Bad things...

Gill and Haddie were hustled out of the main market street and into a side alley where a shifty looking man with a harelip sat waiting by a small mule. Seeing the street thugs approaching with Gill and Haddie in tow he gave a low whistle and jumped up into the drivers seat to start the engine.

"You boys been fishing?" he called back to the men as they roughly handled the kids onto the back of the mule.

"The boys a down payment from smiler." one of the toughs said.

"What about the girl?" asked the driver.

"She's out cut." said the other tough with a sneer. The driver didn't look happy about that but he said nothing. The men clambered onto the mule after Gill and Haddie and one of them set about tying Gill hands.

"Girl cant be worth much, might as well cut her loose." the driver said as they pulled away into the alley.

"She aint for sellin." was the reply. Gill struggled against his ropes, they were badly tied and if he could just get loose... he studied the two thugs. One dark haired with a scar on his right cheek and the other bald with a ring through his nose.

"Worse than Gorram reavers." the driver grumbled as they drove through the back streets of Eavesdown.

"What you say sticks?" called the bald man, "You got a problem?"

"Me? Na.." Sticks looked back briefly and saw that Gill was half out of his bonds. His eyebrows raised and Gill froze, but the man simply turned back and shook his head.

"Let me have a look see what we got." the scared thug chortled as he lifted a struggling Haddie onto his knee. She squired as he grabbed her face turning it this way and that.

"I think first we take out the other eye, make her all matching like." he sneered and then drew back his hand with a curse. Haddie had bit him...

"You little bitch I'll." He raised his hands ready to slap her but she didnt wait, she lunged forward biting again and this time she came away with part of the mans nose. He screamed in pain as the blood gushed from his face and swiped her from his lap with the back of his hand. She landed heavily and lay still on the bed of the mule while the thug clutched his face in shocked disbelief. Gills hands were free now and he was desperately looking for something to defend his sister with. His palm came to rest on a screw driver.

The mule swerved as the driver looked back and cursed at what he saw. The bald thug was on his feet now clambering towards the still form of Haddie. He had drawn a knife.

"Looks like we are cashing in early." he growled as he moved forward. The driver slammed on the brakes causing the bald thug to stumble to his knees. Gill saw his chance and with a roar of pure rage and terror he lunged forward with the screwdriver stabbing it into the bald mans eye and the grey tissue beyond. He tried to pull it free but it was jammed and the man fell backwards to the ground with a look of surprise.

Gill felt white hot pain as something stabbed into his shoulder and he looked up to see that the other thug had stabbed him. He could already feel the blood gushing from his shoulder and soaking his shirt. The thug stood over him, part of his nose missing and blood streaming down his face. He twisted the knife and Gill screamed out, almost loosing consciousness with the pain.

There a loud cracking sound and something struck the thug on one side of his head sending a fountain of blood spraying out the other. The man fell, loosing his grip on the knife and Gill looked over to see Sticks, the driver pointing a pistol at the now dead body. His hands were shaking and his eyes wide.

"She alright?" Sticks asked indicating Haddie. Gill winced in pain as he shuffled over towards his sister. He touched her shoulder and she flinched before slowly turning to see that it was Gill and not the thugs that had touched her. She smiled weakly up at him, a horrific sight with all the blood around her lips and chin.

"You got a ship?" Sticks asked and Gill looked up at him and nodded. The man gave a grunt and holstered his weapon. He closed his eyes and shook his head slowly before speaking.

"Then get to it. I will square things with the boss and see these two properly disposed of."

Gill made to remove the knife from his shoulder and found he could not budge it. He sobbed with the pain and Haddie scrambled up to hold his hand. Sticks pulled off his brown leather flight jacket and threw it over to Gill.

"Put than on to hide it and leave it be lad. Get your people to see to it. Now git gone this place aint safe."

"Thank you." Gill managed as he and Haddie scrambled off the back of the mule and scurried off down the street. The journey back was a blur and at the end Haddie was forced to use what little strength she had to keep Gill on his feet. The blood loss and various beating had taken their toll and at one point Gill fell to his knees with a cry of pain. A woman rushed over to help them but a snarl from Haddies blood soaked face sent her scurrying back across the street.

At last the ship came into sight. The two staggered forward moving between the crates and barrels of the dock yard, trying not to be noticed. The cargo bay doors were open and there were people standing just inside talking. Gills vision was blurred, he was at the end of his endurance. They broke their cover to approach the ship and almost made it to the hatch before Gill fell to the ground unconscious.