Chapter 12 · Someone's here

He moved with a speed that defied physics. One moment he was behind her, the next he had her pinned against a rusted pillar, his body shielding hers. His arm was a hard bar across her chest, not crushing her, but locking her in place. His gaze was scanning the perimeter, his nostrils flaring.

"Someone's here," he whispered.

Lila froze. Her heart hammered against her ribs. "How many?"

"Four. Scavengers. Or maybe low-tier Hive hounds. They're circling the north quadrant."

Lila reached for her shock-baton, but Cain's hand clamped over hers, stopping the movement.

"Stay here," he commanded. "Don't move. Don't breathe. If you so much as sneeze, I'm leaving you for the crows."

He vanished into the gray haze of the wasteland. Lila waited, her breath hitching. The silence that followed was worse than the noise. Then, the screams started.

They weren't long screams. They were short, wet sounds—the sound of air leaving lungs that had been punctured. There was a crash of metal, a guttural roar that didn't sound human, and then a silence so absolute it felt heavy.

When Cain stepped back into the light, he was drenched. Not in rain, but in blood.