Chapter Fourteen

 

 

When Luka finally struggled to consciousness, he wondered why he’d bothered. The blurred vision, heavy limbs, and gut-twisting nausea made him wish for oblivious darkness once more. He’d suffered through enough drug hangovers to recognize one. The last time he’d felt this particular kind of bad, he’d found himself in the Institute’s infirmary after Logan’s psi hunters had grabbed him from Euphoria.

Memory returned with almost painful clarity. His breath quickened and his heart pounded in his chest. Trying to sit up proved to be a bad idea. The room lurched and spun, making the nausea worse. Sweat broke out on his brow and he lowered himself slowly to the floor and closed his eyes, waiting for the sickening motion to stop.

When the dizziness finally passed, he looked around, wondering if Jad had been grabbed along with him. It didn’t look like it.

At least he wasn’t in a holding cell. He studied his surroundings with an eye toward escape. The room he found himself in was being used for storing old office furniture. Desks and tables were stacked against the walls, and the center of the room was filled with chairs. The door was heavy steel, but the lock looked like the same kind of cheap electronic crap a lot of barely-scraping-by businesses in Riga used for their interior locks — easy enough to disable, but only if he could get his hands on some tools.

About the only thing working in his favor right now was that they hadn’t bothered to restrain him. The fact that he was alive and drugged suggested that somebody would eventually be in to check on him. They’d have to bring him food and water at some point. Another slug of Anarin, too, if they were smart.

He needed to be gone before that happened.

Luka rolled onto his stomach and pushed himself up to his knees. Blond hair flopped into his eyes. He yanked the wig off and swiped the remaining pins from his hair. Before attempting to stand, he shrugged out of the long robe. Last thing he needed was to get tangled up again.

The door turned out to be locked. No surprise there, but Rufio had taught him to always check; Rufio had plenty of stories about jobs made easier by stupid things like unlocked doors and security systems with the factory preset codes still active.

Luka moved to the back of the room and began a systematic search of every desk drawer that was accessible, hoping he might find something to aid his escape. A screwdriver would be perfect, but his luck had never been that good. He wasn’t surprised to find that the desks had been cleaned out before being stored.

Without the proper tools, he wasn’t going to be leaving by the door. He cast his gaze about the room, searching for another way out. There were a couple of air ducts up in the ceiling, but they were far too small, even for Luka. The ceiling panels, though… he frowned, mulling over the beginnings of a plan. If he could get up into the ceiling, he might be able to get into the next room, and that room might not be locked.

Most of the stacks of furniture were far too precarious for him to attempt climbing up onto, and making a lot of noise rearranging things might get him attention he didn’t want. One of the desks lining the wall had a sturdy table on top of it, and it looked like it would be solid enough for him to climb up on.

Luka glanced about the room again, chewing his lip. If the door was still locked when they discovered he was gone, they’d know he’d left another way. It wouldn’t take them long to figure out where he’d ended up.

He’d have to hope the room next door wasn’t as secure as this one, and that he wasn’t being monitored. He scanned the ceiling, looking for any sign of a camera. There was nothing obvious, but optical sensors weren’t always easy to spot. They could be embedded in a ceiling panel or built into a light fixture, hidden so completely that not even a close examination would reveal their presence. He decided not to worry about it; if he was under observation, he’d find out about it soon enough.

Luka climbed onto the desk and then up onto the table, being careful not to move too quickly lest the dizziness return.

Pushing the panel up into the ceiling and getting himself into the dark crawl space above turned out to be the easy part. Getting down into the next room — which was pitch dark — was another story entirely. He pried up the panel and lowered himself carefully, fully expecting to have to make a blind drop to the floor.

The hard surface that met him less than a meter below the ceiling was a surprise. It felt like a narrow shelf. In his attempt to balance himself, his foot swept something off the shelf. It hit the floor with a loud thud. Luka cringed, holding his breath as he waited for someone to come and investigate.

There was no sound but the pounding of his own heart, and eventually he dared to climb down the shelving to the floor. The door was easy enough to find, and the pad next to it turned on a light. He found himself in a cramped utility closet, most of which was taken up by shelving that covered three of the walls.

