Fee moved quickly to the side of the building with Trayla right behind her. The path was clear, a well-worn walkwaythrough silver green ground cover, which released a spicy scent where she crunched it underfoot.
As Eazi said, they emerged one warehouse down from where the hover was parked. There was no way to go around the back, as there was a wall separating the two warehouses, so they were forced to walk along the street.
“If they were watching us as well as Natta back at the market, they’ll know immediately why we’re here.” Trayla kept her head down, and used her body to block Fiona from anyone watching from inside.
“Nothing we can do about that,” Fiona said, but she didn’t like it either. It left her feeling very exposed.
They strolled past the front of the warehouse and then went down the narrow alley along the side. They approached the runner with caution but it was empty.
There was a door set into the side wall close by, which explained why they’d parked there, and Fiona went up to it and carefully tried the handle.
It did not turn.
“There’s no obvious way to unlock it,” Trayla murmured, crowding Fee out the way to get a look herself.
There was no keypad, no swipe interface. Just a handle that wouldn’t even turn.
“We’ll have to use the front door, then,” Fee said. Leaving was not an option.
“We’ll lose the element of surprise that way,” Trayla said.
“I don’t see that we have a choice. Set your shockgun to a low setting and we can go in hard.” She felt her heart hitch a little at the thought, but she wasn’t going to leave Natta in there a moment longer than necessary.
“We don’t have official permission to shoot our way into a Balcoan warehouse.” Trayla’s hand moved to her lower back,and Fee guessed that was where her small shockgun was holstered.
“I’ll make it right with the authorities if we catch some trouble for it.” She had a lot of pull, and Baruke had no leg to stand on if any of this was sanctioned by his government. The Grih would support her.
Trayla gave a nod. “Then let’s not waste time.”
Her acceptance helped steady Fee’s own nerves.
They walked around the front.
“Me, first,” Fee said, lifting her wrist and flashing her bracelet. With a nod, Trayla pulled open the heavy door, holding it for Fiona to go through.
Someone shot a shockgun blast straight at her as she stepped inside.
The bracelet flared and there was a thump as the shooter fell.
She tugged on her silver pendant and flicked it to telescope out as it detached.
The Balcoan woman who’d shot at her had been standing behind a reception desk, but now she was lying awkwardly behind it.
Her office chair had broken her fall a little and her head was resting on the chair’s base.
Trayla rounded the desk and eyed the woman. “She was quick to shoot.” She bent and picked up the shockgun, then settled her smaller one back in place under her shirt.
“They must have lens feed of us coming in. They know we’re here.” Which meant they had to move. Speed was their friend now.
She glanced at Trayla, got a confirming nod, and then jogged toward the door at the back of the small front office.
Before she got there, another Balcoan, a man this time, burst out of it.
She reacted on instinct, slashing with the silver rod, and he went down sideways with a scream of agony.
It shocked her into stopping dead.
“Nasty.” Trayla almost ran into the back of her, and being much taller looked over her shoulder at their attacker. She shot him in the chest and he slumped down, unconscious.
