You’ve got a shadow on your tail, Lina. Seven o’clock,” Gail murmured into the headset.

“Turning left at the parts cart,” Lina replied.

Lina wanted to growl in frustration. This trip had been fraught with one hazardous situation after another. They had scavenged no food, no supplies, absolutely nothing! Lina had all but given up when a group of Waxian guards had swept into the market. Gail and she had been forced to split up at one point and hadn’t yet been able to safely reconnect.

She was thankful Gail had found her again. Turning just past the cart containing junk parts salvaged from space, she headed down a long alley that cut over to the next street. She was almost to the end when two guards stepped into the alley and cut her off.

Turning on her heel, she started to retrace her steps when another guard blocked her way. Lina took a step back and stopped. She was trapped. Her only hope now was that they would just bypass her.

Lowering her head, she picked at the light blue fabric covering her pants. The material looked like a skirt but had slits in it that separated in case she needed to run or climb. She slid her hand down to her side as the sound of their footsteps drew closer.

She wrapped her fingers around the butt of the laser pistol strapped to her thigh. Through the eye holes cut in the textured mask, she could see a pair of worn black boots. She lifted one gloved hand to pull the hood of her cloak lower. Coarse threads of white hung down over her left breast. Maybe she should have chosen one of the hairy men as her costume today instead of that of a Driserian woman.

“You are pretty quick,” the guard who had been following her stated.

Lina kept her head down. Seeing as she could only understand what they were saying, but not respond in their language, she decided pretending to be mute might be her best option at the moment. She swallowed when she saw another pair of boots stop in front of her.

This isn’t going to be good, she thought.

“We’ve been ordered to search every person on this Spaceport. Any that resist will find themselves imprisoned—or worse,” the guard in front of her stated.

Lina wanted to roll her eyes when the other two guards laughed. Really? Like she hadn’t heard that before back on Earth. Some males were pigs no matter where they lived in the universe.

“Let’s get a look at what we are about to have fun with,” the guard on her right said, reaching out to grab her arm.

Left with little choice, Lina pulled her gun and fired it at the man on her left while kicking her right foot out and connecting with the crotch of the man standing in front of her. She then turned into the male who had grabbed her arm.

This one was a little more with it. He dropped his hand down and wrapped it around her left wrist, preventing her from bringing around the laser pistol.

Lina stepped into the man and kneed him in the crotch. His fingers nearly crushed her wrists when he tightened them in reaction to his pain. Despite her own pain, she tilted her head back and then slammed her forehead against his nose. His loud groan filled the alley. He released her wrists and fell backwards.

A searing fire hit her side, and Lina twisted and jerked back several feet. Her back struck the wall behind her. Lifting her pistol, she fired a round into the center of the shooter’s chest.

She was just about to do the same to the man she had kicked when he slammed into her. Pain exploded through her. He pulled her arm back and smashed it against the wall. The pistol fell from her hand.

She choked as the man held his beefy forearm against her throat. Her right hand slammed into his side with as much force as she could muster, but he barely reacted. Her fingers trembled as dark spots began to blur her vision.

“What are you? You aren’t a Driserian,” the man snarled.

He released her right arm, reached up, and ripped off her wig and mask. Shock registered on his face.

“I’m… your… worst… fucking… nightmare,” Lina gasped, pulling his pistol free from its holster at his side and shooting him.

She leaned against the wall, gasping for air. The male she had kneed was scrambling to his feet. As if in slow motion, she saw him raise his pistol and point it at her. Lina fought to raise hers first. She didn’t have to bother. A large black hole appeared between the man’s eyes before he fell backwards, his pistol sliding across the alley.

“Shit! I tried to get to you sooner, but there were a couple of merchants in my way,” Gail said, running up to her. “Are you okay?”

Lina leaned her head back against the wall and felt her side. She grimaced when she felt warm wetness spreading on her clothes. Blinking at Gail, she gave the other woman a wry smile.

“I’ve had better days,” she admitted in a terse voice. "I need you to help me put the mask and wig back on.”

Gail turned and looked down at where Lina was holding her side. Bright red blood stained her hand. She tried to grin when Gail released a long string of unfamiliar expletives.

“That’s a good one. I’ll have to… try to remember it,” Lina joked before she gritted teeth. “Damn, but this hurts as bad as a bullet.”

“Just… Shut up,” Gail ordered, ripping a strip of material from her own outfit and folding it. “You do know that Edge is going to go ballistic when he sees you covered in blood, don’t you?”

Lina chuckled before she winced in pain. She held herself still while Gail tried to stem the flow of blood. Once the other woman had done what she could in the short amount of time they had, they decided to hide as much of Lina’s face as they could. Gail shoved the mask and wig into her pocket.

Lina leaned heavily on Gail when the other woman wrapped her arm around her. Once they reached the end of the alley, Gail murmured to take it slow and easy. Lina couldn’t help the strained chuckle that slipped out.

“We’re just two old ladies out for a Sunday stroll in the park,” she whimpered.

“Shut up, Lina, or I swear I’ll leave your ass here,” Gail ordered under her breath.

* * *

By the time they made it back to the entrance of their underground hideout, Lina was ready for Gail to leave her on the side of the lane. Given how weak she felt, she knew she had lost a lot of blood. Her biggest fear was that she might have left a blood trail behind. The last thing she wanted to do was create a neon sign saying ‘here we are’.

“Are you sure there is no blood?” Lina asked for the hundredth time.

Gail glanced behind her. “I’m positive. I can go back and make sure if you want,” she replied.

Lina shook her head. “No, I think… we’ve taken enough chances today,” she whispered.

She released a sigh when Gail opened the door to the grate. Gail helped her inside before closing it. They made sure no one else was around before Gail opened the second door. Peering inside, Gail wrapped an arm around Lina’s waist.

“Not much farther, Lina,” Gail said.

Lina wanted to laugh, but at the moment, she didn’t think she had the strength. The ride down in the lift seemed to take forever. She was a bit worried when she realized that she couldn’t lift her head.

“I’ve ruined Mechelle’s outfit,” Lina observed, staring down at the long red streak on her right side. It was easier to look down than to try to lift her head. “I wonder if she can wash it out.”

“God, I hate it when you get hurt,” Gail muttered as the lift slowed to a stop.

Lina tilted her head to the side. “I’m a nice wounded patient,” she declared in a faint voice.

Gail grimly nodded. “That’s what scares the hell out of me,” the older woman admitted.

“Gail,” Lina whispered as her eyelids began to droop and shivers of shock took hold of her body.

“What is it, boss lady?” Gail questioned, wrapping her arm around Lina’s waist.

Lina tried to think of what she had been going to say. The words and thoughts were all jumbled in her head. She wondered if this was how Edge had felt the day they rescued him. If it was, then it was a miracle that he had managed to make it as far as he had.

“I’m cold,” Lina whispered, her head rolling back and her eyes closing.