Ruth panicked. Why were these stupid constables shooting at each other? She watched in horror as her plan fell apart. She had wanted them to talk this out, not devolve into a chaotic fight!

  The constable's flash gun fired a beam of light through the air. Ruth knew that if the lasers hit skin, they left painful burns that blistered horribly at a minimum. If they hit dry clothing, it might burn through while the cloth itself might catch fire. Even the buildings would have blackened marks from flash gun strikes. Fortunately, the shot went wide, dissipating in the air as it travelled down the straight road.

  The three gang-affiliated constables rushed in with truncheons, quickly moving to engage the other lawmen. Hands moved from flash guns to truncheons as a brawl started. Jessica was still held by one of the men in the back, the only one still holding a flash gun. He was the youngest and scrawniest of the group, and he looked nervous as he held the pistol out. He had been the one to fire, and Ruth didn't like how twitchy he looked. She realized he must be the new recruit, and he looked totally out of his depth.

  Ruth had moved away when ushered by the mustached constable, but she remained close to the action, looking for a chance to get Jessica loose. As she frantically looked around for something she could use, her eyes locked with Jessica's. The captured girl glanced up at the man holding her, her eyes full of intent, then jerked her head to beckon Ruth toward them.

  Ruth shook her head vigorously.

  Jessica kept jerking her head for Ruth to come.

  The two glared at each other, the melee still going strong in front of them.

  Ruth cursed under her breath, breaking first. She quickly wrapped the extra clothes around her face and charged in. Her legs pumped hard as she sprinted toward the scrawny constable, eating up the distance between them as quickly as she could manage.

  The constable saw her and reacted in a panic. He whirled the flash gun around, moving it in her direction. Before he could fire, Jessica whipped her head backward and struck the man's hand. He dropped the gun with a yelp, then fell to the ground as she whirled and kicked between his legs.

  Ruth didn't slow for a moment. She sprinted at the man and delivered a kick to his chin as hard as she could. She thought she felt his jaw crack, and he collapsed to the ground. Jessica quickly crouched, grabbing the flash gun. Her hands were still bound, but there was no time to search for a key. If the constables noticed them running off, it would probably interrupt their fight. That was something that Ruth wanted to avoid at all costs.

  Jessica and Ruth sprinted toward the nearest alley, diving into the shadows as quickly as they could. Ruth's heart was pumping hard, her breath coming fast and hard. She ripped the cloth free of her face as they made their way to another street.

  They were moving away from where Ruth had stashed the packs, but that didn't matter as much as getting to a safer spot. Once they had crossed a few streets, they risked stopping in a shadowy section between two homes. Ruth was panting heavily, and Jessica looked worn out as well. Taking a second to catch her breath, Ruth peered out around the corner.

  There was no sign of any constables. It didn't mean they were home free, but it was good enough for the moment. Still panting, Ruth began grilling Jessica, "What happened?"

  Jessica was catching her breath. "I don't know. They implied that they would let me off if I was part of the gang. When I told them who I was, they rushed me."

  Ruth looked the other girl over, noting her scuffed appearance again. "Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine." She seemed frustrated, her words coming out harshly. "They took my flash gun though."

  "Well you took one of theirs. Fair's fair, I guess." Jessica was still holding the gun. Despite the fact that Jessica was still cuffed, something about the other girl made Ruth trust her more than she trusted herself, even with her hands bound.

  Jessica just looked down at the gun with a sour look, as if it was disappointing for some reason. She tore her gaze from the weapon a moment later though, meeting Ruth's eyes.. "Where's Ezra? Is he okay?"

  "He's fine. He's grabbing Johnny and Richard. I thought we might need some support to rescue you." Ruth peered out around the corner again, still searching for any pursuers.

  Jessica seemed to wrestle with something for a moment, then sighed. "Thanks. I appreciate you saving me."

