Free Freelancers: Falcon & Phoenix by Anthony Thackston Page A

points across the road. The Marauder bus lies on its side.
    “Think any of them survived that?” Little Wang tries to look for any signs of life. The top of the bus faces them, making it impossible to see inside.
    “We did,” Falcon tells him.
    Little Wang watches the Marauder vehicle, knowing that Falcon is right.
    “Still,” Falcon continues. “There were more of them in there than us. That many bodies. That many guns…”
    “They probably all shot themselves during the roll.” Phoenix adds as she walks to the front of the car. She pops the hood and the Freelancers examine the engine. “It looks ok,” she says.
    “Yeah.” Falcon reaches for one of the bullet holes in the hood. “Maybe we got lucky.”
    “You got a funny idea of luck.” She slams the hood shut and pulls him back around to the doorless driver’s side. Phoenix reaches inside for the keys and turns them. A sigh of relief escapes her when the car starts.
    “Like I said.” Falcon looks at her. “Lucky.”
    “Ok. Get in,” she tells him. He climbs back into the car through the driver’s side. Phoenix follows.
    “Wait. You’re not leaving me here,” Little Wang protests.
    “Your brother tried to run us off the road and you climbed in, trying to stop us,” Phoenix tells him.
    “You took me to the Emperor knowing what he would do to me. What makes you think we’d let you back in here?” Falcon asks.
    “I can see why you might—”
    “Good luck in Marauder country.” Falcon says as Phoenix hits the gas. The car lurches forward but doesn’t go anywhere. Phoenix floors it but the car stays in place.
    “Same to you, huh?” Little Wang crouches down and looks at Falcon before shifting his gaze to the rear tire. Phoenix looks back at the object of his attention.
    The tire is in a small rut. She hits the gas but the wheel just free spins, slinging mud behind it and along the fender. “We’re stuck in the mud,” she says, more for her benefit than Falcon’s. Phoenix steps out, dragging her prisoner with her. The three of them stare at the muddy rut. “Go check if there’s anything in that bus we can use.”
    Little Wang stares at her like she’s joking. “I’m not going over there. You know what they’ll do to me?”
    “I want to know what you did to them ,” Falcon says.
    Little Wang smiles. It’s a fake smile, expressing regret over a stupid act. “Marauders have chiefs. Chiefs have daughters. You do the math.”
    Phoenix raises an eyebrow. “You know some of them are cannibals, right? You’re lucky you got away from her .”
    “I hope it was worth it,” Falcon tells him.
    “Well up until now…”
    “It doesn’t matter. We need to get this thing moving again. You.” She points to Little Wang. “Get in.”
    “Are you kidding?” Falcon starts. “You’re gonna let him drive?”
    “Someone needs to push and I'm not letting you go.” She holds up her cuffed hand. “He has to drive it out.”
    “Un-cuff me and the problem is solved.”
    “I’m not risking you running off again.”
    “You’d rather let the guy who helped try to kill us drive off, than just trust that I won’t run.”
    “If there’s more Marauders, I’m not walking. I promise I won’t run,” Little Wang says as he gets in the driver’s seat.
    “I feel a lot better since you promised,” Falcon says as Phoenix jerks him to the rear of the car.
    The two of them put their shoulders into the vehicle. “Start slow,” Phoenix says.
    The back tires slowly turn while Falcon and Phoenix push. Getting traction on their own becomes a problem as their boots slide on the muddy terrain.
    Falcon readjusts his stance so his back is to the car. “Try a little faster,” he says as he digs his heels into the slick ground. The tires kick up globs of mud but don’t seem to do much more than dig a deeper trench.
    “Stop!” Phoenix yells.
    Movement on the other side of the road catches Falcon’s attention. He turns to face the downed Marauder bus.