The Gadget: The Rondon Chronicles Book One by V. Timlin (speed reading book .TXT) 📕

flee. Anouk took that as an encouraging sign. She bent, leaning against her knees and smiled. “Hello. My name is Anouk. What’s yours?”

“My name is Valintina and she’s Danja,” the older girl said.

“What lovely names. Nice to meet you.”

Valintina and Danja said nothing, but stared at her with open curiosity.

“What are you playing?”

“A shop,” offered Valintina.

“A shop? But that’s interesting.”

“Yes, I am the shopkeeper and Danja is a buyer.”

“What are you selling?”

“Are you stupid? Don’t you see?” Valintina’s small face twisted in annoyance.

“Yes, are you stupid?” Danja echoed.

“Sorry.” So much for the cute little kids. “Of course I see. I was just hoping you’d tell me.”

“I sell stuff,” Valintina said with pride.

“Yes, stuff,” Danja echoed again.

“Stuff is important.” Anouk nodded, keeping her face serious. “Would that stuff include information? I would like to buy that.”

The girls’ eyes flicked past Anouk, and they stiffened.

A click came from behind her. She swallowed hard in anticipation. The metallic clack was awfully similar to the sound of someone loading a shotgun in a movie.

Chapter 6

Nat drew his revolver and pointed it at the person targeting Anouk. Valintina and Danja both froze, their eyes big as saucers. Turning slowly, Anouk raised her hands in surrender. The first thing she saw was the muzzle of a shotgun just beyond her nose. A black hole stared back like the eye socket of Death. She swallowed hard and let her gaze follow the barrel to a short woman, holding the firearm against her shoulder.

“Leave my kids alone,” the woman barked.

Anouk swallowed again. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her tongue and vocal cords agreed to function after she cleared her throat. “Of course, ma’am.” What in God’s name was she thinking to speak to kids in the first place? Hadn’t Nat just mentioned something about this being a rough neighbourhood?

“Valintina, Danja, inside. Now!”

The girls didn’t need another command. They darted towards the house behind their mother. The woman kept her grey eyes fixed on Anouk and the muzzle of the gun didn’t waver. The lines around the woman’s eyes and mouth told the story of a tough life, but despite that, Anouk estimated her to be in her late twenties or early thirties. Her dark hair was tied back in a bun. A long black woollen dress and grey coal dust streaked apron gave her the air of a female undertaker.

Once the children were inside, the woman started to push forward, forcing Anouk to back away.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any harm. I… I…”

“The intentions of my associate were purely innocent,” Nat interrupted, his tone calm but firm. “There is no need to threaten anyone.”

“I don’t care. No stranger talks to my kids without getting a hole in their face,” the woman said between gritted teeth.

Anouk wasn’t willing to test whether the woman was serious or not, indeed she wouldn’t have been surprised if the girls’ mother had a bounty on her head. People on the street turned and scurried back the way they came or ran inside, but no one made a move to intervene. Even the wagon rattling down the narrow street halted as if waiting for the two women to get it over and done with. What was this place? The Wild West?

“I said I’m sorry,” Anouk blurted.

A click came from behind. Anouk shot a look over her shoulder. Nat was walking slowly towards her and the woman, his face hard and the hammer of his revolver pulled back. Anouk’s heart skipped a beat. Oh fuck, was he going to… “Nat?”

To Anouk’s surprise, the woman lowered her shotgun an inch. “Nat? Nat Walla, the bounty hunter?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Nat came to Anouk’s side, the gun still in his hand. He squinted. There was no sign of recognition in his eyes. As far as Anouk knew, Nat could have been responsible for sending the woman’s husband to prison and claiming the reward.

The woman pointed the gun downward, but refrained from smiling. Anouk sighed in relief. That was a good sign, right? Her knees went soft. She would have collapsed on the cobblestones if the wagon wasn’t rolling towards them, ready to crush everyone under the hooves now that the imminent threat was over. Anouk, Nat and the woman moved aside, letting the wagon rattle past.

With the affair concluded, the traffic returned to its ordinary course as if nothing had happened. Relief reflected from some faces, others though looked as if they had been cheated out of a show. Anouk wanted to growl at the people passing her, thanking them for their ‘overwhelming’ help. She bit back her sarcastic comment and directed her attention at the woman who had threatened to shoot her a minute ago.

“You’d better come in. I’ve something that you might find interesting.” The woman turned and walked inside the house where the two children had disappeared. Anouk looked at Nat, raising her eyebrows in a silent question. Nat shrugged and strode after the woman.

“Quite. Not strange at all, no. Just a local warm welcome. No reason to worry,” Anouk muttered and followed after Nat.

Anouk had to bend to avoid the low hanging doorway and she closed the door behind her. It jerked as she did so. Anouk tensed, preparing to catch it if it dropped off its hinges—thankfully it did not.

The gleam pouring between the gaps of the doorframe did little to illuminate the space she had just entered. She stood in the dark, trying to figure if she should go left, right or just forward.

“Where…” she started when someone moved a curtain aside on her right.

“Here,” Nat said.

The light came behind his back. Anouk couldn’t see his face but his tone was calm which eased her mind a little. She stepped into a dim-lit room. With a single glance, she realised it was the only living space the family had, save the small entry. The spartan furnishings included a table, a couple of benches and three chairs whilst bedding was gathered in a neat pile on a chest in a