Junkyard Bargain by Faith Hunter

Author:Faith Hunter [Hunter, Faith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lore Seekers Press
Published: 2021-10-17T18:30:00+00:00

While Cupcake handled the financial details, I watched the heavy gear being loaded. I had gotten everything I needed, a few things I could sell, a handful of cash, and everything Cupcake wanted, which meant a bag of seed packets and a batch of solar panels. Marty ended up with six trays and two rings: the flawless diamond-and-ruby ring and a gold band encrusted with five quarter-karat diamonds.

I checked on Amos, who was soaked in sweat and nearly prostrate with heat exhaustion after helping load and rearrange. There were a dozen empty water bottles on the floor near him and as many more full of pee. Smart man. “Anything?” I asked him softly.

“Yeah. Cats everywhere, and the woman made a tour of the rig. We chatted. I didn’t see her plant anything, but I could have missed it.”

“Copy.” I tapped my earbud. “Mateo. You there?”

“Monitoring cameras and transmissions. The mini-cams caught it. Pull over when you cross the river and I’ll direct you to two tailers.” Tailers were tracking systems that could use vibrations, static electricity, or solar for power. Marty wanted to know where we were. Not unexpected after his slip. Marty wanted to—what? Find us and steal the goods back? Tell someone where we were?

“Let’s take them off now,” I murmured. “Before we leave.”

“You sure? He’s watching you.”

“Yeah? Good. Marty needs a lesson that might make him bleed.”

“What kind of lesson?” Mateo’s mechanical voice was suspicious. “What did I miss?”

“Later. Amos,” I said to the guard, “we’re about to have trouble.”

“Ten-four.” Things moved around in Amos’s hidey-hole as he maneuvered his weapons.

I raised my voice. “Asshole!”

Jagger walked around the corner of the building, a warrior ready for anything. He drew his weapons and stood with his back to the side of the business office. I didn’t see the henchmen. Didn’t mean they were taking naps. Didn’t mean I wasn’t being targeted.

Cupcake appeared, Marty close behind. Mateo told me where the two tailers were planted, and I bent under the diesel’s running board for the first one and stopped at the rig’s back tires for the second one. I stared at Marty and rattled the tailers in my closed fist. “Marty, Marty, Marty,” I said, sounding sad, staring at him as I let my anger free.

Cupcake stepped into the cab and removed her handgun from the side pocket. Cats, sensing problems, came from everywhere. Two hurtled into the cab. The others scattered around, hunting, hiding.

Still sounding sad, I said, “You planned to use these tailers to track me? Take back all the items?” My voice got hard. “Go back on our deal? Maybe turn us over to the MS Angels?”

He raised his hands, all peaceable. “Ms. Smith, I’d never do such a thing. And I’d never do business with a gang.”

I caught a vision from Spy. The two armed men were on the roof of the storefront. They were pointing weapons at us. I sent back a vision of Spy and some of the clowder leaping on top of the men, clawing, and taking a bite out of what skin was available.

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