Shivers wracked her every limb as she watched Maximus start the engine. She clung to the hoodie, burying her white fingers in the soft fabric.
“Where is he?” Loren’s teeth clacked together as Maximus pulled the SUV onto the road. “Where’s Darien?”
“Randal and the others are taking him to Bernard and Tulsen,” Tanner said from the passenger seat. He had his laptop open on his knees, clicking through maps and windows displaying tracking software so rapidly Loren couldn’t make sense of what he was doing. He tapped the screen and said to Maximus, “It’s up here—by Dusk Hollow.”
“Where’re the others?” Maximus asked as he merged with traffic on the freeway, tires peeling. “Pull them up on their communication lines.”
Tanner found a headset in the glovebox, which he proceeded to put on. He flicked a switch on the side, wincing as the audio connected with a screech.
“Where are you guys?” he said into the mouthpiece. “Does anyone copy?”
“Pull up any street cameras, Atlas,” Max instructed.
Tanner clicked a few keys and found a lone street camera on the corner of Bernard and Tulsen. “Lace says they’re at an abandoned house. Randal and his men took Darien inside a minute ago.”
Bile rose to coat Loren’s tongue, her heart bursting into a sprint.
Maximus leaned across the middle seat and shifted the laptop two inches to the left, so he could see the screen better.
“What is that?” he murmured, taking care to keep an eye on the cars cruising along the freeway. “Zoom in.”
Tanner enlarged the feed with a few clicks.
The house was old and decrepit. It was on a corner lot where the streets labelled Bernard and Tulsen converged. The black-and-white feed was so ancient, it was full of static.
There was a sign in front of that house. Loren leaned forward in her seat, blinking against the drugs as she tried to read it…
“Blackgate Manor,” Tanner said quietly, taking the words right out of Loren’s head. He looked at Maximus, his mouth turning down at the corners. “What is that?”
Max shook his head. “I don’t know.” The SUV accelerated as Max flattened the gas pedal to the floor. Horns blared as he wove through the lanes of vehicles. Loren fought to stay upright as the acceleration pulled her against the backrest of her seat.
And then Loren stiffened, gripping the hoodie tighter around her shoulders, as she watched Lace, Travis, Jack, and Ivyana appear on the blurry screen, pistols in hand as they strode across the lawn, to the doorway that was nothing but a yawning black pit. Even with the bursts of static disrupting the image, Loren could see that they were approaching with hesitancy, every step slow and careful.
Tanner flicked up the audio to the highest volume.
That was when they heard it: the noise drifting from the bowels of the house. It was like…like screaming.
No—likeroaring.
Loren whispered, “Do you guys hear that?”
“Static charge?” Tanner’s voice was hopeful.
Max shook his head as he passed Dusk Hollow, the shadows of trees flitting over the sunroof. “I don’t think so.”
The Devils disappeared through the doorway. There was no motion on the screen; nothing showed in the grimy, shattered windows.
But the noises started again. There was no mistaking it this time: guttural roars were coming from inside that house.
“Fuck me,” Maximus ground out.
The roaring grew in volume. The sound was so loud, it nearly blew out the speakers on the laptop. An awful screeching carried through them as the audio threatened to cut out.
Maximus held his hand out to Tanner in request for the headset, who promptly placed it in his waiting hand.
“Stand down!” Max said into the mouthpiece, gripping it in a tight fist. His hand wasshaking. “Can any of you hear me? I need you tostand down.”
“Max.” Loren’s voice was a croak.
