Project Starfall (Completed)

Chapter 17

They found Knox outside stealing coins from the fountain. When he noticed them he looked up with a shark-toothed grin. "Hey boss," he said. "How'd the game go?"

"I won," Pierce said, wincing inwardly at the relief in his face. "But Arthur wouldn't give your rings back ... I'm really sorry."

Knox dropped the coins he was holding and they clattered against the floor. He strode toward the casino's entrance despite multiple protests from Pierce and Grey and the security guards out front. When the guards attempted to stop him, the shark hybrid punched one in the jaw, knocking him out cold, then gripped the other around the neck until he passed out.

"Knox! Stop!" Pierce commanded, but the tall hybrid acted as if he hadn't heard her. Pierce and Grey followed him into the casino, where they were met by a startled Arthur.

"Give me back my rings, old man," Knox snarled.

Arthur raised his hands in a gesture of peace. The nearest security guard was too far away to save him if Knox decided to attack. "Those rings were the price of playing me," Arthur said slowly. "Now please leave and I will still help you and your friends."

"Come on, Knox." Pierce tugged on his arm, but the tall hybrid stood where he was.

"Give me back my rings," Knox repeated. "I won't ask again."

Pierce stepped between Arthur and Knox. "Hold on," she said, turning to Arthur. "What if we make a trade?"

Knox didn't attack, but bared his teeth at Arthur, causing the old man to back away with wide eyes. "Trade?" Arthur sputtered.

"What if you give Knox back his rings and in exchange I will stay here while you get my friends out of the country," Pierce proposed.

"No way," Grey protested, putting a hand on her shoulder. Pierce shrugged it off and glared at him.

Pierce redirected her attention to Arthur. "Do we have a deal?" she asked.

The old man composed himself and nodded. "Deal." He reached into his coat pocket, pulled out the rings, and thrust them toward Knox. The tall hybrid snorted, took the rings, and strode out of the casino.

"Pierce!" Grey spoke frantically as she led the way out the door. "We're not going to leave you!"

"You're not going to leave me." Pierce rolled her eyes as a breeze ruffled her hair. "I can fly, remember? I'll just follow the boat from afar."

Grey looked both relieved and concerned. "Will you be able to make it that far?"

Pierce shrugged. "I guess we'll find out."

"How did it go?" Madigan asked when they returned to the motel. The tiger hybrid and Elliot had been sitting on the floor eating candy bars while playing Uno, and the carpet was littered with wrappers.

"Well enough," Pierce answered, then gestured at the cards and candy. "Where'd you get those?"

"Drugstore across the street," Madigan answered. "We were bored."

Pierce sighed. "I'm sorry you were bored, but it was reckless of you to leave the room."

"Sorry," Elliot said quickly. "It was my idea."

Pierce could tell from the slight change in his voice that Elliot was lying. She guessed the real story was that the kid tried to stop Madigan from leaving, but the tiger hybrid hadn't listened. "It's okay, but don't do it again," Pierce said. She was too tired to care whose idea it really was.