3 - FI

remember how

alarms wailed through the facility, and she was shoving him t

ep felt

reath t

ecision. She didn't look like the woman from his memory. She d

like a pr

cu

ger

door. It buzzed. Clicked. She pushe

slapped him a

tever that place truly was. The sky was deep blue, dawn still hours away.

ned. "Ell

in his face before he

ta

ck

n't fol

he building rose, o

p, staring at

ounding once with a

the wall an inch

k whipped th

y fr

sound echoed-clean, precise, nothing like the wild cr

dn't

mov

other bullet tore through the metal

n't warni

meant to

. His shoulder slammed into rusted metal,

st li

cross the lot-far, but not too far. A rooftop? A window? A ridge? There wa

dy understood

as a s

r had a clear

r shuddered violently as the bulle

ed, pressing his back

-something deeper th

me

eflex. Co

commanded. Don't stay

ead had been seconds ago. He scanned the surroundings-two parked medical van

hammered i

ne was his

he had to sprint

," he muttered

, grazing the edge of the dumps

y te

ot... stayin

ok a

n r

nt in a blur. The wind tore

the ground inches fro

arm. Pain flared hot, shock

y adjusted. Tilt your body. Keep low. Zigzag. Ma

d without u

t cracked-t

shed

es drew

it so hard he saw stars. He gasped, clutching it.

another bullet struck the tree,

linc

could sti

ods, moving crouched low, weavi

racked through twigs and leaves, each sound stabbing h

st swall

shots s

hispered betwee

eaned against a tree, pressing a hand to the bu

d under his

through cle

hey want

st didn'

eone el

napped b

dropping slightly into a stance he didn't rememb

epped in

he sn

rs

e-ra

silent. No badge. No identifying marks

n't ne

that inst

n said, voice muffled but cont

ad. "I don't even

on't n

. "Where's Ella?

an lu

d shocke

reflexes sho

ious thought. The man's fingers clipped his shir

ed figur

his head

ster than

?" Larr

rushed h

lt the shock vibrate through his bones. He retaliated without thinkin

breath

eant to hit

ural. Like somethin

n commented, sounding impressed. "Good

ini

stomach

ining?" h

ked man did

ttac

rd

st

pping, striking, blocking. But the man was trained too. Professionally.

stomach, knocking him back into a tree. B

n said. "You're

d for Lar

ul of dirt and flung

dn't hav

it

but grit still hit his eyes, and he recoil

didn't

r

know which direction he was going-only away from that man. Away

ned. His lun

didn'

e of the trees and saw faint

lisa

fe

yb

d it, feet bleedi

hot cr

to the ground

dded in a tre

r had rep

still

l hu

a shallow ditch hidden by weeds. He pressed into the earth

re through the

as closer no

ove. But if he st

eath q

t n

engine rumbled

ca

h to see headlights approa

rm

ma

kered in

ould just get inside a vehicle-maybe he cou

til the car

d himself

appeared o

ig

e

ave

y fr

slo

roared i

had a per

ching car grew louder, c

wo worlds-the chance to esca

one step

dot fo

ok an

trac

erged full

hakily, lifted

shattered

ry

a

d tilted

er dot

ears

s his torso-but not

sn't

llet h

e

, skidding across the road and crashing into the dit

tared i

adn't been a

d been aiming

ver dared to g

ted with footst

t

a

ng in

wrecked car, desperate, blo

led from

slumped over th

the door, ya

single word, voice

un

lapsing un

stomach

st, as dark silhouettes poured out of the forest b

ned to

fr

e road toward him at full

a stop inches

door fl

ar voice

y! Ge

l

ducked into was narrow-too narrow for a vehicle, too cluttered for a clear shot. Trash cans. Rotting food. Water

o loudly he swore it

ll is happe

himself, trying to breathe. His hands were steady. Too steady for a man

s body understood even while his m

e mouth of the alley. No foots

ence wa

uld f

ening around a scope, trigger pressure, wind

away violently, shovin

n't wa

like

dy wanted

ain di

oices rose. Larry flinched back deeper into the dark, his finge

t caught hi

of the bin where no one random wo

rac

ed through him. His pulse

at

hing it felt like stepping into

d his fingers closed on the plastic dev

pering in his ear: "If they find yo

cked out of him, hitting the

ands

est ti

een here

. Hunted. Prepared. Watching sh

trained hi

had broken

into his jacket. It hummed faintly-alive.

led through the air-sha

di

were

lley. Their silhouettes moved with precision, not confusion. Not amateurs

didn't

ody a

the men lifted a flashlight, the beam slicing th

man whispered. "Headsh

eplied, scanning. "We're not lea

stomach

n't going

e going

rtainty of people who weren't here to in

ficiently.

ey. Too close. Close enough that Larry could smell

mpsters," the

chest co

was

ng would get him killed. Staying still

rer. Rubber soles.

ushed something

ken b

gers around the j

was cold b

ck we

-quar

ched the crate

ut ra

! What are yo

ice. Not p

t just enough to see the source-a homeless man at the mouth of

unmen

as seconds, but s

n by the throat and slamming him into the wall. The move was i

t give him

twice-until the man d

man spun, rais

d into the man's legs, knocking him off balance. Larry lunged,

e-hot. Larry grit his teeth, grappling, rage boil

st into the pavement unt

h

ound his

eez

ng of

, "You should h

rred. Darkness cre

shattered

e weight slumped off him. Larry rolled aside, coug

man wasn't ho

like he'd been

with eyes that were

ate," the

inked. "

at Larry, but past him, as if e

en lookin

stomach

W

, gripping Larry's arm

re. And if they find Ell

y fr

d turned

did yo

pression har

you know her

ff, "you told us to protect

th caught in

in his bod

form words,

s grip t

y," he hissed. "

ng under him. The alley stretched out before

al words stuck in his

us to pr

's the

s when Larr

er wasn'

the beg