I did. I was pretty sure this was the route Rome and I took. I glanced across the distance, then behind me. If I had the speed, I might make that jump, but my muscles were still trembling from the climb.
I hadn’t been kidding about being out of shape.
Think…
When I spotted a drain spout, I crossed my mental fingers. It was narrow, and the chill in the air said it would be hard on my fingers, but I could live with bruises.
I’d lived with them for a long time. I scanned the area for watchful eyes. It was a risk…then again, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Swinging out over the edge sent my adrenaline spiking. The roughness of the roof bit into my fingers, but I made the jump on faith alone to catch the drain spout. I slid a good four feet before I had enough purchase to slow the descent.
The metal was rusted in some places and it tore at my fingers, but I ignored the sharpness as I began to monkey my way down. My quads and arms quivered with equal measure as I descended. Never look down. That advice resonated inside of me. Focus on the first step, then the next, then one after that…and then I was standing on the pavement, heart thundering and mind buzzing.
A horn blared in the distance, and I jumped. One quick sweep told me I was still alone. I rubbed my arms against the chill. The hoodie I’d grabbed wasn’t enough to keep the cold all the way out, but it worked to pull up over my hair and I zipped it up for now. Damaged hands in my pockets, I hurried up the alley.
It took a bit of concentration to not run. Running garnered attention. People who walked like they knew where they were going were rarely noticed. I had to resist the urge to cheer when I reached the sidewalk that had been so busy the other day. The sun was still making a slow climb, and the streetlights were all still on. Most of the shops along this stretch were also closed, or at least the visible lobbies of the office buildings were darkened.
I turned north. I needed to put a few blocks of distance between me and the warehouse. Then I needed to figure out where I was. Cash or a credit card would be great right now. Hell, I didn’t even have change for a payphone if there even was one down here. I’d have to rely on the kindness of strangers.
So, distance first.
Then a diner or place to eat.
I was half fucking frozen by the time I reached the spot where Nikki’s coffee cart had been. Disappointment shuddered through me as I stared at the empty bit of pavement. I glanced across the street and then up the block like she would magically appear.
Beyond Doc, Nikki had been the only other person I’d met who wasn’t a Vandal.
And she wasn’t here.
I sighed.
The sun was up…well, sort of. The skies were rapidly turning a leaden gray as storm clouds moved in. The air had also grown colder and colder. Fine, no coffee cart.
Keep going. But not back to the park. I needed to switch directions. I needed to find people or a place I could at least make a phone call.
Then I needed to decide who to call.
I bit the inside of my lip. My list of allies had grown quite thin in the last couple of years. Even those I’d counted as my friends had moved on or focused on their careers or education. If they’d known, they would have helped me. But if I’d told them, I’d have been risking them too.
Four blocks later, my teeth were chattering and I was no closer to a destination than I’d been when I’d climbed out onto the roof. My sense of accomplishment and freedom were rapidly fading. A car swung up beside me, noticeable because while traffic had begun to increase, there wasn’t as much on this route as there’d been the other day.
Was it the weekend or something?
Fuck, that would be my luck.
I kept my gaze forward as the car paced me. Curling my fingers into my palms, I steadied my breath. Was there somewhere I could run if it was one of them? I tried to map out an escape route, but then…
“Little Bit,” Doc called, and I stumbled to a halt and jerked my head around to stare at him through the open window