Circus Escape Read Online Free PDF Page A

work, but during the fight and when relaxing she wanted something that breathed and was tailored to her body. Something more feminine.
    Joy sat down and pulled on her brown leather knee-high boots and laced them. She brushed them down with her damp towel, giving them a modest shine. Her dark hair was twisted up into a loose bun. A wisp of hair hung down along the side of her long face, giving her a natural carefree look. A look that was far from how she felt inside.
    "In one hour's time, the Mecha Mesh will begin. Get ya bets on quick. Don't leave it too late." The speaker crackled.
    Joy cursed herself for being so slow and for getting herself in a knot over whether or not to win the fight. I have to lose tonight. There's no choice. She sped her preparations to make sure she made it back to prime Sally before the fight. Under her instructions, she had a few lackeys who would be there making sure that no one went near Sally once she had finished her last check. They would be cleaning up the garage, sweeping it out and organising the tools. It was about all she could allow them to do since she hated anyone touching Sally without her being there. She'd never been so protective of a mecha she'd Operated before, but then they hadn't been made of her own design, based on ideas she'd spent years dreaming about. She bundled up her dirty clothes and ran back to Sally's garage.
    "Cutting a bit close Joy," said Oren. "We've been waiting for ya."
    "Here." She handed her dirty clothes to a young boy standing nearby looking like he had too much free time on his hands. He wrinkled his nose, turned and ran off to get them cleaned.
    "Is she primed?" Joy went into automatic mode. Clean, wearing fresh clothes, she felt confident. Plus, she had made up her mind about the fight. Throw it . It didn't sit well with her, but she'd been in this business long enough to know that this was how things went here. If she didn't do what Jim told her, her reputation would be scrap metal and the only job she would be fit for would be a washer-woman. She didn't want that to happen.
    "Was about to start."
    "You know to wait for me." Annoyance edged her voice. She walked up to Sally and inserted the charging line.
    "Yes, ma'am." He bobbed his head in apology and went over to the wall ready to start the flow of electricity.
    "Start her up," yelled Joy. The line clicked in place. It hummed, a loud, electrical sound as the juice flowed into Sally's body. It was the kick start needed to get the big machine moving.
    Joy stepped away from Sally and looked around the garage to check things were in order. She might leave the place a mess, but it didn't mean that she liked it. She preferred to put her energy into the machine.
    "Oi, you, shut the garage door." She pointed to a girl standing doing nothing. The girl ran to the front and used the chains and pulley to lower the garage door.
    "Ya should've done that already." Joy didn't want people staring at them while they got Sally started.
    "Jim says thirty minutes and remember ya head," said Oren.
    Yeah, I bet he does . She nodded her head in acknowledgement.
    "She's juiced up," yelled a woman watching the gauge.
    "Good, switch her off." Joy walked to Sally as the lackeys ran to switch off the flow of electricity and pulled out the line. This part needed to be timed perfectly. If she got Sally ready too soon, they would be waiting in the wings wasting electricity.
    Joy stepped inside. "Ready the back door." She closed the door and settled into her seat. For a moment, she felt the shape of Nessie's body in the seat before the material remoulded around her. At least Nessie will be watching . Joy couldn't imagine Nessie missing out on the chance to see a Mecha fight. A buzz went through her body knowing Nessie was out there to see her. Sally, more to the point, but Sally was part of her and to Joy it was the same thing.
    Joy put the communicator in her ear. It buzzed as it connected in with the system. Jim was arguing with