S-Dub was smart. I couldn’t double back tothe back of the building, and I couldn’t escape anywhere from theside I was on—I was surrounded by buildings that I couldn’t enter.And from the sounds of pounding feet, I wouldn’t have time to runto the front of the building and slip into the small parking garageeither. I licked my lips and tasted the salt of sweat beading on myupper lip.
In a rush, I looked all around; my onlyoption was to climb the rain gutter spout. I wiggled it. It wasold. Would it support my weight? I had to chance it. I jumped up asfar as I could and shimmied up the pipe, sure my white button-upshirt was getting all kinds of dirty. I cut my hand on one of thebrackets that braced the pipe to the building, but I couldn’t stopand check it out. I bit down on the pain and pulled myself furtherup the pipe, feeling my skirt get caught on the same bracket I’dcut my hand on. I was almost to the roof. The sound of feet fromthe back of the building pounded nearer, and the door just to theside of where I was opened wide. They’d be upon me any second. Ipulled hard, hearing the skirt rip. I gripped the edge of the roofjust as my pursuers rounded the corner. I could feel their presencebelow me, hear their heavy breathing.
I didn’t dare move. One sound and they’dlook up. My arm strained, and my grip loosened as sweat slicked myhand. I closed my eyes and said a prayer that no one would look up.The two groups of kids were directly below me.
“No one’s here,” one male voice said.
“S-Dub’s imagining things.” Someone kicked arock and sent it rolling down the sidewalk.
“He usually doesn’t do that.” There wasscorn in this boy’s voice. “He’s got a sharp eye.”
I could feel them looking all around.
Please don’t look up! I glanced at mywhite-knuckled hand and its precarious hold on the edge of theroof, my other gripping the pipe. I watched helplessly as a drop ofblood pooled on the edge of my hand and then dropped to the groundright behind one of the kids, barely missing his head.
“Let’s get back in,” the first voice chimedin. “We’ve only got half an hour to perfect this. Tonight’s thenight, and we won’t have another chance. We can’t let S-Dubdown.”
I heard murmurs of assent and footstepsmoving toward the front of the building just as my hand slipped. Ipressed my legs hard into the pole and pushed my shoes even harderinto the brick exterior of the building, latching my now-loose handon the pole in hopes of gaining some stability. I held my breathuntil I was sure they’d had enough time to get back inside. Withrenewed effort, I made my way down the pole and, once on theground, with utmost stealth, I made my way into the parking garageto wait it out.
Chapter 5
Blood dripped from the deep cut on my hand.I ripped my dirty shirt and wrapped the strip of cloth around thegash, hoping to stem the tide. It stung. Leaning against the cementwall, out of the path of the masses walking on the sidewalk, Ithought about what I’d seen and heard. Tonight’s the night.What were they doing tonight? Stealing cars? Putting their learningto good use? I waited ten anxious minutes before venturing back outof the garage and melting into the foot traffic on thesidewalk.
I walked casually, bumping along the crowdedsidewalk to the next block. The noise of the city pressed in on me:people chatted on phones, vendors shouted, and obviously frustrateddrivers honked their horns, urging the cars in front of them todrive faster even though it was impossible. I ducked into a littlealcove, trying to muffle some of the noise and pulled out my phone.I cringed a little as I dialed Jeremy. The day had barely evenstarted and I was already calling for help. It definitely dulled alittle of the triumph I’d felt at being right about S-Dub. Therewas nothing for it, though—I needed a new uniform, not to mentionsome mild medical attention. I bit my lip and hit call.
A few minutes later, Jeremy met me near asubway hole, a bag of supplies in his hand.
It might have been my imagination, but itseemed he was barely containing the urge to shout, “I told you so.”This was not how this day was supposed to go at all. I was supposedto be calming Jeremy’s fears, showing him I had this mission easilyunder control. Instead, my disheveled uniform and gashed hand musthave screamed, “She’s completely inept!” I didn’t think it wouldhelp if I explained that it was quick thinking and pretty amazingphysical prowess that had helped me avoid getting caught. The factwas I’d nearly blown my cover in the first half hour of themission. Not good.
“Don’t beat yourself up, Christy,” Jeremy’svoice cut into my thoughts, taking me by surprise. Had he read mymind? “Things go wrong sometimes. You handled yourself well,though. That took some quick thinking not to get made.”
“Thanks,” I said, hesitantly. Had I misreadhis facial expression? I thought he’d be ready to lay on thelecture, but he hadn’t.
“Come on. Let’s take care of that hand.” Wewalked to the park and sat on a secluded bench. He numbed my handand stitched it up. He worked quickly with strong, experthands.
“It wasn’t as deep as I’d thought when youfirst showed it to me.”
“Yeah, the blood made it seem worse than itreally was. It barely even hurts.”
“Next task,” Jeremy said, holding up a bagwith fresh clothes and nodding to a nearby café. “You can getchanged in there.”
He ordered a coffee and a croissant, and Iducked into the restroom with the bag he’d brought. I changed intothe new uniform and changed my hairstyle. I’d had