  Something about the girl had changed. Ruth's first impression of Jessica had solidified her as an airheaded idiot, but Jessica was the exact opposite. Ruth was actually starting to think that the whole persona was just an act. Her quick thinking up on the roofs and her ability to break out of the constable's grip indicated that the girl was far more than she appeared to be. Ruth idly wondered if Jessica really did know the reason she had been taken but quickly discarded the notion. She wouldn't have volunteered as bait if she knew she would be kidnapped like that.

  "I think we're clear. Let's move another street or two away, then start scanning for Ezra." Ruth handed Jessica the extra clothes that had served as a mask, and they used the material to cover her cuffs and flash gun. The two made their way further away from the altercation between constables, trying to be both stealthy and casual at the same time.

  They began a search pattern, looking for any sign of Ezra or the Ghouls. Ruth wanted to climb up to the roofs, but Jessica wouldn't be able to do it in cuffs. Leaving the girl on the street alone was asking for trouble. They searched for around an hour before Ruth decided to call it quits.

  "He probably gave up looking for us by now. He'll be at the church, we can rendezvous there." Ruth and Jessica worked their way down, taking the longer walkways instead of a tram to get to ground level. It was coming up on two in the afternoon by the time they made it back to the church. The soup kitchen had been packed up, and only a few stragglers were still milling around.

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  Ruth spotted Ezra standing with Richard just outside the church and moved to exit the alley. She pulled up short as Jessica grabbed her hand, yanking her back into the shadows. "Ow! What was that for?"

  Jessica's eyes were wide, locked onto the Ghoul standing with Ezra. "Something is wrong. Ezra looks scared."

  Ruth quickly turned her gaze to her brother. He did look scared. In fact, Richard was gripping his arm tightly, his other hand tucked into his jacket as if...as if he was concealing a flash gun! Ruth wanted to dash out into the open, run to her brother and rip her away from the gang member. But the whole situation screamed of a trap. If Ruth went out there, she would probably die, and so would Ezra. There was no way she could cross the open square quick enough to reach her brother before Richard acted.

  She began to panic, muttering to herself, "no no no no no no-" She crouched to the ground, holding her head in her hands. This couldn't be happening. She knew getting involved more deeply with the gang would only spell trouble. Her fingers clutched her hair painfully, her nails scraping against her scalp.

  Jessica continued to peer out, carefully keeping her body hidden. She grimaced as she observed the surroundings. "There's more of them. A lot more."

  Ruth raised her head, tears threatening to spill out. "What?"

  "I spot around twenty gang members, all milling around the church." Her voice was hard, full of emotion for some reason. She looked pained, as if the number of gang members was a sign of something terrible for her. "This is really bad."

  "I know it's bad, you idiot!" Ruth hissed at her. "They have my brother!"

  Jessica whirled on her, a frustrated look on her face. She was about to speak but clearly restrained herself as she saw the look on Ruth's face. "I know. I'm sorry. I think...it might be my fault."

  "Of course it's your fault! Ezra and I couldn't draw this much attention if we tried!" Ruth was feeling a bit hysterical, her mind still panicking over what to do.

  "Ruth." Jessica knelt down and grabbed Ruth by the shoulders, her eyes intense and piercing. "I need you to listen to me. Your brother will be okay. We will save him. But not right now. If we go out there, we will both die. Our only chance to rescue him is to find my father. He's the only one who can get us out of this mess." Her voice was firm and full of confidence.

  Ruth was momentarily taken aback by the intensity coming from the other girl. "B-but why would we go to a Thrall for help? With this many Ghouls around, it means the orders must have come from up the chain of command."

  "I know. But listen, I can't explain at all right now. Every second we delay is another second we are in danger. We have to find my father, he will help you." Her words were full of sincerity, somehow punching through Ruth's panicked mind.

  Ruth took a deep breath, glancing back out at her brother. "Do you swear it? He's all I have, Jessica. I can't-" A sob ripped its way out of Ruth, the sudden swell of emotion catching her off guard. "I can't lose him."

  Jessica leaned down, pressing her forehead against Ruth's and gripping her arms tight. "I swear. I will get you two to safety. I will get both of you out of this city if you'll let me."

