Caught by Menace Read Free

You’l remember how I helped your
    niece and your daughter and you’l pay it forward.”
    “Of course,” Alderman Crane promised. “I’l do
    whatever it takes.”
    Naya shook his hand and slipped the piece of paper
    with her identification number against his palm. “Thank
    you.”
    He squeezed her hand before pocketing the paper.
    “Good luck with whatever it is you have planned. May
    you find happiness in wherever this takes you.”
    Dankirk walked the alderman outside. When he
    Dankirk walked the alderman outside. When he
    returned, he sighed loudly. “Wel that’s that. You’re
    going to be on the list. You’re going to have to run.”
    “That’s the plan.” Naya tried to ignore the wobbling
    anxiety burning in the pit of her stomach.
    “It won’t be easy to get from the surface of Calyx to
    the colonies,” Dankirk warned.
    “We’ve got our papers.” She touched her pocket.
    “Jennie’s boyfriend wil land his surface-to-sky cruiser in
    the woods just beyond the safe zone. Jennie and I know
    the woods like the backs of our hands. We’l evade the
    Harcos men, get to the safe zone and make a mad dash
    right to the waiting ship.”
    “Why not run now? Run tonight. Run tomorrow.
    Don’t wait, Naya.”
    “We can’t. You know the government has this place
    clamped down tightly. Those damn riots in The City have
    made it impossible to even travel between towns. Even if
    we could evade the local police force and get Josef’s
    ship into orbit, those guys?” She pointed toward the sky
    and shook her head. “They keep a close watch on the
    planet leading up to their Grabs. They’l never alow two
    women chosen by the lottery to make a run to the
    colonies. They’d probably arrest Josef for trying to steal
    colonies. They’d probably arrest Josef for trying to steal
    something they consider theirs. It’s too big of a risk.”
    Dankirk rubbed the back of his neck. “What about
    Jennie’s boyfriend? Does this guy have the necessary
    permits to get to the surface?”
    Naya nodded. “He’s a research scientist from the
    colonies. He’s got a permit to fly his surface-to-sky
    cruiser in and out of Calyx airspace four times a week.
    His end of things is squared away.”
    “And yours? What the hel are you going to do with
    your shop?”
    “What I should have done years ago when Nattie left
    me here,” Naya replied, the memory of her older
    brother’s betrayal stil so painful. “I’m seling out—lock,
    stock and barrel.”
    He chuckled. “I see what you did there.”
    She roled her eyes. “I haven’t run weapons in a long
    time, Danny. Once the Splinter terrorists came here and
    their civil war with the Harcos,” she pointed skyward
    again, “started to spil into our world, I gave up that
    rather lucrative side business running cargo for the Sixers.
    Once those two groups got into bed together, it wasn’t
    worth the risk or the hassle. I need to get tangled up with
    their insurgency problems like I need a hole in the head.”
    “Agreed.” Dankirk shuffled his feet. “So—you headed
    home?”
    Naya’s chest tightened. “I’m sorry, Danny. I just…
    We can’t.”
    “Not even once? For old times’ sake?”
    “We did once,” she reminded him. There was such
    hope in his voice. She didn’t have the heart to add that it
    had gotten weird and awkward so fast. Afraid this might
    be their last meeting ever, she stepped close and wound
    her arms around his waist. Rising on tiptoes, she pressed
    their lips together in a gentle, lingering kiss. “Good night,
    Danny.”
    “Night, Naya.” He caressed her face and dropped a
    kiss on her forehead. “Be safe.”
    “I’l try.” She couldn’t promise anything else.
    “I’l catch up with you in the colonies.” He rubbed her
    earlobe between his forefinger and thumb. “I can’t
    decide if you’re incredibly brave or just realy stupid.”
    Laughing softly, she pecked his cheek and started to
    walk away. “Probably a bit of both.”
    Out