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

Chapter 44 - Backed Against a Wall

Gangs Aren't My Style

Book I of the Black Death Trilogy

PART THREE :: Cast Your Armor Down

Chapter 44 - Backed Against A Wall

Ally placed a single kiss to Kyle's forehead then stood to her feet. She tried to walk out of the alley quickly but had to stop at the exit, laying her hand on the building beside her. She drew in a shaky breath, a tear beginning to snake its way down her cheek. As much as she wanted to bring him with her, Ally knew that Kyle's primary obligation was to his leader, not her. There was nothing to say that she would not wake up one morning to find herself returned to her brother by Kyle's hand.

With that knowledge, she forced herself to slip back out onto the crowded street. Like before, she made sure to keep close to the buildings and out of the cameras' views. It took everything within her not to watch her back but she did not want to appear suspicious by looking over her shoulder constantly.

The bus station finally came into view, slowly peeking into view as it emerged from behind the building in front of it. Ally sighed in relief. Perhaps there was a chance that she could make it after all.

Acting quickly, she dropped her head and matched her pace with the crowd as a camera swiveled around, into her direction. She waited until she knew she was clear of its range of sight to lift her head back up and examine the station. There were about four cameras monitoring the outside of the station and the boarding area, plus however many were located inside.

Keeping her head down and sliding her hands into her front pockets, Ally began to walk leisurely towards the bus station instead of the numerous busses parked by the entrance. She knew that she needed to be quick and remain undetected but she also knew that her escape would be helpless without a bus schedule or someone to help her figure out which bus numbers she would need to get to Rock Springs, Wyoming. As long as she did not leave any trace of her route for her brother or Soverage to find, she would be able to reach Trenton's vacation house without incident. When there, she would be safe. To her, the destination seemed so obvious a choice that they wouldn't look there.

As Ally stepped inside the main terminal of the station, she was immediately assaulted with the scent of sweaty bodies and fresh paint. She cringed in irritation but did not allow it to deter her as she walked over to the enormous display poster of the many bus routes. Each route was shown in a different color with a number printed beside. Even with the diagram, however, Ally could not make out which busses she would need to take.

Clenching her jaw in frustration, she walked to the main desk. "Hi, can you help me get to Rock Springs, Wyoming?"

The lady behind the desk looked up gave her a friendly smile, pulling up something on her computer. "Sure, it's no problem. Let me just look this up and write the directions down for you."

"Thank you so much," Ally said, a genuine smile on her lips as the woman pulled out a pad of paper and a pen, scribbling down the bus numbers and stops. Ally briefly thanked her when she laid the paper onto the counter between them, then turned back towards the entrance. She glancing down at the paper in her hand and, upon seeing the length of the directions, decided that she would only worry about boarding her first bus before worrying about the rest of the stops that would remain.

However, first there was a more pressing matter to attend to. She needed money for the bus fare.

Thus, as she crossed the station's floor, Ally inconspicuously bumped into a man and slipped her skilled fingers into his coat pocket while she apologized. Walking away, she opened up the man's wallet and searched through it for any money. Ally smiled in triumph when she pulled out two twenties. Then, just before she exited the doors of the station, her smile dissipated into a frown. She would have to get change.