Trickster s Girl - By Hilari Bell Page 0,91

would win and the quest would end.

No, her quest would end. Just as Atahalne's quest had ended long ago. It was her magic, not the pouch alone their enemies were tracking. All Raven needed was the medicine bag and a human, any human, who was stupid enough, desperate enough, strong enough to see the truth and take up their duty. It only had to be a human. It didn't have to be her.

I always finish what I start.

Raven was counting on her to finish. The bikers were counting on her to try to finish. To give back their cash and go racing across the border into their trap. Raven's enemies were counting on her to try. And die.

What if she did something no one expected?

The bottom of her stomach dropped away as if she were stepping off a cliff, but Kelsa got off the bike and opened the storage compartment.

She brought out the big satchel. The weight of its load pulled the slit together. It looked more like a fold in the leather than the damage it was. Her heart was pounding, but Kelsa took her time, giving the bikers every chance to see what she was doing. She needed maximum confusion for this to work. Chaos and running crowds. They'd run toward the money, right?

"Hey!" A startled voice came from the bike's com. "What are you doing?"

Kelsa ignored him. Hefting the bag she set off, walking between the lines of cars toward the border station. Toward the border station's guards.

Several of the guards seemed to notice her. Or maybe they were looking at the person whose steps she heard jogging up behind her.

"Hey!" The voice was louder than it had been on the bike's com, and angrier. "What are you doing with my bag?"

Kelsa didn't stop until a rough hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. It was Redhead, and his burns looked even worse in person than they had on the screen. Kelsa no longer cared.

"It is your bag," she said. "And the drugs inside will have your fingerprints and DNA all over them, which is why I'm turning it in to the authorities. They're watching us." She nodded toward the guards, since both her hands were clamped around the bag's handles.

A female border guard had started walking toward them.

The gang leader followed her gaze, and his expression darkened. "They want you for jailbreak. You can't squeal."

"They only want to talk to me about it." She hoped that was true. "They can't prove I did anything. All they're going to do is deport me. You plan to kill me. I'd have to be crazy not to turn myself in."

He didn't even bother to deny it. An angry flush flooded his face as he reached out and grabbed one of the handles. "Give me my bag, bitch."

The approaching guard quickened her pace, but she was still too far away. A man two cars back opened his door, looking concerned, and she could see the worried face of the woman in the car next to them. The woman was turning on her com pod.

"No." Kelsa pulled back, letting the guard see her beginning to struggle, letting the cameras record it.

The soft click of a cocking gun was familiar only from vids, but Kelsa froze, staring at the biker.

Only one of his hands gripped the bag now. The other was concealed beneath it, pointing the gun at her.

"Let go or I'll shoot."

But his gaze flickered toward the guard, who was jogging now, and frowning.

Kelsa met the biker's cold eyes. "There are dozens of cameras recording every move we make. Recording your face. You don't dare."

She gave him several seconds to think about that, to realize its truth, before she let go of the handle he still held and pulled on hers, opening the slit in the leather wide and putting distance between them.

"Gun!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "He's got a gun! He's trying to rob me. Help!"

She twisted her wrist, flipping the gaping bag. Money tumbled into a growing pile, and the plastic gun skittered across the pavement.

Not everyone in the nearby cars could see it, but the guard did. She tapped on her com button, then pulled out her own gun as she ran forward. "Hold it right there! Both of you. Freeze!"

Kelsa let go of her handle and turned to run. The bag swung down revealing the gun in the biker's hand. The woman in the car behind the biker began to scream.

The boom