~~Young~~

Chapter Twelve

   Unless he knew she was there that night, unless he was there to take her in.

   But she did, she managed to grab a taxi and get away- to Gage’s surprise when she practically ran from him- before he could utter a single word. She hadn’t even turned back to see if he had begun questioning Gage, didn’t want to involve him any further by showing concern. She did get a text from him though “guess that means goodbye…” shortly after her escape. She never got around to responding to him, she had meant to, but she had to tell someone she was pretty sure she had been made first.

   And wasn’t that a pleasant conversation with Nathan, she thought dryly.

   She had called Duncan first but only got a voicemail. Then tried Chels, and though she picked up, there really wasn’t anything she could do either because A: she was lower ranked then Sera so she had even less sway then she did. And B: they were all suspended anyway.

   It wasn’t that Nathan grew angry with her, he didn’t raise his voice or seem to lose his calm at all, but he did grow quiet. And quiet was worse when it came to Nathan. She asked if he wanted her to call off the drop for Lacy but he said no. If she was indeed being tailed then they had to be aware of her actions in some way. And if she didn’t do what they expected her to, did something other then what they were told she would do, they would know they had been made. He didn’t want to show that hand quite yet. First he wanted to make sure she was being followed and then by who. Just because her Uncle was the latest mark didn’t mean he was the only one and hardly the only one who Sera had taken actions against.

   Until they knew the who and the why she needed to go about things like business as usual, once they had a name they would take care of it. Because her and the rest of her Angel’s had been shelved for the time being meant she was to have no involvement except as bait.

   She slumped against the ledge and turned her back to the pharmacy as her eyes fell on the glass door. She saw past it, past the street and the dwindling cars and people mulling about at this late hour. She checked her phone, it was nearly eleven, just a few minutes and the pharmacy would be closed even if the store itself was twenty four hours. Looking back outside she imagined the buildings melting away, street by street the path cleared for her mind’s eye until she could see only the bay.

   It was the few positive memories she had of her parents, when they would take her for rides on the ferry. Of course it was usually so they could meet certain…business people and hear their proposals somewhere away from prying ears, but still Sera enjoyed the jaunt across the bay. They would always talk it up, get her excited to go take a boat ride as if it was the most exciting thing she could do. Once there she would climb to the highest level and sit at the front most point of the barge, where there was nothing to obstruct her view. Her mom would point out certain buildings to her- the one’s they owned or had some part in their business mostly- before leaving her to herself so she could take care of her affairs. But that was okay, because there Sera had found peace also, but long before the pressures of the world had found her.

   Then it was just to get away from the expectations of her high class family and their ideas of what a good little girl should be. There she could stare across the inlet and imagine only possibilities, of what she could be, of what the future would bring for her. Then she could only see good things, still deluded by child fantasies of fairy god mothers who might someday take her away. How quickly had she learned that not only were there no god mothers, but no god either, no one to look after those who couldn’t of themselves.

   And that was exactly why she did what she did now, so that those who needed it could have some hope that the future can’t possibly be as bitter as they imagine. At least that was the goal, it sure hadn’t helped her any.