Clear Skies

Chapter 6: Blackout

Waves washing over rocks serenaded the dawn. Jack, Yusei, Kalin, and I huddled over a device on the hideout's table. The locator blinked red. The passing seconds kept my aching heart in time's tight grip.

The color shifted to yellow, and the device vibrated. Kalin snatched it up. "Bingo! Follow me!"

We sprinted southbound. I covered my nose and mouth with my elbow. The rival gang's location was deep within the factory district, where the thickest smog poisoned the air. The sign outside the gang hideout said once upon a time it was a for-rent office building within the factory cluster.

"This way," Yusei whispered. He led us up a fire escape. Rust on the topmost section created a wide gap separating us from the roof. Yusei, Jack, and Kalin made the leap with ease. Kalin lingered, watching my attempt.

I crouched, broke into a running start, and jumped up to the roof. I staggered forward a few steps, pulse pounding in my achy feet. A hand on my elbow steadied me. Kalin smiled at me and hustled towards the other two, who knelt behind an air duct.

A loud yawn broke the silence. A tall guy with goggles took heavy steps around Crow, whose wrists were locked behind his back. The guy said, "Didn't realize you Team Satisfaction bastards were dumb enough to stare at our place in broad daylight. Tell us where your gang's hideout is or else."

"Eat shit!" Crow countered.

"He needs help," I murmured.

"Not yet," Yusei said. "We could get valuable information from this."

The gang member said, "Last chance, birdbrain. Where's the Team Satisfaction hideout?"

Crow responded with his cheeky grin. The gang member reared back and kicked Crow's gut. A blur beside me left my head spinning. Kalin vaulted over the metal air duct, hit the ground running, and threw his momentum into his fist. His knuckles met the gang member's cheek with an audible crack.

Crow coughed and sputtered, "The hell, guys? Y'really needed those two minutes of watching me?"

"Sorry. Bad call on my part," Yusei said.

"Goddamn ziptie," Kalin grumbled from behind Crow. "Anybody got a knife?"

No one spoke up. I checked my extra pockets to no luck. Crow said, "What? I'm stuck in these? I can't even duel!"

"Maybe we'll find scissors inside," I suggested. He groaned anyway.

"Enough chitchat," Jack demanded. "Where are they?"

"Couple on each floor," Crow said, his tone defeated.

Yusei and Jack looked to each other and, in silent agreement, took the roof entrance into the building. Crow hopped up and planted his butt on the unconscious gang members' back. I noticed drops of blood from the guy's busted lip on his chin. A couple of Kalin's knuckles had the same red stains.

Crow got comfortable, saying, "Don't have too much fun without me."

"We'll come help as soon as we find something," I said.

"At least someone cares!"

"He's just being a drama queen," Kalin said. "They took the top floor, so we'll go a couple flights down. Quiet from here on, alright?"

We took the stairs at a pace slow enough to allow silence. Kalin cracked open the door to the second floor, peered in, and thrust it open. I chased after his sprint. He said, "You take the close one!"