A dented box of paper towels sat in the middle of the floor where it had fallen when he’d kicked it off the shelf. He found space on a lower shelf and shoved it in, not wanting to leave behind any evidence that he’d been here.

When he tried the door, the handle moved freely. He let out his breath in a hiss of relief. At least he hadn’t traded one prison for another.

Before venturing out, he gave the shelves a quick once-over, searching for anything that might come in handy. He found plenty of cleaning supplies and cases of paper products.

The shelves were crammed so full that he almost missed the toolbox tucked into the farthest corner of the bottom shelf. He pulled it out and opened it, grinning at the random assortment of mismatched tools. A couple of screwdrivers and a small pair of wire cutters found their way into his pockets. Once the box was shoved back into the corner, he considered his next move.

The tools changed everything. If he could disable the lock in the room he’d woken up in, his captors would assume he’d gone out the door. They’d start searching the rest of the building, while Luka was tucked up safe in the ceiling waiting for the Anarin to wear off. Once he had access to his psi, he’d have a weapon — if he could bring himself to use it.

His chest tightened as he considered what he might have to do. The thought of killing again sent a fresh wave of nausea curling through him. If it came down to a choice between taking down a few guards and being forced to kill at someone else’s command…

No. He wasn’t going back to that. Nobody was going to use him like that again. He’d die first.

Or kill, if he had to.

 

* * *

 

Pat stared out the window of the flyer at the distant glass spires of Iral. Alek banked the flyer, putting the city behind them as they headed east over the hilly, wooded countryside toward Aberdeen.

In the passenger seat next to Alek, Kyn studied the map on the flyer’s main control board while holding a murmured conversation with Miko via the earpiece he wore. Alek and Pat wore them too, though Pat hadn’t bothered to activate his beyond the initial equipment check before they’d set out. Most of what Miko said had to be translated anyway, and Kyn seemed to have that well in hand.

Their destination was on the northern edge of Aberdeen, well within the city limits — and within the jurisdiction of Aberdeen Traffic Control. Unless Miko could work some of his magic, Alek would have to give up control of the flyer to the AI. At that point, their location and destination would become public knowledge.

“Can Miko hide us from Traffic Control?” Pat asked.

“Already done,” Kyn said. “The AI will read us as a maintenance crew from Aberdeen City Services. He’s encrypting all of our transmissions, too. And before you ask, I don’t know what kind of encryption he’s using, and I’m pretty sure we mere mortals wouldn’t understand more than one word in three of the explanation.”

Pat studied him, pleased to see that the dark, brooding mood had finally lifted. He hadn’t seen Kyn this engaged and alive since before the accident. Kyn seemed almost like his old self as he conversed with Miko and traded insults with Alek.

“What?” Kyn asked from the front seat. “Say that again, Miko — and talk sense this time. I don’t want to hear about rats and tunnels.” There was a long pause, and then Kyn said in an exasperated voice, “Well, how the hell am I supposed to find him if he’s crawling through the ventilation system?”

Pat touched the pad on his own earpiece, activating the device in time to hear a thin thread of breathy, electronic laughter. “This is my problem?” Miko said. “You’re the extraction team.”

Kyn turned to grin at Alek, eyes sparkling.

Alek shook his head and returned the grin, then said, “Miko, can you try to get us a building plan again? I’d rather not do this blind… especially if Luka’s managed to get himself into the ductwork.”

“It’s not on file in the public records. I’ll have to access the City Services AI,” Miko said in a flat voice. Silence followed while Miko worked his magic in the net.

Pat continued to watch Kyn through lowered lashes as he and Alek brainstormed all the ways they might locate Luka.

Was this all it took? Getting Kyn involved in something where his lack of psi might actually be an advantage? Pat frowned, the germ of an idea forming in the back of his mind.

 

* * *

 

Luka lay on his belly in the dark, cramped space above the ceiling on the far side of the utility closet. He’d disabled the lock in the other room by prying out the control chip, and had found himself silently thanking Rufio, who’d taught him that particular trick. With the access panel replaced and the tools tucked back in his pocket, it wouldn’t be obvious at first glance that the lock had been tampered with. Now, he strained his ears to catch the sounds of footsteps or voices above the constant hiss of the ventilation system.

