I kept my eyes closed until the firing ceased. The bell over the door rung again, accompanied by the sound of footsteps that faded away. I looked to see how everyone was doing. Ri and Fu had wrapped their arms around each other with their eyes clenched shut. Bò laid flat on his stomach, Grimmington pushed the trunk off of his back.

“Hang in there!” Emily yelled, pressing down on the side of Bò’s stomach. Blood was seeping out.

Mike was beside me, unhurt.

“Are you injured?” he asked.

“No. Just shook,” I replied.

“Thank God!” He hugged me.

“Fack.. faaaack!” Connor was looking over the table.

I wanted to see, so I peeked too. Shattered glass, bullet holes, and walls stained red. We were the only ones in the restaurant still breathing. Connor’s two mates who hadn’t made it over were also riddled with bullet holes. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was thanks to them that no bullet had hit me.

“We have to get Bò to a hospital right now or he’ll be as good as dead!” Emily yelled.

I remembered the promise I had made to his mother. I couldn’t break it. Not like this, in an incident we had nothing to do with. We were only in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

“There’s one only two blocks west of here. It’s not even a detour to the shore,” Grimmington said.

“Let’s go!” Emily lifted Bò’s legs. Grimmington picked him up by his arms.

Together they stepped over corpses, and carried him out of the restaurant. I tapped on Fu’s shoulder: “It’s okay now, just come with us.”

They let go of each other, and followed us out of the restaurant. Before walking out the door, I looked back at Connor and pegleg.

“Guys..?” I said.

They stood in silence by their fallen mates.

“Jus’ giv es a mooment, will ye? All aur frens er gon.. We’ve go’ nobodey,” Connor said after a while.

“You’ve got us..” I replied.

“..We’ll meet ye at de shoore wen we’re dun.”

I left them. The street outside the restaurant was now almost empty, the gunfire must’ve scared them away. I saw Mike, Ri, and Fu walking ahead, I caught up to them. Grimmington, Emily, and Bò were even further in front. By the next intersection, the streets were crowded again, we dove into the masses. All I could see were people’s chests, had no idea which direction I was going. Mike was beside me, I grabbed his hand. I wouldn’t get lost that way. He tried to look between the heads of people passing by, trying to keep an eye on Grimmington and Emily.

We came to the second intersection, a traffic officer stood in the middle of it. He had his hand held up signaling us to not cross. Mike slowed down, Ri and Fu stopped behind us. The street we were on split into two and diverged from each other on the opposite side of the intersection, a building with three sides separated them.

“I can’t see them,” Mike said, “which way do we go?”

“Let’s ask someone,” I suggested.

“Excuse me, sir,” Mike asked a stranger next to us, “in which direction lies the nearest hospital?”

He had a monocle that made one of his eyes bigger than the other, and a beard with the exception of his cleanly shaven chin; mutton chops. There was a weird little round hat on the top of his head, as if he was trying to cover up a bald spot.

“It is acktually on ze vey to vere I’m going,” he said, “I’m Edelfelt. Hans, Edelfelt. Kommt mit.”

The traffic officer gave us the go ahead, so we crossed.

“Vat bringst du to Point Civ?” Edelfelt asked.

“We’re trying to borrow a boat,” Mike told him.

“Vhy ist zat?”

“To rescue m-” I began.

“It’s top secret,” Mike interrupted, “you don’t happen to know where we can find one, do you?”

“Fanny you’d ask, I vas on my vey to the schoore vere I happen to haf a boat,” Edelfelt said.

“Do you think we could borrow it?”

“Zat dependet on how much you’re villing to pey.”

“A thousand.”

“A thousand vat? Elefants?” Edelfelt laughed at his own joke.

“Silver coins..”

“Pfft, my opfening bets are five times zat amount ven pleying poker.”

“So in other words, it’s pocket change?”

“Presisely.”

I saw the big red cross not far from us.

“Vere are you from, yang man?” Edelfelt asked.

“Sandfort.” Mike replied.

“Oh, vhy didn’t you sey so?”

“What?”

“My biggest competision operates from zere. Roomors sey he ist in zee process of inventing ein engine zat runs on refined petroleum rahzer zan steem. If it vere true, it’d be revolusionary!”

We were walking along the hospital wall. The doors swung open, and out stepped Grimmington.

“Speek of zee devil,” Edelfelt said.

Grimmington turned his head in our direction. When he saw who we were with, he crossed his arms.

“Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in,” Grimmington said.

“If it isn’t zee second smartest man in zee vally; B. Christoph Grimmington.” Edelfelt crossed his arms too.

“How’s Bò doing?” Mike asked.

“They’re doing surgery on him right now,” Grimmington replied.

“Your freund has been hurt?” Edelfelt wondered.

“Shot by the fucking mafioso, and we’ve been here for less than an hour! Not the greatest first impression for the folks, if you know what I mean.”

“I’ve heard you’re looking for a boat.”

“That doesn’t concern you.”

“It should, because I own van zat I mey be villing to lendt to you.”

“I don’t need anything from you.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, I need somezing from you, zough.”

“And what would that be?”

“You must know of zee rumors going around about you.”

“What rumors..?” Grimmington blinked faster than usual. His gaze shifted from Edelfelt to me, and back to Edelfelt again.

“You know, the ones about your little secret,” I said.

“That’s imp- impossible!” Grimmington uncrossed his arms, wiped them off on his pants.

“I’ll gif you my boat, all you have to do is schow me,” Edelfelt said, “prove to me zat what they say is true. Only zen will I be satisfied.”

“Well the rumors aren’t true, so there’s nothing to show,” Grimmington let out a nervous chuckle.

“I knew it! Petroleum is nozing but a temporary fad some rich guys are pusching to make money. Steem is zee future!” Edelfelt cheered.

“Steam?”

“Yes, steem engines vill power zee veeculs of tomorrow, not some exschplosive petroleum deahz trap.”

“That’s what we’re talking about?” Grimmington looked uncertain.

“Yes, vat rumors did you zink I meant?”

“Doesn’t matter. I have designed a petroleum engine, and it is far superior to steam, or even the best racehorse!”

“If you’re zo confident, you vouldn’t mind proving it to us, vould you? I suggest wie race motorized carriges zhrough zee city schtreets. A schtreet race, if you vill.”

“I’m listening.”

“If you vinn, you get my boat, and if I vinn, I get the rights to your engine.”

Grimmington gave me a look of concern, I nodded approvingly. Being so close to reaching my sister, it was more than worth it.