The Artful (Shadows of the City) Read Free Page A

desperation.
Should I go with him?
    Before I was forced to choose, the door burst open. There was a rustling, a grunt, a body flying over by our side, and Dodger crumbled to the floor like a heap of boneless flesh. It was maddening. I felt a moment of hopelessness. It shames me to say I was filled with an overwhelming panic; being gripped with the possibility of facing the unimaginable without Dodger was too much to bear. The thump his head made hitting the unforgiving tile sickened me. I had only a moment to despair before I realized the Suit was still about, probably stalking over to finish off his prey.
    Smith and I were both hidden from sight; wild-eyed, he held tight his bag of medications. I held a shaky finger to my lip, begging for quiet. Foolish, really; Smith was never a talker to begin with. I looked over at Dodger’s prone body, covered in clothes too big for his lanky form and a tattered coat worn with age. The Suit’s steps grew nearer. Given how far he’d thrown Dodger, the Suit must be a mass of pure muscle. My body begged to run, but I was locked in terror. The lighting was dim; there wasn’t much to see, just the body of my best friend in front of me and the echoing sound of impending doom cautiously marching forward.
    The giant came over, rubbing at the nape of his neck. He knelt down next to Dodge, checking for signs of life, his back to Smith and me. I foolishly tried to meld with the counter, hoping beyond hope I could somehow push myself through the wooden shell. Eventually the Suit would turn around and find us. Then he would kill us, or worse.
    Smith tapped my leg and smiled. The gap between his teeth always seemed reassuring. The only time you could see it was when he smiled. Why was he smiling?
    “Hey,” Smith yelled, and my heart all but stopped. I was dizzy and close to fainting. “We over here!”
    The guard turned around with such speed I had to question if he was human. His mouth contorted into a stiff smile as he knelt next to Dodge, one hand placed on his chest. He didn’t make to grab for us; he knew we were trapped in his den. There was nothing we could do but struggle, and, from the smile on his face, he hoped we did.
    “Check it,” Smith said, wiggling his fingers in a strange motion, as if they each had individual lives, dancing to a siren song. Smith smirked with pride. While the guard stared back in confusion, Smith pushed the palms of his hand forward, yelling, “Sonic Boom!”
    A crackling sound echoed through the room and the guard shook uncontrollably, his jaw clenched, head jerking. He made an unintelligible sound before collapsing.
    Smith was still smiling, wiping his hands clean in a theatrical manner. “Victory.”
    “How the hell did you do that?” I asked in shock.
    “With showmanship.” Dodger sat up and waved the guard’s taser. “Pulled it off him, while he was kicking my butt. Thanks for the distraction, worried you missed my signal!” He crawled over to Smith, grabbing his face between his hands and laying a big kiss on his forehead. “Beautiful, beautiful, Smith, fancy meeting you here!”
    “Dodge,” I said. “We gotta get out of here. It’s gettin’ early. Grab what you can!”
    “Not the way we came, I’ll tell you that much,” said Dodger.
    I made my way over to the window, while Dodger haphazardly stuffed his backpack with supplies. Looking out, I laughed. If Smith had jumped head first, he would have made quite the mess. We would have to climb. Luckily, Smith had a couple of feet of rope, and so did I.
    As soon as we hopped the ledge and shimmied over onto the hanging rope, the heat of morning baked our flesh. Smith and I put on our shaded goggles, and Dodge rolled his sunglasses down. He was first, me second, and Smith last. We had to make it down thirty-one stories, using a rickety rope that swayed and cut into my leather gloves.
    Sweat dripped down my back and tickled the tip of my nose. I wanted desperately to be home.
    Dodger was