Dark Empathy Archibald Bradford (best books to read in your 20s TXT) 📖

now flooding the shop, and not even Nameless missed the way he eyeballed the swinging door behind the counter.

“You run. I chase. You die.” Bruti warned with a glower.

Staring him down, she scooped up several pieces of hard taffy from a bin on the counter, clearly intended for children to beg their parents to purchase for them.

Her teeth crunched down on them hard, the noise reverberating through the shop.

“Bruti, we’ve talked about threatening suspects.” Grant said as he took out some coins and set them on the counter, his expression stern as he looked to the terrified clerk; “As for you, I’m going to need you to come out from behind the counter, right now.”

Eyes still darting to and fro and looking incredibly trapped, the teen clerk licked his lips.

Again, none of them missed the way his shoulders tensed up.

“He’s gunna book it.” Nina remarked.

A half second later he did just that, diving for the back door with an unmanly squeak.

They all watched him exit, then Grant turned to Nameless, who was waiting to follow his lead.

The instructor lifted one eyebrow.

“Well rookie? You going to let him get away or what?”

It took him a second to realize what Grant intended, but once he did he didn’t hesitate as his training took over.

“Right! Erica with me! Milly, Volka, go out the front and head him off!”

With dexterity hard-won from the academy’s unforgiving obstacle course Nameless vaulted the counter alongside his Katje and charged through the storeroom and out the gaping back door.

They heard their quarry before they saw him, panting and gasping as he awkwardly sprinted towards the mill beside the river.

“Stop! By order of the Aegis you are bound by law!” Nameless shouted.

“Don’t be a fucker!” Erica said right after him.

She was a much faster runner than her bond-mate, but for perhaps the first time in her life her reflexes failed her.

The clerk stumbled to one side just as she caught up and leapt at him, so instead of nailing him like she intended she overturned a bin full of freshly milled flour next to the mill and went down in a heap.

Nameless was right behind her though and his tackle was better aimed, his arms encircling the panicked clerk’s legs and dragging him to the dirt.

Though his nerves were stretched tight, his voice was level when he addressed the teen beneath him.

“As I was saying! By authority of the Aegis you are bound by-”

He didn’t get to finish.

His suspect wasn’t done struggling and rattled his teeth with a lucky elbow to the jaw before kicking himself free of his grip and scrambling up to flee again.

By that point though Erica had recovered and rejoined the chase and this time the two of them were able to subdue him properly.

“Motherfucker! He said you are bound by law! Now stop struggling and be bound!” The Katje gripped his wrists tight and planted her knee in the small of his back to ensure he couldn’t escape again.

At that point the clerk went limp and started to blubber.

Barely twenty seconds later and the others were at their side.

“You two look ridiculous.” The Gigas remarked as she took over from the Katje, one foot easily pinning their suspect in place.

Nameless white uniform was soiled with dirt from the brief scuffle and when he stood he had to straighten his belt at his hips, while Erica was covered in flour and looked like nothing so much as a pissed off powdered cat-pastry.

But aside from that, the pair of them were feeling pretty satisfied with themselves.

At least, they were until Grant gave Nameless a stern look.

“Congratulations on your first arrest, but why the hell did you tackle him? Are those canisters on your belt just for show?”

Nameless rubbed at his jaw as he glanced to Erica, struggling to respond.

“I, I was going to but he seemed pretty harmless, so it felt like overkill.”

The instructor shook his head vehemently as he reached down and pulled a straight-edged blade free of the clerk’s belt.

“Exactly the wrong response. I only let you chase him because I thought you clocked this.” He waggled the little knife in front of his eyes; “It might just be for opening boxes, but it could have opened you up pretty good if he decided to go for it. Your first instinct is usually the right one, you need to learn to trust it.”

Nameless turned a bit pink at the admonishment, but stood a little straighter as he nodded his understanding.

“I will sir- er, Grant.”

A gawking crowd had formed around the spectacle of the Aegis apparently arresting the local shop boy, so they quickly dragged him to his feet to take him away.

But before they could get him to the lawkeeper’s office, Bruti’s head snapped up and she began to sniff the air again.

“The other one, he’s here now too.”

Her eyes swept the crowd, people recoiling at her intense glare as she drew closer.

An older teen wearing a gaudy yellow shirt suddenly turned and began to walk away, trying his very best to act casual about it.

But Bruti had his scent, and within a couple seconds he found himself hemmed in on either side by a Grizzly and a Minotaur.

“I think I’m supposed to say you are bound by law mister.” Milly said with a frown as she bounced her spear against her shoulder.

Though of above average height, he was dwarfed by the powerful pair of monsters.

“Fuck.” He mumbled as his shoulders slumped.

Bruti brought her face alarmingly close and took a good sniff.

“You eat too much salt.”

Chapter 33:Two Lying Liars

The main room of the hive looked much different than usual, definitely much busier, which was saying something for a Hornet hive.