The ones who came away with nothing were once again drowning in regret.
They cursed themselves for not being faster, letting someone else walk away with all the goods for free.
But despite their grumbling, no one made a move on anyone else.
They all understood now that getting into a fight was a bad deal. If you got hurt, the only ones who would benefit were the vultures circling nearby. It just wasn't worth it.
The man Stella Sterling had terrified earlier glanced in the direction she'd gone, then looked down at his own pile of things.
After a moment's thought, he quickly stuffed everything into the backpack he was wearing. As he worked, he muttered nonstop.
"Damn it, I was scared to death today. Forget this, I'm done. I'm going home to get some rest. My luck has been shit today."
Still muttering, he finished packing his things, gave a nod to a few people he knew, and started walking home.
Many of the people nearby had heard him.
