“Don’t make me regret this.”
**
The walk to the old desalination plant was quiet and slow going. It was still daylight, but morning had given way to the softer hues of afternoon. I could hear birds and the distant rush of the Aurelion.
Seph walked silently beside me like a shadow. I was almost impressed.
She knew how to move without drawing attention.
I suppose that shouldn’t have surprised me.
When we spotted the first building, I stopped her and pulled her into the shadows. We were close enough now that if there were cameras, we risked triggering them.
I scanned the area, looking for the telltale blink that would give them away.
When I spotted the first one, I sent a bolt of lightning into the tree where it hung and shorted it out.
“Impressive,” Seph whispered.
I almost smiled. Almost.
We ducked behind an old, rotting tree stump and peered toward the plant. It was silent. Run down.
It looked abandoned.
So why were there cameras here?
“What’s that sound?” Seph whispered.
I paused to listen.
Moans. Scratching.
But where was it coming from?
A few feet from us sat a metal grate—an air vent.
We moved closer.
The sound grew louder as we approached.
Ferals.
A lot of them.
“What the hell?” I muttered.
Suddenly Seph jabbed me in the leg.
“Get down,” she hissed.
I looked up just as she dropped flat against the ground. It took half a second to see why.
The SUVs that had been following us rolled into the plant parking lot.
I muttered a curse and flattened myself against the ground. Seph did the same.
A door slammed and someone stepped out.
