Chapter 14 · Under the Clinic

Juno's clinic had a back door. Most places in the Flats did—fire code said front, survival said you needed two ways out when the gangs came knocking or the cops decided to care about unlicensed med work for one night.

Mara had used it twice. Once when a patient's boyfriend showed up with a tire iron, once when the power company sent enforcement to pull the illegal tap off Juno's roof.

She hadn't expected to use it to break into a building Crowe already owned.

The alley behind the clinic smelled like piss and burnt plastic. Juno led the way, her med bag slung across her shoulders, her jaw set so tight Mara could see the muscle jumping. Kade brought up the rear, one hand on the brick wall, breathing too hard for someone who wasn't supposed to need air.

"They're not watching the back," Juno said. Her voice was flat. Dead. "They don't think we're stupid enough to come here."

"Are we?" Mara asked.

Juno didn't answer. She crouched next to the rusted service door, pulled a key card from her pocket, and swiped it through the reader. The light stayed red.

"They locked me out," she said.