Chapter 15 · People Behind the Gate

The rifle inside Iron Gate clicked before the door finished opening.

Cole froze beside me, one hand pressed to the bandage under his ribs. Blood had soaked through the gray cloth again. He was trying not to breathe too hard, which meant he was doing a terrible job of breathing at all.

"Don't move," I said.

"Wasn't planning to."

"You were absolutely planning to."

His jaw tightened. "They've got Leah."

A woman on the other side of the gate dragged Leah forward by the back of her jacket. Leah stumbled, caught herself, and turned her head just enough to glare at me.

"Evie," she called. "Your boy is leaking."

"He's fine."

"I'm standing right here," Cole muttered.

"Then stand quieter," I said.

The gate had opened six inches. Enough for a barrel to stick through. Enough for Leah's face to appear in the gap. Not enough for us to see how many rifles waited behind her.

The road behind us ran straight through the abandoned service yard, all broken concrete and rusted rail lines. Somewhere beyond the low warehouses, engines growled.

Hammer's convoy was coming.

The people inside Iron Gate knew it.