Chapter 6 · The Blank in Her File

The tracker wasn't done.

Aiden stared at his wrist. The first black bar had turned red—Marcus Webb, 34, East Maple Street 400, apartment 6C. Deadline: tonight. The second bar flickered. Sarah Chen, 27, St. Michael's Hospital ICU, third floor. Two names. Two lives he had to take before the sun came up.

Leah was on her knees, one hand pressed to her chest like she was checking her heartbeat was real. Her face was pale. Her eyes kept jumping between him and the tracker.

"You have to kill them," she said. Her voice came out flat. "You have to kill eighteen hundred people."

"Yeah."

"In a year."

"Yeah."

"Or the debt transfers to me. And my kids. And their kids."

Aiden looked at Vera. She was crumpled on the floor where the Executioner had left her. Ink hopped over, nudged her shoulder with his beak. No response.

"She's breathing," Ink said. He sounded tired. "Barely."

The Lead Auditor was backing toward the door. His boots scraped the concrete. He still had that page from Margaret's file clutched in one hand. His other hand was reaching behind him, feeling for the exit.

"You're not going anywhere," Aiden said.

The auditor froze.