Once she’d gone about twenty yards, she ducked between two tables, moving back to the street side. Customers were gathered there, mostly men, and mostly taller than Rona. She dashed into the crowd and started weaving between the bodies.
“Hey!Hey!”
People shouted angrily as Rona bumped and jostled her way through the crowd. She paid them no mind. It was only when she heard the louder cries coming from behind her that she began to get worried.
The Mercs were obviously shoving their way through the crowd, and they weren’t being polite about it either.
The crowd started to disperse in panic.
Shit!
Rona knew she needed to think fast. In a few more seconds, she was going to be totally exposed. She needed a new hiding place. Preferably one that wasn’t made up of people who were going to flee in terror at the sight of an angry mercenary.
She spied an alleyway off to one side. If she could get in there without Murdok or Zeth seeing her, perhaps she would be able to slip away for good.
Rona darted for the alley.
It seemed to work. She could hear the Mercs raging behind her, but they were moving past the alley’s entrance. If she could just get to the other end, she would be home free. Find someplace to hide. An abandoned building. The sewer. Anything.
Rona’s heart was thudding hard in her chest as she raced down the alley. Sweat was beading all over her skin. It got into the cut on her neck, making it sting, but Rona ignored the pain and charged forward.
She risked a quick backward glance to make sure the Mercs weren’t following.
And slammed into something heavy.
She went tumbling to the ground, breathless and disoriented. She heard a deep grunt that let her know the thing she had run into was a man. A big one.
For a split second, Rona thought Murdok or Zeth had somehow gotten around in front of her. Then she smelled the stench of the man’s B.O., and she knew he wasn’t one of the Mercs.
“Watch where yer goin’, cunt.”
Two hairy-knuckled hands grabbed Rona by the arms and hoisted her to her feet. The man was big and fleshy, with a shaven head and a face that had seen better days. His lips pulled back to reveal a smile that still had half its teeth.
“Har!Thought you were a feller with that haircut. Yer a purdy little thing, ain’t ye?”
His eyes dipped to Rona’s chest.
“Let me go,” she hissed.
The man glanced in the direction Rona had just come from. There was still a commotion going on at the end of the alleyway, but it suddenly seemed far away.
“You in some kinda trouble?” the man asked.
“No. Let me go.”
He turned and looked at her again. His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized her face. Then they widened in recognition.
“Heyyy… I know you. Yer that Gideon girl. All grown up now, I see. Old Tulliver will be happy to see you again. I reckon he’ll pay a pretty p—agh!”
Rona had had enough. The mention of Tulliver’s name was the last straw. She slashed upward with her knife, opening a deep gash on the man’s left arm. His right hand still held her, but she was slippery with sweat, and was able to wrench herself free.
“Little bitch!” the man howled.
Rona started to run for the end of the alley, but before she made it two steps, her foot slipped on something wet, and she went down hard.
The man was on her in a flash. The bastard could move surprisingly quickly for his size. Rona tried to stab him, but he caught her wrist and squeezed. Pain zapped along her nerves, and her fingers loosened their grip. The knife dropped to the ground beside her.
“Murdok!” Rona shouted. “Zeth!”
