Broken People Read Free

have nicked her.
    Dale shrugged with a rueful smile. “So, are
you going to set your goons on me?”
    “Yes, sorry. I have a reputation to
protect.” She reached for a button on her desk. “What happens in
two weeks?”
    “Sorry?”
    “Don’t play dumb with me. I can get my
‘goons’ to make you spill it.” Her hand froze on the button.
“You’re not from here, and you need a pair of working hands by a
certain date. What happens in two weeks?” Aurore’s hand hovered
above the button, next to an ad for the museum open night and a
Nightingale Circus flyer.
    Dale’s eyes briefly stopped on the two
flyers.
    “You want to enter the Hrad?” The open night
was scheduled in two weeks, which meant access to the Bratislava
Castle would also be free. “That’s a bold move. Why didn’t you say
so?”
    “So you can send me to a hack technician? If
it works, fine. If it doesn’t, fine,” Dale said. “You’re the
mayor’s protégé, but even you wouldn’t get away with it if I got
caught. There’s a fortune stored inside the Hrad. That’s how I was
planning to pay you. You’re into jewelry. There must be something
you’d want in there.”
    He didn’t know even half of it. There was something she wanted badly, but it wasn’t jewels.
    “Well, in that case…” Aurore hesitated, her
eyes scanning the desk. “I know someone who might be able to help.
He doesn’t only do maintenance. He builds things from scratch. Of
course, it depends on how badly your friend is injured and if you
can keep him out of harm’s way long enough…” Catching a glimpse of
the surprised look that flashed over Dale’s face, she smiled. “Do
you think I don’t know what’s happening in my city, right across
the street from me?” Shaking her head, she picked up the flyer and
handed it over. “Ask for Big Dino.” From a drawer, she pulled out a
business card with gold engraving, handing that over, as well.
“Tell him I sent you. Do not tell him how you plan to pay
for his work, just say I guarantee you.”
    Dale slipped the two pieces of paper in his
pocket and started for the door. In the doorway, he turned. “Why
did you change your mind?”
    “We haven’t had any excitement in this town
in way too long. But it will cost you…”
     

4

    The polished set of knives gleamed in front
of Spinner. Rake still sharpened his across the table from him.
    “I don’t like this,” Spinner said, gingerly
putting the knives away in their box. He kept only one out with
which to practice. After days of practicing in a moving train car,
it felt weird to do it while the car stood still.
    “You should consider a change of career
then,” Rake said. “By the way, you need to adjust your fields. I
nearly cut you earlier today.”
    “There’s nothing wrong with my fields.” To
demonstrate, Spinner made the knife glide up and down the entire
length of his arm without the assistance of either hand. “See? It’s
your knives that aren’t properly balanced.”
    Rake grunted, focused on sharpening the
blade.
    “But that isn’t what I meant.” Spinner put
the knife down on the table and had it turn in circles around his
open hand. His fingers tingled from the extra charge, but it was
good practice. “I don’t like that Miss Aurore wants to do business
with us, not when Big Dino can’t deal with her.”
    “We will,” Rake said, without looking up
from his blade. “We’ve handled his business before, and we will do
it again.”
    “Yes, but—” Spinner shuddered, “—she creeps
me out.”
    “Because you’re such a handsome fellow,”
Rake drawled out slowly, testing the blade on the tip of his index
finger. He stopped pressing before breaking the skin.
    Spinner glanced at his bulky arms and
shoulders, bulging in places where mechanical parts were hidden. He
didn’t need to use the blade as a mirror to know he was far from
being handsome. Scars left by old war wounds covered his body, the
same as Rake. He could have had