Alli squinted back the way they had come. “From what I can see, I’m guessing that marks the end of the warehouse we were inside. Good idea to use a short fuse and get us out of there fast, Mari.”
“Thanks,” Mari said. “Hopefully, now that I’m not hauling around that far-talker, the Mechanics Guild assassins will keep shooting at and blowing up warehouses for a while before they notice we’ve gone.” She glanced back at her group, Mage robes and Mechanic jackets intermingled. “Guys, this looks weird. Really, really weird. Alli and Dav, Mechanic Dav that is, get in front so the commons will clear a path for you. Alain and I will go next, because we still look like commons, then Asha and Mage Dav. That way we won’t look like we’re all together.”
They walked, trying to keep up a good pace but not so fast as to look like fugitives. Not for the first time, Mari envied the Mages’ ability to look totally emotionless no matter what was happening.
Alli turned her head to talk to Mari. “So, you’ve already got a plan for dealing with the Mechanic ship?”
“Uh…”
Alain’s hand came to rest comfortingly on Mari’s shoulder as he answered for her. “Yes, Mari has a plan.”
“Good.” Alli and Mechanic Dav both seemed reassured.
Mari leaned close to Alain. “I have a plan?” she whispered.
“Yes, you do. The same plan we used on the Mechanic ship.”
Mari gave him a baffled look. “The make-it-up-as-we-go-along plan?”
“I thought you preferred to call it improvising.” Alain indicated the others with them. “They have confidence in you, but still need the comfort of feeling that you have the situation under control.”
“Alain, tonight I wouldn’t even be able to recognize a situation that was under control,” Mari confessed.
“They only need to believe you can lead them and they will follow you anywhere.”
“Is that supposed to be comforting? Because it isn’t. It was bad enough when your life was my responsibility, Alain, but now there were four more riding on my decisions.”
Alli dropped back a little again, nodding her head in Asha’s direction, her voice a whisper that only Mari could hear. “Where did you find her?”
“She’s an old friend of Alain’s,” Mari replied.
“Oh.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing! If you’re comfortable with that, then—”
“Comfortable with what?” Mari demanded.
Alli gave her a doubtful look. “You have noticed how beautiful she is, haven’t you?”
“Duh. She’s got a great butt, too, in case you haven’t noticed that.”
“I haven’t had the chance, but I’m sure Dav of Midan has drooled over the sight of it.” Alli rolled her eyes. “You’re not worried about her and, uh…”
“No.” Mari turned a baffled look on Alli. “Alain thinks I’m better-looking than she is.”
“No way!” Alli grinned. “Maybe he’s seeing the inner you.”
Mari couldn’t help smiling, too, grateful for the distraction from her worries. “Oh, yeah, the inner me has to be one incredibly hot female, huh? If Alain could see the real inner Mari he’d have run away a long time ago.”
“I don’t think so. Why does Asha keep calling you ‘friend Mari’?”
“She is my friend,” Mari explained. “And that’s pretty special to her. She hasn’t had any friends, Alli. Not like you and me. Not ever. Asha can’t really show it, but she keeps calling me that because it means so much to Asha to have a friend.”
“Really?” Alli shook her head. “No friends. That must have been rough. Were you Alain’s first friend, too?”
“Uh, yeah, I guess so.”
“That’s our Mari.” Alli laughed, checked her rifle, then walked faster for a moment to catch up with Mechanic Dav.
Well-lit streets were visible ahead, a fair number of people still upon them despite the late hour, but many of those people were now ignoring the bars and nightclubs which tried to lure them in. Instead, most were staring to the west, where lights flared, the not-too-distant crack of Mechanic rifles sounded off and on, and an occasional deeper boom marked large explosions going off. The faint sound of fire bells ringing deeper in the city carried between the closer and louder noises of destruction.
Mari guessed that the Mechanic assassins were methodically blowing open warehouse after warehouse in search of her and Alain, while shooting at anything that moved. The rodent population of the warehouse compound was certain to be taking a serious hit tonight. It felt odd to know that the battle sounds Mari was hearing were aimed at her when she was outside the area of battle and trying to get farther away by the moment.
“This is the high-class district,” Mechanic Dav looked back to announce as they entered the crowded streets. “Most of the people here are citizens of the city. They don’t usually go down to the entertainment district by the port.”
“What’s the difference between the entertainment district in Altis and the one down by the port?” Mari asked.
Alli gave Mari an incredulous look. “Mari, don’t you know anything about sailors?”
“Not much, no.”
“Cheap booze, cheap entertainment, cheap food,” Mechanic Dav summed up. “Back home they’ve got nice families and nice houses. In a foreign port they’ve got good times.”
“But we need to get down to the port,” Mari said, exasperated. “Are you saying there’s not much traffic between here and there at this hour?”
“Not much, no. During the day we’d blend in. But at night we’ll stand out.”
Their group cut through a swarm of commons that split like a frightened school of fish to make way for the Mechanics in front and the Mages behind them. “At least all of the other Mechanics are busy trying to catch us and we don’t have to worry about being spotted,” Mari remarked.
“Unfortunately for that idea, one approaches even now,” Alain warned.
Mari turned to see a Mechanic hurrying toward them, her jacket easy to spot in the crowd. “I had to open my big mouth. Does anybody know her?” The Mechanic looked young, about Mari’s age.
“It’s Bev.” Alli waved in greeting. “I think she’ll be all right, but act casual, Dav.”
“Casual? We’re both armed and the city is being blown apart back there.”
“Just try.”
“Bev’s a little… high-strung, Alli,” Dav protested. “Are you sure she won’t blow her circuit breaker when she sees us?”
“I think she deserves a chance,” Alli said firmly.
The other Mechanic came running up, breathing heavily. “Alli, Dav? What’re you doing? They sent me to find you guys. The Guild needs every—” Bev’s eyes had been wandering across the group as she spoke and now came to rest on Mari. “Oh, no.” Bev’s hand went for her waist, where a holstered revolver was visible.
Dav was the closest and grabbed her arm. “Bev, it’s all right.”
“All right? Don’t you know who she is? That’s her!”
“I know.” Dav shrugged apologetically. “I’m with her now. Me and these others.”
“Dav, that’s crazy! Let go of me. If the Guild finds out, they’ll kill you!”
Told you, Dav mouthed at Alli.
“Bev,” Alli insisted, “you can trust Mari.”
“We have to follow orders, Alli!” Bev pleaded.
Mari stepped forward, eyeing Bev. “Why are you working for people who want to kill your friends?”
Bev froze, staring at Mari like a bird viewing a snake that was ready to strike. “Don’t talk to me.”
“Mechanic Bev, you—”