One Day in a Small-Town Desert, chapter 5, page 3

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Zhíno Zhudıro quickly slowed to a walk, breathing hard. He couldn’t see a plagued thing with all these boulders and bushes blocking the light from the house.

How in Pétíso’s name was he going to find Fírí?

He kept moving forward, squinting in the darkness for rocks or small plants that would trip him up. His wounds throbbed with pain, but he forced them out of his mind. They weren’t life-threatening anymore; Gogzhuè still was. He had to focus on getting those auto keys.

Way back behind him, Zhíno heard, “This is the Colonial Enforcers! Drop your weapons!”

Zhíno grinned. Maybe those two Zhéporé-spawns would act like Névazhíno and get themselves shot by the police. Served them right.

Maybe he could just wait here for the policeman to finish with those two and then leave. Maybe he could just sneak back and shoot them from behind a boulder.

Zhíno stopped. That sounded like a fine idea. Kill the old man, the idiot boy, and this Voro-fucking Enforcer.

No. Stay focused. Find Fírí, get the keys. Stick to the plan.

He stumbled through the darkness, his denim pants protecting his legs from thorny bushes he couldn’t see. Ahísıhíta damn me. I should’ve grabbed that dead Enforcer’s flashlight.

A path opened up ahead of Zhíno, two meters wide, of bright, loose sand. He stuck his face down close to the ground, searching for footprints. Nothing.

He began following the path away from the road, angling away from the driveway. Maybe that twin of Vítí found this trail, too. Maybe it would lead straight towards her.

Zhíno started jogging.

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