Chapter 14 · The Cargo Has a Pulse

"Move!" Calder's shout hit me before his hand did.

He grabbed my shoulder and yanked me sideways. The blast scorched the air where I'd been standing half a second ago. My boot caught on rubble and I went down hard, hip first, teeth clacking together.

"What the hell was that?" I twisted around, still on the ground.

"Ward feedback." Calder was already hauling me up by the arm, claws careful but not gentle. "You touched the core. It's still in your system."

"I wore gloves—"

"Gloves don't stop intent." He let go of me and spun toward the street. "And now they know exactly where we are."

I followed his stare. Down the alley mouth, past the broken lamp and the overturned trash bin, a gray panel truck idled at the curb. Engine running. No plates. The kind of vehicle that shows up in incident reports with the line *fled the scene* next to it.

"That's not a coincidence," I said.

"No." Calder's voice dropped. "That's the cargo route."

The truck's back door swung open. Two figures in black jumpsuits climbed out, moving fast, no hesitation. One carried a suppression rod. The other had a bag slung over one shoulder—