Illusion Town by Jayne Castle Page A

had, indeed,opened a few boxes and then given up. The vast majority of the cartons and crates were still sealed shut.
    She opened the back door and saw Runner. He was nineteen-going-on-forty with a narrow, sharp-featured face. His real name was Benjamin Swift but on the streets he was Runner. He was a hunter-talent with the usual preternatural night vision and speed. In a more perfect world he would have been invited to join the elite Federal Bureau of Psi Investigation, a big-city police department, or a private security firm.
    But Runner had wound up on the streets at an early age. His formative years had been spent running errands for various and assorted shady characters in the Dark Zone. As a result he was stuck with a past that was way too iffy for the FBPI or any other high-end law enforcement agency.
    In addition to having a hunter-talent’s paranormal assets, he also had a head for business. The result was his recently established business—DZ Delivery Service. He had employed four other streetwise young males who all proudly wore the DZ Delivery Service uniforms—black leather jackets with the name of the business emblazoned on the back in fiery graphics. Below that was the company motto:
We Know the Zone
. DZ Delivery Service’s sleek black scooters were now a common sight in the maze of crooked lanes and twisty streets of the Dark Zone.
    â€œHey, Finder,” Runner said in his trademark I-don’t-give-a-damn drawl.
    â€œHey, Runner.” Hannah smiled at him. “Little early for you. Everything okay?”
    â€œHeard you and some guy got into trouble with anout-of-zone bike gang last night. Me and the guys looked for you. Couldn’t find you, so we figured you’d gone down below.” Runner reached out to pat Virgil. “Next thing I know, the
Curtain
says you married some kind of scone.”
    â€œI think that’s supposed to be scion,” Hannah said.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œNever mind,” Hannah said. “This is Elias Coppersmith. Elias, meet Runner. He’s my brother.”
    Elias raised an inquiring brow. “Your brother?”
    â€œYes,” she said. She said it very firmly. There was no blood connection between Runner and herself but that didn’t change the fact that she considered him a brother. “He runs the finest delivery service in the DZ.”
    â€œPretty much the only delivery service in the DZ,” Runner said. A gleam of pride heated his eyes. “We’re the only crew that can deliver anywhere in the zone. Like it says on the back of our uniforms,
We Know the Zone
. The regular delivery services get lost once they turn off Ruin Street.”
    â€œPleased to meet you,” Elias said.
    He extended his hand.
    Runner looked confused for a few seconds. Then he figured it out and shook Elias’s hand. It was a careful, awkward handshake. Hannah knew that Runner hadn’t had much experience shaking hands with men from Elias’s world.
    â€œYou’re the husband, huh?” Runner said, squinting a little at Elias.
    â€œYes,” Elias said.
    â€œThat nice, new Cadence out front belong to you?”
    â€œUh-huh.”
    â€œSaw a couple of local chop-shop guys checking it out early this morning, but when one of them tried the door handle, he jumped back real quick. The dudes gave up and went away.”
    â€œThe car can take care of itself. As Hannah said, we did have some trouble with a biker gang last night. Lost ’em in the tunnels.”
    â€œYeah, smart move,” Runner said. “What’s up with the marriage?”
    â€œA security measure,” Hannah said quickly. “Elias hired me to open a dreamlight gate at the new Ghost City project. There’s a team trapped in one of the ruins. We’re heading to the jobsite now.”
    Runner’s brow furrowed. “So why’d you get married?”
    Hannah sighed. “Like I said. Security. Someone broke in here