One Day in a Small-Town Desert, chapter 6, page 2

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Zhíno Zhudıro sucked in deep lungfuls of air as he walked through the dark desert. He’d taken a chance at an intersection of trails and found Fírí’s footprints as a result. Soon, the twin of Vítí would be his. Soon, he’d have his auto keys back. Soon, he’d be able to deliver the guns to Gogzhuè and save his own life.

Up ahead, through some sketchy branches, a pale yellow light appeared. Zhíno pushed himself to a jog. The light quickly disappeared. He hadn’t imagined it, though. That was the house right there, a dark blob on the horizon. Someone must have opened a door. Were they coming out or going in? Was it Fírí?

A chainlink fence materialized out of the darkness. Zhíno abruptly stopped and looked at the ground.

In the dim starlight, Fírí’s footprints were barely visible, but it was quite apparent she hadn’t turned either direction. She’d hopped the fence. And so Zhíno had to hop the fence, too. Except that with one broken wrist and a flesh wound to his other arm, climbing would be just about impossible.

“Plague of Rékaré,” he spat.

The house was only a few meters to his right, but Zhíno didn’t see anything there that looked like a gate, so he turned the other way and started hurrying along the fence. There had to be a gate somewhere.

If that Vítí-twin was hiding in this backyard, she was as good as dead. If someone had let her inside the house, it wouldn’t just be Fírí who he’d kill.

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