Cool air brushed by my ears and my nose twitched, smelling sweat. Not mine. Someone was nearby.
"Pssh, here, baby girl," a door creaked open a little and light spilled out. A woman beckoned at me. "Come on in. There's a curfew and those soldiers don't take any nonsense. The patrol will be coming 'round any moment now. Get in here."
Hearing the patrol was coming, I ducked into the door and it was immediately shut behind me. I heard the murmur of many people further inside and the sound of music. It made me frown in confusion.
"Look at you," the woman looked me up and down. "You look like you just got out of bed."
"I think I did," I nodded agreement.
"You a sleepwalker?" the woman pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow. "That ain't a good problem during these times. Look, you can stay the night. Most of them downstairs do. If you're scared to go down and join the fun, feel free to stay up here. The toilet is just down the hall."
"What is this place?" I asked, looking around at the gaudy decorations and neon arrow sign pointing at the staircase.
"Ah, this is our new and improved Chequers Pub and Gambling Den after a disgruntled customer blew up the last one. Crazy old fool. Do you want to come down and have a look? No? Hey. Hey. Baby girl, you listening? Hello?"
Chequers Pub and Gambling Den. That sounded familiar. Where had I heard it before?
"Who's this? A stray? You picking up strays now? When did you gain any compassion?" a man came up the stairs and questioned the woman who was trying to get my attention again. He sidled around me, looking at me from all angles. "Hey, what hellish luck is this? The girl looks like the one in the project poster downstairs. You know the poster that tribe of crazy drinkers put up for people to mess with her and her half caste family?"
"Heh," the woman scoffed at the man. "Why do you think I asked her in? Idiot."
"That tribe will pay us a good reward once we deliver her back to them," the man rubbed his hands. "What's with her? You drug her already?"
"No. I think there's something wrong with her brain," the woman gestured at her head and I agreed. She wasn't really wrong. "See. Look at her nodding with a smile. She should be easy to deal with."
A voice called out from the bottom of the stairs and the couple turned around. I took the chance to dart at the door and was halfway out when someone caught me by the hair and yanked me back. A pained cry tore from my throat.
I wasn't going back to the tribe. I couldn't. I refused. I'd rather die than be sent back there. Even if my name had been removed from the family stones, I had caused the tribe to be shamed in public. Shigure had reprimanded them and protected me. For that, they would definitely want revenge. If I was taken back to the tribe, what awaited me was a life worse than death.
I'd be chained in one of those back caves that stank so bad it made some people retch. I'd be forced to birth children for the tribe and if I couldn't give them children, I'd become a slave and plaything for the sour elderly elders. They were all sadists. I couldn't go back. I couldn't.
I fought with everything that I had, making as much noise as I could.
The motor engine of a vehicle was heard and I was kicked so hard that I could barely breathe. The front door was slammed shut and I was dragged into an adjacent room, where a hand was held over my mouth. My captors fell into silence, breathing rapidly.
There was a knock on the door. A long silence and then another, heavier knocking.
"City Police! Open up!" a voice barked.
"Go, go, you go open it," my captors whispered, pushing each other.
Eventually the woman who had welcomed me in, opened the door a crack.
"Yes, officers, how can I help you?" she yawned as fake as can be.
I bit the hand over my mouth and tasted blood. There was swearing and someone slapped me hard across the face. I fought for all I was worth to break free.
"Help!" I cried when my mouth was freed, but my next cry was lost when a fist in my abdomen winded me.
Even so, I scrambled and scrabbled for the door.
The front door was kicked in and there was a rush of activity. I found myself in the arms of someone I had not seen for a long time. He half lifted and half dragged me out of that dangerous house.
"Kim," said Sarden in surprise while we stood outside under a streetlight. "What are you doing here?"
"You Sarden Fish," I rested my head on his shoulder in relief. "Who would have thought I'd owe you one day?"
"What's going on, Kim? I thought they said you'd been sent away somewhere deep undercover?" Sarden took a good look at me and gently touched my swollen cheek, wiping away my tears.
"They were hiding the fact that I was being sent away to recover and hide from my enemies. I happened across them by accident though," I pointed. "There's a gambling den in there and other stuff. I don't know what's in there, but your people should go have a look. Don't forget to find the back door. They're called the Chequers Pub and Gambling Den."
"Kim, Kim," Sarden allowed me to sink down onto the ground and easing my way down, gesturing to his colleagues who were talking into the radio. "What's wrong?"
"I escaped out of the frying pan and into the fire," I gave Sarden a crooked grin, feeling all my strength drain out of me with the relief at finding some form of safety. "I think I'm gonna pass out. It's been crazy busy."
"No, no, no, Kim. Not yet. Not yet. Don't pass out yet. Our people are on the way. You stay awake. I don't know what's wrong with you."
"Neither do I," I gave a short laugh, trying to rally myself and gather some strength. "What you doing with the police?"
"Got loaned out," Sarden grinned.
"Gun!" someone yelled and Sarden immediately pressed me to the ground beneath him. Gunfire flew in an exchange overhead.
"Hey," I murmured. "You've actually improved."
"Shut up, Kim. I don't need that from someone who got into the top one hundred in the last assessment. What happened to being fellow barrel scrapers together?"
"At least you're strong and healthy," I pinched his arm muscles. "Look at these muscles. You've been working hard."
"Of course. It was make it or go home. Of course I had to push myself," Sarden told me, but his attention wasn't with me. It was on those people defending the building.
"Backup's on the way," shouted the driver in the patrol car.
Vehicles screeched around the corner and soldiers piled out. They went about securing the area. In the meantime, I was helped up and over to a nondescript car that had arrived last.
"Kim," said the voices of people I only partially recognised. I knew they were from my office but I didn't know their names.
Sarden gave a rapidfire report while I was bundled into the car. My eyes were closing after having expended so much energy today. For someone who had only recently started walking again, I thought I'd done pretty well.
My colleagues pinched me to try and wake me up, jabbering away and putting medical equipment on me. Part way down the road, an explosion blew the car off the road and into a street lamp, making whoever was sitting on that side of the car scream with pain through the crunching of metal.
There was a moment of stillness and then people evacuated the car. I was dragged out and the person screaming, pinned by the car and light pole was left until last.
From the grassy nature strip where I had been left, I saw my colleagues fight to move the car and free their friend. With a grunt, I rolled over, refusing to allow myself to pass out just yet. I got up to help them, although I doubted my meagre strength was much use.
"Hold on, hold on," my colleagues shouted at their friend.
There was the popping of gunfire further down the street. Growing closer.
"Dig deep," someone said and I did so.
Pain tore through my head like a speeding, screaming train.
*"Uki-chan!"* I heard Shigure's flash of awareness and distant cry.
In that brief moment of digging deep, I had found the tool I had needed. Grasping it hard, I used it to kick the car free from the streetlight pole and then rip the car door open, so that my colleagues could rescue their friend. And then I collapsed, feeling blood gushing out of my nose. Vaguely I saw them gathered around their friend. None of them looked back behind them to see me.
I sighed. Just as well. This was how it was meant to be. How it had always been. At least I hadn't been useless again.