The Job: A Darklight Chronicle (prequel to Darklight) by Greg L. Turnquist

Author:Greg L. Turnquist
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub

Before you read the first chapter of Darklight, sign up for

another FREE short story prequel!

DARKLIGHT - CHAPTER 1

SNITCH MOVED AS fast as she could in the dark toward the southern edge of the city-state of Kelmar, desperate to not draw attention to herself. Fortunately, rain had caused a haze to fall.

He was coming. Snitch couldn’t believe it. She had to get this information back to the Undergrounders if they were to have any chance to escape.

Her knowledge of this part of the city told her to keep a sharp lookout for rival gangs; gangs that had risen to fill the power vacuum left behind when Melicose purged Kelmar’s palace of all of its nobility.

As she exited an alley, a gust of wind made her clutch the edge of her coat and pull it tight. Steeling herself, she pressed on.

Melicose was coming, according to one of her contacts. What were they going to do?

She approached a familiar corner and slowed when she recognized members of the Raiders. Glancing back, she gulped. Too late to find another route.

“Snitch,” Marlon boomed. “What are you doing here?”

He was the Raiders’ second lieutenant or something. She couldn’t keep track of the ever-changing titles.

“I didn’t know you guys had moved into this block.” Her lips pressed flat as she shifted her weight between her feet. “I was trying to stay off your turf.”

Tall and dark, he crept closer, eyeing her. The others drifted in behind him. “You haven’t answered my question.”

Snitch knew Marlon wouldn’t take kindly to any sort of brush off. She’d heard enough stories of people crossing street gangs, and the last thing she wanted was to become another story.

“I was hooking up with one of my associates to hit a shop. No moonlight, hazy night, perfect opportunity, right?” Snitch had an offer to work such a job. Two weeks ago.

“You know, I believe you. You do shoot for easy hits. But you still crossed onto our turf.”

Hearing where this was headed, her stomach sank. Gang respect was so juvenile . . . and expensive.

Marlon smiled with his square jaw, revealing a couple of teeth missing. “I have to maintain control, or Boss won’t trust me. What kind of job are you doing?”

Without pause, she replied, “A pawn shop. Cheap stuff, but easy to fence. Maybe worth a couple thousand credits.”

“The going rate when you cross turf is ten percent.” Marlon tipped his hat back as his goons formed a wall behind him.

“I don’t have that much on me. And the last time it was five percent.”

“You trade sharp. I’ll tell you what, Snitch, you haven’t crossed us, and your jobs have fed us in the past. Give me a hundred credits, and we can ignore this.”

Snitch fumbled in her pockets, when Marlon stepped up next to her with a short blade. Sweat beaded up on her forehead.

“Watch it there. You’ve been good to us, but there is still a proper way.” He snapped his fingers. “Green, get over here. Check her pockets.”

Snitch pulled out her hands and held them up.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.