Page 104 of The Mech Who Loved Me
Kincaid zipped around a steam cab, and slid to a halt in the middle of the next intersection. The velococycle quivered beneath them like some enraged beast, ready to bolt. All around them people stared curiously. They'd probably never seen its likebefore.
Plumes of smoke rose from the East, darkening the already murky afternoon light. "If that's a riot," Kincaid said, "then there'll be Nighthawks on thescene."
"Malloryn said we need to get to theguild."
"Malloryn said we need to stop any altercation between the Nighthawks and potential rioters," he corrected. "What do youthink?"
Ava bit her lip. From the sounds of it, there would be Nighthawks gathering. Little garrisons of them were stationed all over London, ready to deploy at a moment's notice. "Go," she said, making a swift decision. "There's no point in us alerting Garrett if a riot's already beingcrushed."
The back wheels of the velococycle slid out behind them, and Ava squealed as Kincaid gunned the engine, heading directly toward the smokecolumn.
He gunned it through the streets, up onto the cobbled footpath when he needed to, and in and around slower moving vehicles. Ava clung to the barrel of his chest fordearlife.
"There's the Nighthawks garrison!" Ava cried, spotting the first burning tower. St. Marcus's Garrison was built into the old walls the Romans had built around Londinium centuries ago—the Echelon had built onto the wall in the past, separating the inner city and their territory from the sprawling boroughs that held only humans. "They'vefiredit."
The gateway beneath the arch linked both towers, and allowed Nighthawks easy access. She hoped whoever had been on duty had escaped before all thisbegan.
Nighthawks guarded the arch, riot shields at the ready by the look of it. There were dozens of them packed into the narrow space, and she could barely see the crowd beyond thanks to the oily smoke. Another crew of Nighthawks powered the water cannon nearby, hosing down the West Tower of St.Marcus's.
Kincaid skidded to a halt, powering down the velococycle's boiler. A fierce line of Nighthawks glared at them, gesturing them to turn back. Anger lit their faces—no doubt they all knew of the Nighthawk who'd been shot several days ago, and retaliation would be brewing in the backs of theirminds.
Ava swung off the velococycle, coughing as the smoke drifted past them. "I'll go through. Most of them should know me, and they'll listen to me. I think it best they don't set eyes on a mech just thismoment."
She took one step, but Kincaid grabbed her wrist. "You bloody fool—you're running headlong intoariot!"
Screams started echoing ahead. There was no time for this. Ava stroked his hand, imploring him to let her go. "Trust me," she said. "Please. They'll listentome."
"Here, now!" a Nighthawk bellowed, withdrawing a small truncheon and starting toward them. "What's going on here? Let the lady go, youbastard!"
She shot Kincaid one last look. Emotion warred on his face, a volatile mix of rage and fear, but he let her wrist go. "Don't get hurt. I'll wait for youbackhere."
"Thank you." She knew how much it cost him to allow her todothis.
"It's me!" she called, hurrying toward the Nighthawk and flashing her guild credentials. The embossed silver hawk came in handy sometimes. Ava breathed a sigh of relief when she recognized him. "Kennewick, thank heavens. I need to speak to the leader of the garrison. Immediately. You can'tretaliate."
Ahead of them a roar of furywentup.
"Stand back!" someone bellowed, but a missile was launched over the crowded Nighthawks and smashed onto the cobbles among them. A bottle perhaps, one filled with oil. Flames whooshed out of the midst of the Nighthawks, and one of them screamed as they allparted.
The shield wall began to fail and howling rioters plunged through the gap, swallowed whole by Nighthawks. Truncheons went up and down, and she heard the crunch of breaking bones mingled with unearthlyscreams.
"Guild master's here himself!" Kennewick replied, wiping sweat from his face. His eyes were wild. "You can't go through, Miss McLaren. It's toodangerous."
Garrett is here?That could only be a good sign. The guild master was experienced in handling confrontations, and he knew how to control his Nighthawks. Ava grabbed Kennewick by the arm, forcing him to look at her. "Get me to Garrett now. I don't care how dangerous it is. If I don't talk to him, things are only going to getworse."
Maybe it was the intensity in her expression, or the firmness of her tone, but Kennewicknodded.
"He's just behind the shield wall." Kennewick took her hand and escorted her through the back ranks of Nighthawks, using his body to protect her. "Make way! Make way!" he yelled. "Important message for the guildmaster."
The smoke was thicker here, and she flinched as one of the men dragged a burning Nighthawk out of the legion. The scent of burning flesh made bile crawl up her throat, and she clasped her lace gloves over her mouthandnose.
Men pressed around her, bodies threatening to trample her at a moment's notice. It was so damned hot too. Barely any oxygen in the press. That hollow roaring sensation she knew so well dulled her hearing.Not now.Ava pressed onwards, her breathing coming a little faster, and a gasp catching in herthroat.
"Message for the guild master!" Kennewick bellowed. "Make way!Makeway!"
"Garrett!" Ava screamed, pushing against a man who stepped back and nearly knocked her over. "Garrett!"
"Jesus, lass." Doyle, Garrett's second-in-command, appeared out of nowhere and caught her by the arm. "What are you doing here? Get yourself well away. This crowd's about to go up like Guy Fawkes night. We've got nearly two legions of Nighthawks on thescene."
