Saving Mia by Michelle Woods Page A

drink of the whiskey she’d ordered ten minutes ago when she realized that he wasn’t coming. That he’d likely already given the supplies out to people in the Slums. She was so screwed. Her only hope was that he’d not given it all out yet. She heard her phone beep and check the incoming message which automatically decoded as it popped across her screen.
    Got tied up. Will meet tomorrow night, same time. Sorry. T
    Shit, that was just fucking great. She thought grimly. Just fucking great.
     
    The next night, after a day of Hilconn’s musings about where those crates could have possibly disappeared to, and her nerves were making her nuts. She was sitting in the little dive she usually met Tray in waiting. If that little shit didn’t show tonight she was going into the slums after him, she thought grimly looking at the door. Finally Tray walked in with his two goons in tow. She wanted to jump up and demand to know what he was going to do to get those crates back.
    The only thing stopping her was the fact that she didn’t want to draw attention to herself. She was in enough trouble as it was. Tray sat down with his usual smile.
    “So what was so urgent that you needed to speak to me?” Tray asked.
    “You know what was so urgent, Tray. You took too many. I told you the ones to take. I know you understand what two crates are. That’s how many I told you there were, you little shit!” Mia growled, managing to keep her voice low despite her anger.
    “Well, sorry it just that there a lot of people going hungry. You said you wanted to help. So we took a few extra what’s the big deal?” He asked, not a bit concerned that what he’d done could get her thrown in jail, or worse killed.
    “The big deal you little weasel is that I could get thrown in jail for this. If anyone finds out I am helping you they will be coming after me, not you!” She told him wanting to wring the little shits neck. “How much do you still have, Tray?”
    “It’s fine your acting crazy. Nobody will know.” Tray tried to calm her down, only it wasn’t helping. Not at all.
    “I’m the one whose ass is on the line. HOW MANY, Tray.” She growled.
    “None.” Tray’s words almost made her heart stop. None. Had he just said none? She wanted to cry in dismay. How had they given out seven crates of food in a day? She wondered desperately.
    What was she going to do now? She wondered. She knew one thing for sure she was done helping this idiot. She should have listened to Marcus. He’d tried to tell her this was a bad idea. Only she had been too stupid to listen and now look where she was at.
    “Fine, but I’m done helping you, Tray.” Mia told him as she rose to her feet. “Find yourself another sucker to help you stick it to the council. I’m not helping you anymore.”
    “Wait, Mia. Sweetheart, you have to help us. You know nobody else will care.” He said catching her arm in a tight grip as she made to walk away.
    “Yes, and you’re the reason they will go hungry. Congratulations, Tray. You fucked up.” Mia jerked her arm free and began walking to the door. When she did movement off to her right caught her attention, and for a second her heart stopped. Then it resumed its steady beat. She thought for a moment that she’d seen Hilconn slipping into the crowd, but of course that was ridiculous. The man would never frequent a place like this, he was too stuck up to lower himself to drink with the commoners. She shook herself, and exited the bar headed home.
     
    The next day she was still trying to figure out a way to explain the missing crates. Standing in the warehouse about to head to her office she heard the sound of heavy foot falls headed in the direction of her office. She didn’t really think anything of it until she heard Hilconn.
    “What do you mean she’s not in there? She was in there a minute ago.”
    “Sir, the prisoner isn’t here.” Mia froze. Who were they talking about? They couldn’t mean her could