Chapter 20
Adrian
I step outside onto the fire escape. The metal creaks beneath my weight as I rush down the stairs. Throwing myself over the side, I grip the ladder, letting gravity pull me toward the earth. Before reaching the bottom, I stop myself, the sudden sound echoing off the walls of the alley. There’s no time to worry if anyone heard it. They already know I’m here. As much as my instincts are tuned to stand and fight, now is not the time for that. I’ve waited a long time to claim my vengeance.
The only thing to do now is run.
I leap down from the ladder, my stiff, bruised muscles throbbing as I hit the concrete. Breaking into a sprint, I listen to the sounds of the city around me as I head south. Nearby, I hear trucks. Lots of trucks. They’re coming this way from the north side.
Metal clangs above as someone hops out of Miller’s window onto the fire escape before I can turn the corner. “There he goes!”
Shit.
I run faster. My left shin burns with pain, Miller having kicked me a little harder than I realized. I can push through the pain — I will push through the pain. It’s either that or die, and I’m not dying again today.
I cut across the street, bolting through another alley and exiting the other side. Plenty of foot traffic here. Let’s hope I put enough distance between me and Miller’s apartment to blend in.
I throw up my hood and ease into the crowd. With the sprawling city on my left and the river on my right, there are only a few blocks between here and the sewers I traveled through to get here. Just a little bit further and I can get back to Aurora Avenue. To Skylar.
A Humvee truck plows into the intersection ahead of me, turning hard in my direction.
There are three of Ares’ men in the truck with two standing in the back, one of which points at me the second he spots me.
Well, they’re organized. I’ll give them that much.
I’ll never make it if I dive into the river, but I might lose them through the alleyways.
I bolt into the street, hopping and sliding over the hood of an idle car sitting at the intersection. The Humvee reacts as I move, gunning it in reverse and slamming into the car stopped behind it. Horns blare and people shout behind me as I enter the nearest alley and race to the opposite end. Over my shoulder, I spot the Humvee careening into the alley, the front headlight grinding against the wall, shooting sparks into the air before the driver rights it and they head straight in my direction.
On the next street, I head northeast, instinct driving me forward. Halfway down the next alley, I make a sharp turn to cut between two buildings. The path here is narrow — far too narrow for a truck to make it through. Just past this, all I should have to do is round another corner and I’ll be just south of Scarlet Street. Plenty of little nooks and crannies to hide in over there. I’ll be in the clear. Long enough to shed this jacket and catch my breath, at least.
These streets. My streets. They raised me, made me who I am today, while I aided in carving their lines into the earth. They’ll take care of me now.
I turn the corner and my gut sinks.
Or they’ll fuck me over the same way everything else in this city has lately.
This wall. It wasn’t here nine months ago. But, much like myself, it turns out that this city has changed in unexpected ways.
I spin on my heels to head back the way I came as the Humvee comes to a sudden stop in front of me, having made its way around to catch up and cut me off. The two men in the back train rifles on me as the three in the front hop out and stalk toward me.
“Hades,” one of them says, his voice echoing through the small space. “By the authority granted to me by Ares, the God of War, you are under arrest for capital crimes against Olympus!”
I roll my hands into fists.
Damn.
