Chapter 6 · "Not yet," Vargas replied. He raised a hand

"Not yet," Vargas replied. He raised a hand, and the air around him distorted. "But by the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging to go back into the tank."

Lyra didn't hesitate. She slammed the EMP mine into the ground. A wave of blue distortion erupted, screaming through the alley. For a split second, the red glow around Vargas flickered.

"Go!" Lyra yelled, grabbing Kane's arm and dragging him toward a hidden hatch in the floor. "He's not a grunt, Kane! You can't just punch this guy!"

They scrambled through the hatch, tumbling down a steep, rusted chute that deposited them into a damp, echoing sewer pipe. Kane scrambled to his feet, breathing hard, his heart hammering against his ribs. He looked up at the hatch. He could hear Vargas above them. Not shouting. Not searching. Just... waiting.

"He didn't even try to follow us," Kane said, his voice shaking. "Why didn't he follow?"

Lyra was leaning against the pipe wall, her face pale. She was staring at the hatch with a look of pure dread. "Because he doesn't need to chase us. He knows exactly where we're going. He's not hunting you, Kane. He's herding you.