  That would have to be enough. Ruth took another deep breath, then nodded. "Okay. Let's go." It was physically painful to leave her brother behind, but she knew that Jessica was probably her only option for rescuing Ezra. Whatever crazy situation was going on, they clearly needed Ezra alive. She could only pray it would stay that way.

  The two girls slunk way from the church, darting between buildings until they found an easy way up to the rooftops. From there, they began making their way toward the city center.

  Twenty minutes into the trek, Ruth had calmed enough to begin wondering about their destination. "Where are we going? I thought Thrall offices were all closer to the plant."

  Jessica didn't turn around but continued forward as she led them across the roofs. "A safe house. My dad set one up before we moved here."

  A safe house? What in the world did that mean? Ruth was about to ask, but Jessica suddenly stopped and held up a hand, indicating Ruth could stop. Ruth froze behind her, worried something had happened.

  Jessica waited a long moment, peering out over the edge of a roof. Then, she motioned for Ruth to come forward slowly. Ruth inched up, letting her gaze drift down to the street below. People were milling about, workers heading home for the evening, and families going out. Jessica whispered to Ruth, "See if you can spot any constables or gang members."

  Ruth looked. She had a great deal of experience looking for trouble. Her eyes flicked to anyone who was moving slowly or standing still, casing them quickly. None of the people she could see appeared to be watching the street or roofs for anything, nor did they appear especially muscular like most gang members and law enforcement tended to be.

  When Jessica looked over at Ruth, Ruth simply shook her head to indicate that she hadn't seen anyone suspicious. Jessica nodded, and the two girls silently made their way down to street level. It would be easier to blend in with so many people walking around. As they dropped into an alley, Ruth watched with surprise as Jessica seemed to transform into the bubbly girl that she had first met.

  Jessica's entire mannerism changed. Her way of walking and her posture seemed to shift into something entirely different. She even threw her hair back over her shoulder, making her long blonde locks fall in a way that someone might assume was styled.

  Ruth realized with a start that this girl was some kind of master manipulator. Rather than being pissed, Ruth found herself getting jealous. Ruth had never been able to fake a personality, not even when Ezra had tried to coach her on smiling and walking casually. Jessica had easily fooled Ruth into thinking she was an idiot, when the truth couldn't be any more different.

  As Jessica walked out onto the street, Ruth followed her, feeling like a stray dog next to a ribbon winning hound. A stylish, casual girl being tailed by a scrawny street rat. No one glanced twice at Ruth, but a few young boys did stop and stare at Jessica, despite her simple clothing. For some reason, that also pissed her off. Fortunately, Jessica's hands were still covered by the extra cloth Ruth had given her, or the boys might have noticed the gleaming cuffs that still bound the other girl's hands, as well as the gun she still held.

  They crossed the street, a handful of cars rumbling past. Jessica stopped at one of the houses and gently used the metal doorknocker in an elaborate pattern of clacking sounds. They waited for a minute, but nothing happened. Jessica's expression took on a hint of worry, and then she tried again. Once again, nothing happened.

  Ruth idly let her gaze wander across the building they were standing in front of. It was a single story building, but other buildings were positioned atop it. There was a window facing the street, but the curtains were drawn. Windows were somewhat unusual but not that rare all things considered. They were a sign of style more than function. She wondered if they would need to break in that way, when suddenly the door opened in front of them.

  Ruth flinched back, but Jessica breathed a sigh of relief. That relief was quickly replaced with tension though, and she rushed inside hurriedly. Ruth quickly went inside as well, closing the door behind them.

  The man who had opened the door for them was clearly Jessica's father. He had the same blond hair and the same blue eyes. Their noses were similar too, giving the older man a pretty look instead of a handsome one. She let her gaze drift lower as she examined him, and she saw why Jessica had become suddenly tense. She gasped as Jessica rushed forward to hold a cloth to a red splotch on her father's stomach.

  The man had been stabbed.