‘Maybe this is just a scout.’Cole and Finn can clearly see the moving shadow now too.
Finn asks, ‘Who sends a single scout?’
‘This isn’t a scout,’ Kade says with utmost certainty.He watches the shadow move.Another fine vibration.‘Nine and ten?’
‘Both down.If the power drops now—’
‘It will.’
‘Then everywhere but the Watch will be solidly blacked out for six minutes until the emergency line kicks in.’
‘That’s still intact?’
Cole checks.‘Yes.’
The Watch’s backup generator sits in the corner nearby.
‘Six minutes in the dark elsewhere,’ Kade muses, glancing at the heavy-duty doors that lead to the spiral staircase, housing the boss of Iron Star.No electronics up there and his boss never uses earpieces or radios, much as that mildly annoys Kade.
‘What are you thinking?’Finn asks him.
The temptation to go down and face thisscouthimself is nigh upon overwhelming but Kade knows his place is here.‘Nothing.Six minutes.We can get through that.No other heat signatures?’
‘No, and what’s worse is this one doesn’t even show up.’
‘What do you mean?’
Finn taps the screen.‘Visual confirms a presence, but echo-pulse reads clean and thermal shows zero.’
Cole shakes his head.‘Are they masking?’
‘Must be.’
‘Are there any other shadows on screen?’
‘None.’
‘Then it’s one person?What the fuck is happening, Kade?’Cole asks.‘This mightactuallybe a Paranatural.’
‘Brightling,’ Finn corrects.
‘Don’t start that shit,’ Kade warns, glancing again at the steel doors.If he goes and asks permission to meet the threat head on, it’ll be swiftly denied.
The second pulse checks in through dark-band.
Eight bells.
Using the same channel, Kade quietly intones, ‘All teams, prep for sundown.Repeat: prep for sundown.Engage night-vision.Delta Team, secure point around the basement hatch.’He looks at the left screen, speaking to Cole instead of his radio.‘All Tower Crew are secure?’
‘Affirmative.’
‘Lock the Pockets down.’
‘They’re navigating it well,’ Finn observes, tone worried, watching the screen.It’s pitch black in the tunnels, but the camera system, called theVine Mesh,has multiple vision modes, including the ability to flash.
‘Cole, when this fucker reaches the curve there, light them up and get it as high-res as you can.Finn, backtrace entry.I want to know how they got in.’
‘I’ve been trying, but I can’t see any sign of additional entrance.We tracked the Resets, but there was nothing before or after.There’s no other way in.’
