Gangs Aren't My Style (A Black Death Novel)

Chapter 77 - Smoke Rising

Gangs Aren't My Style

Book I of the Black Death Trilogy

PART FOUR :: Leave The Front Line Behind

Chapter 77 - Smoke Rising

"Hey bro," Ally drawled, her words drawn out as she pouted with a pronounced bottom lip.

James groaned in irritation as he looked over at her from where he sat on the couch with papers spread out around him. "What do you want now?"

"Can I please go for a walk in the woods to get some fresh air?" she pleaded, leaning onto the back of the couch.

Ally could see the suspicion flare up in his eyes and realized that she had been smart to wait a week since breaking into his office to ask him. Even though she had been able to distract him and then go back after he was asleep, putting everything back into its place, Ally couldn't help but wonder if he was a little wary of her actions. He hadn't mentioned anything, so she assumed that she had been able to return everything before he noticed its misplacement but there was no way to be sure since she had left him alone in his office to rush back to her room and 'get changed' but, more importantly, also hide the flash drive and camera.

"Why do you want to go outside?"

"I'm bored and there's nothing to do here. Besides," Ally added for good measure as she raised her wrist in proof, "I have this thing permanently attached to me, meaning that I am not going to be running away. You can even stare at the tracking screen while I'm gone for all I care, just please let me out of this claustrophobic building."

James rolled his bottom lip into his mouth and his eyes flickered over her face as he pondered her request. "Alright, I guess you can go-"

"You're the best!" Ally exclaimed with a wide smile, running around the sofa and throwing her arms around him.

"You didn't let me finish," he protested, prying her arms away from him so that he could look her in the eyes as he spoke. "You can go if you take Damon with you."

Ally mentally let out a string of profanities, her mind scrambling for some excuse as to why she should go by herself or some situation where she could get away from him long enough to drop the flash drive off for the police. Surely she could think of a way to get away from him for a couple minutes, right?

Finally deciding that she would just have to improvise and think up something while they were out in the woods, Ally nodded. "That's fine."

Giving him one last squeeze and then standing up, she made sure that her expression and actions displayed that of an excited twenty-one year old. Hurriedly making her way to the door, Ally threw back over her shoulder, "Thank you!"

"Mhm," was his grunted reply.

Slowing down her walk and dropping the smile from her face as soon as she had closed the door behind her, Ally's hand flew up to feel the rectangular flash drive through her T-shirt. Taking a long breath as she reached Damon's door, she knew that she would have to find some way to get this drive back to the police. She had come too far to not finish this. Freedom was within her grasp and she would have to be dead or delusional to let it bypass her once again.

Knowing full well that she would never be able to get outside of the base's new security without him, Ally raised her fist and knocked on Damon's door. He answered relatively quickly, probably a habit he'd acquired as a gang member, never knowing when the person knocking on his door might be his impatient superior.

It was obvious the second he spotted her because confusion flashed through his eyes and he glanced behind her, as if expecting her brother to be lurking in her shadow. "Ally? What are you doing here?"