“Shepherd’s moving east.”
Rook noddedonce.
“On purpose.”
Flick slowly stood behind me, pale beneath the rain.
“That picture…” Her voice shook. “Why does he have that picture?”
Nobody answered immediately.
Because we all already knew.
Surveillance.
Stalking.
Planning.
He acted like he was a man obsessed.
This wasn’t random.
It had never been.
Rook’s expression darkened slightly.
“He’s been watching you for years.”
Flick looked physically sick.
“No…”
“Hollow Men don’t improvise,” Rook said coldly. “They study. They wait. Then they eliminate threats.”
Wolf muttered a curse beneath his breath.
I kept my body between Flick and the trees.
Every instinct inside me screamed the same thing?—
move her.
Now.
But before I could speak?—
Shepherd’s voice drifted through the woods again.
Calm.
Close.
Too close.
“You still don’t understand, Blaze.”
Every weapon snapped toward the darkness.