There was no way to mark the passage of time in the dark crawl space, but Luka didn’t think more than half an hour had passed before he heard voices coming from the direction of the room he’d escaped.

The sound of a door opening was followed by a curse. “Little shit’s gone. Who the fuck left this door unlocked?” The response was too low to make out, but the first voice said, “Doesn’t matter. We need to find him before the Anarin wears off — he’s dangerous. I’ve seen the reports from Riga. Eleven dead. We don’t find him soon, I’m not sticking around.”

The voices faded, and not long after that, Luka heard footsteps pounding through the halls and doors being flung open. Dim light leaked through the ceiling panels as the door of the utility closet was opened. He heard a low murmur of voices, and then one, louder than the others: “Well, check again! We’re running out of time.”

“He’s got to be in the building,” said another voice, this one right below him. “Every exit’s covered.” The door slammed shut and the footsteps moved away.

By the time the sounds of activity had faded, the Anarin had worn off. There was the core of light at his center, and there was the shielding pattern, surrounding and protecting it. Deeper still, he could just make out the dark flicker of the black lightning. He could almost feel its impatience as it seethed and lashed about like a caged animal waiting to be set loose upon the world.

He wished he hadn’t been so stubborn about the training. Kyn might have been able to teach him how to control the lightning, how to disable rather than kill. All he knew how to do now was set it free to do what it would.

It might also have been smart to let Kyn teach him more about shield control than the simple on-or-off he’d already learned. Locating other psions without revealing his own presence would be a handy trick to have right about now.

His breath caught in his throat as it occurred to him that controlling the lightning might work the same way controlling his shield did. Could it be that simple? Could he wrap it up in a pattern the same way he wrapped his awareness of the thoughts and emotions outside of him in a pattern?

Luka closed his eyes and focused inward, plunging down into his center. He thought back to that first training session with Kyn, when they’d sat by the lake. The sounds of the wind and the water had calmed him then, and he tried to put himself there now, tried to recall the soothing, reassuring tones of Kyn’s voice.

Slowly, his body relaxed and his mind quieted. He let himself fall back into his center. For the first time, he allowed himself to go deeper than the shielding pattern; deep enough to see the place where the lightning lived at the very heart of that core of light. He visualized a pattern like his shielding pattern, but left some holes in it, places where the lightning might be able to find its way out. What he ended up with looked more like a screen than a shield. When he was satisfied with his work, he pushed the pattern into place around the lightning.

He pulled his awareness back a little and observed his handiwork. The pattern stayed in place, and he could see the lightning flickering behind it.

It would work or it wouldn’t. No way to know for sure without testing it. Either way, he had to get out of here. Luka took a deep breath and lifted the ceiling panel.

 

* * *

 

Kyn crouched down behind the low wall that ran along the edge of the rooftop. “Miko, I’m on the roof of the building next door, and I’m looking down into the alley. I’ve got a clear view of the east entrance, and there’s one guard that I can see. What’s Luka up to?”

“He’s on the move, not hiding anymore,” Miko’s electronic voice whispered in his ear. “The drugs have worn off — he’s at full power, so watch yourself.”

The knot of tension in Kyn’s chest loosened. The idea that Luka might be in hiding had worried him a great deal; Miko hadn’t been able to coax any floor plans for the supposedly unoccupied warehouse out of the City Services AI. Whatever interior surveillance systems the building might have, they were isolated, off the net, and therefore inaccessible to Miko.

“Miko, what have you got on the exterior?” Alek said. He was parked at a public parking facility a few blocks away, keeping the flyer warm and ready. Pat waited on the other side of the roof from Kyn, safely out of range of all but the strongest psions.

“The main entrance is on the south side,” Miko said. “It’s guarded by two people, one of them a psion. Two more at the loading docks on the north side — one of them is a psion, too. The east and west sides have smaller entrances, each guarded by one psion. Inside the building, I can sense Luka and two other psions. There are other people inside, but I’m not sure how many.”

“Are the people you can sense all in the same place, or are they spread out around the interior?” Kyn asked.

