I lunged for the tall girl, pulling her tight to my chest, and plunged the syringe into her hand, the only exposed part of her body. The needle hissed as it dispensed the sleep-spell drug. She sank against me and I hefted her over my shoulder, dashing into the dark alley behind us, finally allowing myself to take a breath when I cleared the smoke. She wasn’t heavy, but all cumbersome limbs.

“Eh, you!” a man shouted, his running footsteps echoing behind me.

I cursed and spun around the corner into a black alley. My pursuer followed immediately. I stuck out my foot, and he tripped over it, thumping hard onto the uneven pavement.

I ran without looking back, gripping the girl tightly by her legs, the streets’ layout etched in my mind. The distant din of the night market reached me, accompanied by the shriek of police sirens as they inched their way through the crowds. No one followed. I burst onto the main street at the far end of the market, hailing a taxi. It screeched to a stop, spewing foul exhaust. I slipped my mask back on before yanking open the door. “Take me to the end of the bus line,” I said.

The driver nodded, raising an eyebrow as I gently lay my hostage on the backseat. “She drank too much,” I muttered. “I tried to warn her.”

He flicked a cigarette butt out the window before merging back into traffic. “Those you girls have everything, but they always want more.”

I stared out the open window as the driver zipped through the streets with expertise, honking at pedestrians and mopeds alike. “You her bodyguard?” he asked, catching my eye in the rearview mirror.

I shook my head.

“Ah, her boy toy, then.” He grinned. “Whatever pays the bills, right?”

Right. My friends and I had decided the best way to gain info on Jin Corp was to get suited, infiltrating the yous by becoming one of them. Victor was perfect for the task—with his charm and good looks, he’d fit right in. But we needed funding. And who better to fund us than those who had a few hundred million to spare?

Neon signs flickered in a kaleidoscope of colors, washing my vision in reds and blues, oranges and greens. I kept a hand on the you girl’s arm, so she wouldn’t tumble over with the taxi driver’s sudden braking. Her glass helmet reflected the lights around us, and I couldn’t make out her features. I swallowed, suddenly afraid. There was no going back now. I jerked my face away, loosening my grip when I realized I was squeezing her arm.

She was unresponsive, her chest barely rising with each breath. She’d be out until tomorrow morning at least.

The taxi slammed to a stop, and I threw my arms around the girl to keep her from falling onto the floor.