneak past them and keep going.”

“Hmmm, I don’t know about that.” I watch the crowd and grow wary.

As they shove past the small shopkeeper, they start chanting their slogans to spread their message of oppression and control. The shopkeeper is in a panic now, batting men away with a large slatted spoon.

Kalvin leaves us and approaches a man near the back of the group. I turn to the side so my face isn’t pointed towards them.

“What’s going on?” Kalvin asks, lifting his voice over the clamor.

“She turned down one fisherman and then stopped buying fish from our co-op.” His face reddens with anger. “She is costing us our livelihoods.”

“Then find someone else,” Kalvin says, his voice full of disbelief.

“No. It’s time for women to know we set the rules around here, not them.”

My skin crawls listening to this guy. I look up and regret it when his eyes meet mine.

“Who’s that? You brought a woman to our protest?” His voice climbs, and alarm bells ring in my head.

“I’m not a part of your damned protest, man.” Kalvin stretches to tower over the guy. “You’re all in our way.”

Shit, shit, shit. Shut up, Kalvin.

Saif steps in. “Come on. Let’s go.” He pulls Kalvin away.

“Hey,” the man says, pointing at me. “Isn’t she the one on the news? The one who sold military secrets and pirated spaceships across the Duo Systems?”

I turn and push Takemo and Declan in the opposite direction of the crowd. “Go.”

I speed up my feet and start walking away in the direction we just came from. And though I can feel my network around me, I know others are on our tail now.

“Hey!” the man shouts. “Hey, stop! Where do you think you’re going?”

“Don’t panic,” Nina says, grabbing my upper arm in her claw-like fingers. “Keep walking and ignore them.”

As our small group walks away, the man’s words seem to resonate with the crowd. People follow us, some clapping and cheering in agreement at whatever he said. The tension in the air grows as more people join in on his shouts against me. Every step we take forward is met with several steps of angry supporters behind us.

Nina said not to panic, but inside, I’m panicking. My heart is ready to burst, and my stomach is in one big knot. I’m strong and I can say ‘fuck you’ to even the most persistent of people. But a giant angry mob? No. That shit will get you killed.

The chants of “Justice! Justice!” echo off the storefronts as they move closer to us. Men shout and wave their fists in the air. My heart races faster and faster with each step we take. This could end badly for us if we don’t get away soon.

Declan surges forward next to Nina.

“On the next turn, run straight, and then slip into the bakery on the right. They know we’re coming.” He gives us a quick nod of encouragement and takes off running as we turn the corner.

“Go.” Kalvin and Saif urge me forward.

The rest of us follow, our feet pounding on the marbled floors. Have I mentioned lately how much I hate running? Because here I am, running again, and it’s just as bad as running for my life on Rio through the jungles. My legs shake, and sweat beads along my forehead. Yeah, I’m unwell, and it’s getting harder to hide.

We reach the bakery, and the storekeeper is waiting for us with a determined but uncertain expression. He steps aside, we quickly slip through the door, and he slams it shut behind us, locking it. With the door closed and the shutters down, no one can see inside.

Declan raises a finger and shushes us. The sound of pounding footsteps intensifies. I hold my breath and wait. Did they see us come in here?

The commotion dies down as the pounding fades into the distance.

Takemo presses his hand to his chest and heaves a few heavy breaths. “Oh shit, that was close.”

Declan sets his hand on the baker’s shoulder. “Thank you, Alejandro.”

Alejandro growls. “Those damned Reformers need to stay out of here. I’m tired of them being around constantly. They scared off several of my best customers yesterday.”

The bakery is empty, though sound from the kitchen in the back indicates employees are working. Good. I didn’t want to have to explain to anyone. I shakily walk to a two-top table and drop into a chair.

“Where are all your customers today?” Takemo asks.

“I told them I needed to close for an hour for a family emergency.” He looks to Declan. “Any chance you could compensate me for the down time?”

“We’d be happy to,” he says, glancing my way. I try to calm my breathing and racing heart by pressing my hand to my chest, but I’m too far gone. My body is exhausted and injured. I set my head down on my arms on the table and close my eyes. I just want to pass out.

“Skylar,” Declan whispers, bringing a chair next to me and sitting down. His hand rests on my back. “Are you okay?”

I tilt my head to the side and open my eyes. Everyone is crowded around me.

“She looks pale.” Takemo steps back. “Let me get her some water.”

“I’m so sorry.” Kalvin squats down and puts his hand on my knee. “I had no idea they were going to react like that.”

“It’s okay. But steer clear of Reformers in the future. They’re all insane.” I sniff up and close my eyes. “I just want to sleep.”

Declan rubs my back. “This is why you’re supposed to rest in the hospital while undergoing nanite treatments. They use your own energy systems. It’s quite draining… not that we had any choice in the matter.” He takes a bottle of water from Takemo and gives it to me. I sit up enough to sip it and lay my head down again.

“You know what’s draining?” I ask him, and he leans in. “Dying. The hospital wasn’t safe.”

He kisses me on the temple. “Yes, you’re right.”

I keep my head resting on my arms and stare into space. The front bakery case is lined with shelves that hold an array of treats, from cupcakes and pies to macarons and madeleines. Along the open-air shelves, small baskets are filled with loaves of bread and rolls. The floor is spotless, and the kitchen sparkles. This place is posh. I lift my head and consider eating something. Maybe food would put me right.

