Chapter 59
Area Around Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Downtown Los Angeles, California, United States
You need to get out of there,Emperor urged in Gen’s head.
She knew he was right and she was running out of time. She’d done what she was supposed to do. Once Barry Fer was lured to the crime scene, then Captain Neal could call in his secret weapon, but only then. That had been done and Barry and his team would be there soon. It wasn’t Gen’s job to stay and catch these bank robbers. She wouldn’t get the credit for bringing down this huge operation. But that was fine with her. It wasn’t about the glory.
For the medieval warrior, it was absolutely about protecting justice. Small crime could be acceptable. She’d learned that in some ways, it was beneficial. But actions that can’t be justified to others, are morally wrong. And there was no doubt about it, stealing hundreds of thousands of innocent, hardworking people’s money was incredibly wrong.
Gen was grateful that ironically Dwayne’s assignments on learning moral philosophy had actually benefited Gen. Now that she was familiar with concepts like Contractualism she understood her job as a Rogue Rider that much better. She had theories to help her make sense of the modern world and all its peculiarities. And she better knew the degrees between right and wrong in this land of grays.
Dashing through the construction tunnels, retracing her steps, Gen leaped over the fallen men she’d taken out with the gas grenade. Some of the officers, dressed in black and armed, were starting to stir. Not only did Gen need to get out of there before she had to fight the groggy men, but she couldn’t get stuck there when the new team arrived.
They are right outside the entrance,Emperor called in her head, panic in his voice. Get underground now.
Gen’s gaze darted around, trying to locate the manhole cover that she’d come through. She knew it only had to be a few yards from the first passed out man. It was difficult to make out anything in the darkness. Her heart raced and she sorely wished she could simply portal out to safety. However, the area around the Federal Reserve Bank was a no portal zone, like most places with its level of security.
Marching footsteps echoed from the entrance to the construction tunnel. Gen glanced up in that direction. On the far side, she made out the outline of figures quickly approaching through the darkness. Her breath caught in her throat and she looked behind her, thinking she might have missed the manhole cover. At her back, a few men were starting to rise. She was about to be surrounded.
Behind you,Emperor said in her head, his tone full of tension. She thought his words were a warning and that an attack was coming.
Instead, she saw it. The place she’d come through. While the backup team was still far enough in the distance and the other men were not quite awake, Gen dropped down into the underground, landing hard, having not used the ladder. She doubled back, pulling the lid closed just as the first set of boots crossed overhead.
Gen let out a sigh, thinking she was in the clear.
Get out of there,Emperor ordered in her head. That underground could collapse from the explosives. You can’t be in there.
He was right, she realized and sprinted down the tunnel with newfound urgency. She didn’t worry about making noise as she splashed through the dirty puddles, the silencing spell having worn off by then. When Gen arrived at the place where she’d come down into the underground, a few blocks down, she climbed back up the ladder, again through an open manhole.
Thankfully, this part of the streets was deserted. Only Emperor stood in the distance. She had never been so grateful to see the outline of the dark dragon—her safety and way home after the long mission.
Without hesitating, Gen dashed for the dragon. She grabbed onto his saddle in one fluid movement, swinging her leg around the side. Knowing they didn’t have a second to waste, Emperor took off at the same moment, flapping his wings. Gen wasn’t all the way in place when the purple dragon, blending into the night sky, flew up and over the city.
Once Gen was in place, she turned, looking back at the Federal Reserve Bank and the downtown area. She was about to let out a breath of relief and gratitude, thinking that she was all clear. However, in the distance, standing in the middle of the street they’d just left, was a large man. He must have just crossed the intersection and looked up to see the dragon and rider take off into the dark sky.
There, standing in the road and trying to make out exactly what…or rather, who, he was seeing, was none other than her boss—Dwayne Stone.