CHAPTER NINE

Over the years, Heli did all sorts of things for the said officer. Since a lot of the police force wasn't talented enough for certain tasks, they were handed over to Adrian and Heli, the master pair, who were happy to do them. And just like that, the slow, meandering crawl of Heli's life sped up to a galloping, free-spirited run. 

One of these was stealing diamonds back from black strings that had escaped from their respective layers. Heli, now 17 but still skin and bones, covered from head to toe in a shimmering white hood, crept through the city. She had entered by scaling the wall and intended to go back out that way since the escapees had made a large mistake deciding to hide out in an alleyway. 

Heli turned a corner and was greeted by two people who had already been knocked out from sleeping pills in their water, which Adrian had happily supplied. Heli crept straight past them, grabbed the bag that she assumed were diamonds, and turned to leave.

Then she stopped. One of the sleeping people was a small child, bonier than she had ever been covered in bruises and scars. Her eyes were sunken into their sockets, and her soul-string was as black as coal. Her sleep was disturbed and uneven.

Heli paused for a minute. Hadn't she been like that once upon a time? Maybe these people needed help like she did. Maybe she could help them - 

A loud alarm went off in her ears. 

Without thinking, Heli instantly broke into a large, bouncing run, as the sleeping pills couldn't combat the screaming sirens and people stuttered awake. From behind her, a few people started to claw and scratch at her cloak, waving behind her in the wind, but Heli grabbed a white knife out of her pocket and stabbed behind her at whatever she could cut. 

Finally, nearing the wall, she grabbed the bricks and instantly started scaling. Adrian peeked out the wall and held out a hand. She grabbed it, he hauled her out and into the other side of the wall, and they crashed into eachother. 

Heli triumphantly held up the sack, all thoughts of saving anyone forgotten, as Adrian steadied her, as shouts of the bandits erupted behind them. 

"We did it!"