The figure stumbled – stopped – turned. Danny froze. “Ro?”
His sister stared at him, her eyes wide. Danny took a half-step towards her. “Ro… what are you doing here?”
She stepped back, retreating as he advanced. She shook her head. Danny stopped. “Don’t run,” he said, under his breath. “Don’t do it. Please don’t do it. Ro, please…”
Ro turned and sprinted away, between the buildings. Danny took off in pursuit, cursing the entire way. If only his parents had stopped with one kid, this wouldn’t be happening. She vaulted a low brick wall, vanishing around a corner. Danny skidded after her, remembering too late what happened every time he’d chased her as a kid –
Danny ducked. Ro’s punch caught him in the cheek rather than the side of the head, and he stumbled. He swung his gun up, and she brushed it aside, out of his grip, and hit him again. She yelped as her fist connected with the plates of his body armour, and he shoved her back. He raised his fists, searching for his weapon. Ro circled him, ready to fight.
“Why the fuck you chasing me for?”
“Why the fuck you in that flat, sis?” Danny snarled back. She lunged, and he caught the blow on his forearm. Before he could recover, she hit him in the side, just below the edge of his armour. He threw his own punch in response, and she jerked aside.
“Well weak, bruv,” she said.
“Why are you here?”
“Free country, innit?”
Danny grimaced. He didn’t want to trade punches with Ro, no matter how much she might deserve it. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I was trying to leave, but you had to chase me, didn’t you?” She feinted right, and he flinched back, forearms raised to absorb the blow. She looped a blow towards his head and he fell back against the wall, narrowly avoiding it.
“Are you here working for the Kelleys?” he demanded. Over her shoulder, he spotted Hattersley, running towards them. “Shit. Trip me.”
She frowned and lowered her guard. “What?”
“Trip me, idiot.” He lunged, and she dropped, sweeping his legs out from under him. He fit the ground, catching himself on his palms. She leapt over him and was gone, running full pelt. Hattersley shouted something, but she didn’t stop this time. Danny partner reached him a moment later, puffing slightly. “Holy shit, she was fast.”
“Yeah,” Danny said, pushing himself to his knees.
“What happened?” Hattersley asked, looking around. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah, just… surprised me.”
“Looks like they kicked your arse.” Hattersley reached out a hand, and Danny took it. The other man hauled him to his feet. “Should we go after them?”
“Nah… no. Leave it. Anything in the flat?”
“Not that I saw.” Hattersley leaned over and spit. “It’s a shithole.”
“Worse than yours?”
“Hey, I resemble that remark.” Hattersley looked up. “Lot of drones. Bet one of them got a look at the intruder. We might be able to pull an image.”
Danny froze, just for a moment. Thankfully, Hattersley didn’t notice. “Yeah. Good idea. I’ll handle it when we get back to base.”
“You sure? It’ll take some time.”
“Don’t you have a date?”
“I probably do, and thank you for your sacrifice.” Hattersley grinned and slapped him on the back. “You’re a true brother in arms, Hayes.”
Danny snorted. “You’re welcome.” His gaze strayed in the direction Ro had gone. He turned and clapped Hattersley on the shoulder. “Right. Let’s get back in there and take a look. That way we can tell Faulkner we did it.”
“If we don’t find anything, he ain’t going to be happy,” Hattersley said, doubtfully.
“When is he ever happy?”
“He smiles a lot.”
“So do fucking hyenas. Don’t mean they won’t eat you.” Danny shook his head. “Come on, move. Before the local dope heads clean the place out.”
14: Signal
It was getting dark by the time Olly arrived at the rally point, dishevelled and out of breath. Liz watched him through the window. The glass had been soaped, but she could just about see through it. “He looks like he’s been run over.”
He almost was. But he managed to scrape a win, in the end.
“You sound almost proud, Bagley.”
If I could feel such a thing, now would be a moment for it.
Liz sat back in her booth with a snort. Her own journey had been no easy thing. She’d ditched the drone in the park and made for the Chisenhale Gallery. There was a showing and crowd. She’d blended in, and left Albion looking lost. As far as she knew, they were still chasing her ride. She’d sent the drone towards Clapton with a false GPS ping attached.
She looked around. The café was a pop-up, nesting in the refurbished remnants of a Staroger coffee shop across from the park. All the bland company branding had been gutted and loose wiring, decorated with fairy lights, hung through the ceiling tiles. The floor had been stripped of lino, but someone had taken the time to put down carpet squares under the seating section.
It was cramped, the lavatories were out of order and the menu was miniscule, but it was safe enough and she like the place’s counter-corporate vibe. Olly spotted her, and sidled towards the booth, looking around nervously. As he sat, she said, “Have fun?”
“No,” he said flatly. “I never want to do that again.”
“I’ve got some bad news for you, then. That was just another day at the office for us.” She paused. “Do you still have it?”
“Safe as houses,” he said. He patted his bag. “I thought at first I’d broken it when I fell off the bus, but it’s still in one piece.”
“You fell off a bus?” Liz asked, in some surprise.
“Yeah, after the drone crashed.”
She shook her head. A waitress came by to take Olly’s order. When she’d gone, he said, “Maybe we should keep moving.
