Chapter 20 · Grind, Loot, Survive - Chapter 20: Masks Off

"Down! NOW!" Selene's hand hit my chest and slammed me straight into the mud.

"Whoa — hey!" I hit hard on my ass, mud splashing up my neck. "Personal space, Ice Queen!"

"Shut up. Don't move." She was already over me, one knee pinning my leg, her rifle up and aimed into the fog. Her whole body was shaking. Not from cold.

The fog in the dead zone wasn't moving right. It hung low and thick and wrong, and something was walking out of it.

It looked like Jax.

Or what was left of him.

Same scar through his eyebrow. Same busted tactical vest Selene's squad used to wear. But his eyes were filmed over white and his skin was cracked like dried riverbed.

"Selene?" it said. And its voice was Jax's voice, just... wet. Like it was speaking through water. "You smell like what killed us."

My Sigil pulsed hot against my ribs. Danger. Big danger.

"Jax," Selene breathed. Her rifle dipped half an inch. "No. No, you don't get to do this."

"You brought him here," the thing that looked like Jax said, and it lifted its gun. Straight at her head. "You brought the rot with you."