The Wild Card part 1

I turned back out of my fifth Alley today and back onto the street, checking the map on the Flexxy I kept sticking half out of my left jacket pocket. A sigh escaped my lips as I cursed myself for making that mistake again, but what do you expect. The alleys on core planets are to damn easily mistaken for streets.
First off, alleys are not suppose to be that damn clean. That's how you know they are alleys. Dirt, garbage, litter and the smell of urine is always a good sign that its an ALLEY. But not here on a Core planet. No these freaks have enough time and money on their hands to keep their alleys clean.
Second, if there is a sign on the corner that reads "Quick cross to ...." and the name of the next parallel street that you can get to through that alley and you expect people to use it regularly for that purpose. IT'S NOT AN ALLEY, IT'S A FUCKING STREET. SLAP A NAME ON IT, STICK IT ON THE MAP!
I rubbed the spot on my wrist where the cuff had been rubbing at it all day and stepped over to look into a store front window of one of the business. I didn't care much at all for what was in the store. It was the glass and the reflection it provided that I was interested in the most.
A quick glance and I confirmed what I had been feeling for the last ten minutes. I was being followed. And by three guys that really needed to learn to not stop and pretend to be doing something else when your mark makes a sudden halt. It's a dead give away that your following him. But I cant complain. If they were good at what they did. I might just be in trouble.
I tightened my grip on the large metal security case hand cuffed to my left arm and dropped my hand into my right pocket to make sure the key to the cuff was still in there as I turned back onto the street and headed off. I only had ten blocks to go and this job was done and I was one step closer to getting off this planet and back to where you can feel safe.
Cause on the Core you cant carry weapons. Not a gun, not a sword, not a giant hammer big enough to crush a Reavers head in a single swing. Hell they made me turn in my pocket knife. WHAT THE HELL? It has a three inch blade. Yah sure I can kill someone with it. But really. Do you have to be that paranoid to make a man turn in a folding pocket knife.
I chuckled out of frustration not at any kind of humor in the idea and quickened my pace as I crossed the next street intersection. I didnt like being unarmed. Especially with what I knew was coming.
Nine blocks to go and if my pursuers didn't make a move soon then they would be out of luck. common since and any idiot thug knew that you didnt let your mark get within five blocks of his destination. If you hit him that close then the chances of him alerting the police and them getting to his scheduled destination before you could make his appointment and get away with the money increase so dramically that it wasnt worth the risk.
No in that case, if you cant get the package before that point you wait for the target to come out with the money and jump his ass then and that was so not on my plan for the day or even tomorrow or the next. I know, I checked my calendar before I got on this rock and made sure it wasnt on there.
I adjusted the cuff again and slid my hand into my pocket again. Yah the key was still there thank the 'verse for that.
It had taken twenty minutes of arguing, negotiating and finally threatening to get that key. And I wouldn't have taken the job if I hadn't gotten it. See most people who hire you for a job like this dont want to give you the key to the cuff. They are afraid that if they do you might sell the package to another client and cut them out of their share. Or worse. Ditch it at the first sign of trouble. Like I planned to do.
Yeh, that's right, these three make a move and they can have it, the case,the cuff and the key. Whats in this case is not worth dying for and I have no intentions of doing so. Call me a coward, call me unreliable. I don't care. At the end of the day. I get out with my life and my hand still attached to my wrist.
See thats the other reason to get the key. If your muggers are feeling generous enough to let you live and you dont have the key. Then their only option is to cut your hand off. And I know its corny to say, but I am attached to this hand. My mother gave it to me. Its part of a matched set.
Now I laughed at that.
I pulled the flexxy from my pocket and checked the route. Next street, turn right. three blocks then a left and another four to the building. Almost there.
This is where it gets dangerous.
I picked up my pace a little then turned right at the next corner and increased my speed to put as much distance between me and the street with my pursuers as I could.
I was halfway down when I stopped dead in my tracks
Yep, another alley.
I hate Core planets and their clean fucking alleys.
I turned in time to see the three turn the corner right behind me and stop.
They stood stunned as they spotted me standing there facing them.
I turned and ran.
Three sets of feet could be heard behind me as I made time down the alley.
Here is where a clean alley actually paid off. Nothing to run around to slow you down. Nothing to trip over. Just you and a straight shot to the next street. Hopefully. As long as the alley you picked wasnt a dead end. Thank the 'verse this one wasnt. I looked ahead just to be sure. Nope it wasn't.
I was gaining distance on the three when I brought my right foot down at an odd angle and tumbled to the ground. The case slammed into the ground first, then my stomach, then I hit the ground and rolled.
Goram it that hurt.
I pushed up and forced myself to move, gasping for air as my stomach and lungs spasmed from the impact of the case.
Yah that wasnt in the plan.
I risked a glance back over my shoulder and saw that the thugs were only about three meters behind me. And with my stomach hurting I wasnt going to out run them.
My hand shot into my picket and pulled out the key and fumbled to get it in the lock of the cuff as I faught to keep my shortening lead on the three.
The cuff clicked open and I threw the case off to the side and listened as it hit the wall and rebounded off it.
Here is where it really sucks.
There is no guarantee that your muggers are going to stop as a group for the case. One atleast will. but the other two can often contiue on to try and catch you. And if they do, your in trouble.
I bulted. running as fast as I could down the alley now able to see the opening of said allley onto the next street.
I risked a glance over my shoulder. One had stopped, two were still in pursuit.
Tāmāde hùndàns! I was afraid of that.
I put everything I had into reaching the next street. If I didnt it was so going to hurt.
Nope!
I felt the hand land on my shoulder and push me to the side. I hit the wall before I could brace myself and I hit it head first.
There was a moment of confusion then I fell the warmth of liquid running down my face a moment before I felt the boot in my side. Then another.
Seems these guys like to kick. And, Xióngmāo niào, they were good at it too.
I felt three of my rigs crack..... No, two cracked, one broke.
Instict told me to get up and fight, but I knew better then that. Even if I could get back up and put up a fight. There was a chance, a very good chance,that one of the three had something I didnt. A weapon. And that was the last thing I wanted to find out.
So it was lay here and take it.
"Wèi!, we got what we came for lets GO! Before someone get curious." A voice yelled from down the alley.
That was the smart one, the leader of this group and the guy I was hoping for. Cause he just saved my life.
I heard feet turn and run from where I layed on the ground then felt another swift kick to my ribs.
Yah and there was the sadist, there was always one and they had to get the last kick in.
He turned and ran.
Me, I just layed there and tried to breath with out hurting.
No good, it didnt work.
Wǒde tiān! I hate the Core.