Alejandro approaches and narrows his eyes. “Are you all right, miz?” He points to his own throat, and my spirits sink. Yes, I have marks on my throat from where Eduardo tried to kill me last night.

“I’ll be all right,” I tell him, not wanting to get into the details.

Declan approaches and smiles at Alejandro. “I’d be glad to compensate you for the interruption that we caused.” He pulls a stack of credits from his pocket and hands over a hundred credit bill before turning back to us. “Come on, let’s get something to eat.”

They head towards the counter, perusing the different pastries and breads available. I’m too tired to move, so I stay put and close my eyes. Getting to the Amagi seems like an impossible mission at this point. I can barely function, and we’re still very far away from the spaceport.

“You can stay for another ten minutes, but no longer.” Alejandro taps away at his datapad. “None of us want to get on the bad side of the Reformers.”

“Here. Eat something, Sky. You need it.” Kalvin slides a chocolate croissant onto the table in front of me. He sits in the other chair. “We’ll figure a way out of this.”

“Thanks.” I gather the strength to sit up straight. “I love chocolate croissants.”

“Then you’ll love this one,” he says, around a mouthful of food.

I kick him under the table. “Don’t be a heathen. You’re as bad as Carlos.” This makes him laugh, and I smile.

“That’s better.” He winks at me.

I take a bite and tip over my wristlet. “Ai, I need some way out of this place.” Mmmm, he’s right. This is delicious. I tear off another piece as I wait for Ai to respond.

“I’ve been watching your progress, and I haven’t found a way out for you yet,” she tells me. “There are two men patrolling the arcade right outside of the bakery. You won’t be able to go out the front.”

I look around the bakery. Nina, Saif, and Declan are eating together. Takemo is grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. I need to find a way out of here and towards the spaceport, or we’re going to be stranded. But with men sent to kill me and Reformers on my tail, this is more difficult than it should be.

“Can you download the building blueprints of this place? Maybe that will help us.”

“I’m sorry, Skylar. I’ve tried accessing the blueprints, but they’re on a government secure server. I cannot access them without Carlos’s help.”

“And where are Carlos and everyone else?”

Silence. I wait for a few moments before I begin to despair.

“Ai,” I warn through gritted teeth, “you are not being the AI I need right now.”

“I’m sorry, Skylar. I aim to please, not to disappoint. You know how much I hate disappointing you.”

I sigh and close my eyes. “I swear to all the gods ever made, I’m going to put you back into a sexbot as soon as possible.”

She purrs. “Oh, you tease.”

“Ai!” I shout, and startle everyone else in the bakery.

“Carlos, Lia, and Nisrine are already at the Amagi, unfortunately.”

“Unfortunately?”

“Yes, they seem to have encountered some resistance there.”

“Motherfucker,” I swear under my breath. “Who?”

“That I can’t tell you, and not because I don’t want to. I’ve been unable to get back into the Amagi systems since earlier this morning. I can only surmise it’s pirates, based on what I saw outside of the Amagi.”

The guys approach me, their faces clouded with worry. I hold up a hand and stop them before they ask questions.

“Show me, please.”

“Just a moment.” An alert for an incoming video stream comes up in my vision.

The spaceport docks’ security camera quality is grainy and far from the Amagi. You would think they’d install more high-resolution cameras, but spaceports are notorious for being stingy and squeezing every credit. Carlos, Lia, and Nisrine approach the ship just before dawn, and yes, there’s someone waiting there for them. They stop and talk to each other for a moment before the port side airlock opens and they head inside. I rewind the recording and try to zoom in, but the quality is too low to see who’s there. They stood in the shadows for a reason.

I let out a deep sigh and shoot a glare at my companions. There’s no time to waste if we’re to get Carlos, Lia, and Nisrine out of this.

I briefly relay the situation to everyone, and Takemo groans. “If it’s not one thing, it’s another,” he says, annoyed. “We need to figure this out.”

Kalvin stands up and surveys our surroundings. “There might be another way out of here.”

Saif nods and turns to Declan. “Can you ask Alejandro?”

“Maybe there’s a service entrance.” He shrugs and leaves us to go talk to Alejandro in the kitchen.

Takemo and Saif finish their baked goods, gather everyone’s trash, and approach me. “Ready to move, Sky?” Takemo asks.

“I’m sorry. But I don’t think we can delay any longer.” Saif holds out a hand to me and pulls me to my feet. I’m still pretty damned tired, but the brief rest renewed my energy.

“I think I’ll be okay,” I tell them, unwilling to admit that I have about thirty minutes in me tops before I give out.

Declan returns. “We’re in luck. Alejandro can get us into the service corridors, but there’s only one problem.”

“What’s that?” Kalvin asks.

“None of the corridors lead outside. They all lead to the trash incinerator, and there’s an emergency exit on the other side of it that will trigger the fire department when we open it.”

“Ew.” I wrinkle my nose. The guys don’t realize how susceptible I am to smells. I will puke if we go through there.

Saif raises a finger. “I saw that movie. It did not end well.”

“Same,” Kalvin and Takemo agree.

“It’s our only way out,” Declan says, with a shrug. “We’ll have to brave it.”

I glance around at the beautiful pastries in this place and sigh. That chocolate croissant is bound to come back up again. This day just keeps getting better and better.