Sam was twelve years old and had been a gutter-rats for as long as she could remember. Dressed in oversized clothes to include a long coat that dragged across the ground and boots several sizes too large, she was known as the Queen of the Gutter-Rats. For the right price, Sam could find and steal just about anything. For a friend, she sometimes helped for free.
Sam raised a finger to her mouth, “Ssshhh!! Stay behind me and don’t make any noise,” she said to the Runt.
The boy’s eyes darted from one side of the hall to the other. He had only been inside the dilapidated mall once before and things didn’t end well for his two traveling companions. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” He said to Sam, “The Mall is Serpent Territory!… They don’t like intruders!”
“Do you want medicine for Tony or not?” Sam inquired as she squeezed through debris.
“Yes”, the boy sighed… Are you sure there isn’t a safer place to steal from?”
“Nope, this is it. Now quit being a baby.”
“I’m not a baby!” The Runt said in protest.
Sam turned back toward the Runt and gave him a stern look, “Sssshhh! Be quiet. If I die today, I swear I’m comin back to kill you.”
The Runt took a few breaths and followed Sam as quietly as he could. He tried to remember the direction they were traveling through the cluttered hallway just in case he needed to make a quick escape.
“We’re here,” Sam said as she pointed to the old pharmacy across the atrium. Their last hurdle was tip toeing around the drug addicts taking up floor space and avoiding being seen by the Serpents
The pharmacist dispensed a variety of drugs; much of his supply was sold to junkies looking for an escape from their sad lives. Sam knew the Pharmacist also had a supply of expired antibiotics, and she had a creative idea on how to steal them.
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As they exited the building, The Runt stopped to catch his breath. “We could have both died in there! I can’t believe you just did that!”
Sam rolled her eyes as she tossed the bag of pills to her friend. “I hate to steal and run but I’ve got somewhere else to be.”
The boy tucked the bag of pills into his shirt. “Sam wait! Thanks’ for helping me.”
Sam smiled, “You’re welcome!”
The Runt ran toward the bike he’d hid behind a dumpster at the edge of the plaza. He didn’t notice Xavier’s goons until it was too late. Xavier Boulder enjoyed the thrill of cage fighting but his collection of practice opponents for the warmup rounds was diminishing. He sent his goons to town to capture replacements. The boy was a bit small, but size didn’t matter for the warm-up rounds.