Midnight City by J. Barton Mitchell Page B

Mira, just feet away from her face. She looked at the dog … and barked back in her best and loudest imitation. “Rawr, rawr, rawr!”
    Max went silent, surprised, looked from Mira to Holt, off balance.
    Holt pulled Mira to her feet, turned her around to face him, wiping the blood from his nose as he stared at her.
    “You knew I’d go for the cot. Knew I’d ignore your pack,” she said hotly. The anger was mainly for herself, though. She hadn’t even given a thought to the idea that the first trap might be a ruse.
    Holt nodded. “You’re smart, Mira, so I set a trap for a smart person. It’s a shame you don’t give yourself more credit, you might have figured me out.”
    Coming from Holt, it was almost a compliment. Mira fought the instinct to blush, angered she would be flattered by a bounty hunter who wanted to turn her in for money.
    Mira became conscious of a warmth on her hands. It took a moment to realize what it was. Holt was still holding on to them.
    “You can let go of my hands now,” she said softly.
    Holt, apparently, had forgotten, too. With a start, he let them go, and stepped back.
    And then Max barked excitedly, and ran for the opposite end of the camp.
    “The Max!” Zoey shouted as the dog rushed to meet her, tail wagging. “The Max wants pets!”
    Max rolled over as Zoey started rubbing the dog’s belly. As usual, he made no move to stop her.
    Mira heard Holt sigh when he saw the little girl. “Fantastic…,” he said in exasperation.

 
    15. GUILT
    HOLT PULLED HIS ANNOYED GAZE away from Zoey and Max and moved for the edge of the camp, where he’d left his pack.
    He’d forgotten all about the little girl, hadn’t factored her back in to his plans. Looked like she and Mira were a package deal, at least for the time being.
    That was okay, he’d make it work. They were almost out of the forest now, nearing the river valley. The trading posts along the river would be a fine place to dump her off.
    Plenty of River Rat congregations were looking for new crew, even at Zoey’s age. They would take her off his hands. He’d just have to keep it to himself that the reason Assembly dropships were blanketing the area with walkers was because they were looking for the kid. That mystery would be somebody else’s problem to figure out.
    And then he could transport Mira back to Midnight City unhindered. Holt expected to feel the usual rush of relief at the prospect, but he didn’t. The feelings were muted this time, distant and far off. They felt hollow.
    But why? he wondered angrily. Mira was a criminal. At least as far as Midnight City claimed, and he had no reason to disbelieve them.
    Only he did, of course.
    Midnight City was a place of nonsensical politics and dangerous mind games. Its various factions weren’t above falsely accusing someone of something heinous to get whatever they wanted, even if the accusation meant that person’s death.
    But it wasn’t his problem, Holt reminded himself. He had to survive, and he couldn’t very well do that with the Menagerie chasing after him. Mira was his only shot at being rid of them once and for all, at finally escaping his troubles.
    The unfinished tattoo on his hand itched under his glove, but he ignored it.
    He cursed himself silently, because he knew what the problem was. Try as he might to prevent it, he had come to like Mira. She was strong and independent, a survivor like him, but also … not as sullen as most people he met. Somehow the cynicism of the world hadn’t taken hold of her. There was an aura of optimism about her, a belief she could overcome anything. It was naïve, of course … but attractive nonetheless.
    Attraction. Yeah, there was that, too. Her emerald eyes, the softness of her hands, the subtle scent of mint he caught when he was close to her.
    Holt wasn’t above such things, but anytime he had ever given in to them, it had meant trouble. And besides … she was his prisoner. Emerald eyes or not.
    No, he had strict