“They’re congregated in a room near the front entrance. The colors of worry and fear are the brightest.”

“What about the guards on the exits? Are they stationary?”

“No. They’re moving around, patrolling along the north and south sides. They’ll have a clear view of Kyn when they get to the alley.”

“I hope those aren’t our people down there,” Pat said. “If Logan’s using psi hunters to do his dirty work, then they can sense me from here.”

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Alek’s voice said through the earpiece. “They’ll be so busy wondering what you’re up to, they won’t notice Kyn.”

“Diversion and distraction,” Kyn said, moving along the edge of the roof toward the fire escape. When he reached the top of the ladder, he peered over the wall, keeping low. The sun had only just set, the moon not yet risen. He scanned the shadows below for movement or shapes, and finally caught sight of the guard near the side entrance. He hadn’t moved.

Kyn crouched back down. “The guard is well within stunner range from here,” he said. “Miko, let me know when the guards on the north and south sides are far enough away that I’ve got a chance of getting down there unnoticed.”

“Kyn, you know as soon as that guard goes down, any psion keeping track is going to know something’s up.” Alek sounded worried.

“I’m counting on them being too concerned about Luka to notice,” Kyn said.

“Be careful, Kyn,” Pat said. “Luka’s going to assume anyone in that place is an enemy. You might not get a chance to identify yourself.”

“I know.” Kyn heard the concern in Pat’s voice and allowed himself a brief moment to wish he could sense what Pat was feeling right now. And another to remind himself that after what he’d said yesterday, he might be better off not knowing. He didn’t say anything more; there was too damn much to be said, and no time to say it now.

He lined up the shot carefully. When Miko’s signal came, Kyn fired the stunner. The guard went down and Kyn went over the edge and down the fire escape. When he dropped to the street, he quickly checked up and down the alley. The noise of the stun-shot didn’t appear to have alerted anyone, so he slipped across the shadowed space to the unconscious guard. He knelt to check the man’s wrist for a pulse and then went through his pockets. The keycard was the only thing worth taking. Kyn rose to swipe it through the card reader by the door, then slipped inside, stunner drawn.

 

* * *

 

Luka eased open the door of the utility closet and peeked out. The hallway was empty and quiet. The most dangerous moment would be when he slipped out. The door opened outward, and he wouldn’t be able to see around it until he was out in the hallway, exposed. If there was a guard at the other end…

He couldn’t stay in the closet forever, though. Even if they were too scared to come after him, somebody would eventually think to gas the place and then go over it with a thermal scanner. He took a deep breath and slipped out, pressing himself against the wall as he quietly closed the door. There was no one else in the hallway, and he almost sagged with relief.

He hadn’t gone more than half a dozen steps when a door farther down the hall opened and a man stepped out. He and Luka stared at one another for one frozen moment, then the man reached for a weapon.

Luka didn’t give him time to grab it. The fear of being caught and all that might imply rolled over him. The lightning rose from his center, lashing back and forth as it sought escape. He didn’t try to stop it. Instead, he let go of it.

The man froze. His features went slack and he collapsed to the floor. Luka bit his lip and edged forward slowly. He was shaking as he crouched down beside the body and checked for a pulse. When he found it, he choked back a sob.

He hadn’t killed this time.

He allowed himself only a brief moment to steady himself, then checked the man’s pockets. He found a keycard and took the stunner that had fallen to the floor.

Hiding the evidence wasn’t an option; the guy had to be twice his weight. There was no way Luka was strong enough to drag him. He’d just have to find his way out of the building before the alarm was raised.

With a growing sense of urgency, he forced himself to his feet and picked a direction at random. He’d only taken three steps when the lights went out, leaving him in darkness.

 

* * *

 

From where he was crouched next to the building’s rooftop access, Pat only made out a brief flicker of shadow as Kyn went over the low wall and onto the fire escape. Pat held himself still, though he itched to move closer to cover Kyn’s descent.

He hated waiting, hated hiding. Common sense kept him rooted to the spot; any closer and he would be well inside the average range for most psions.

A powerful surge of energy washed over the psionic landscape like a tidal wave. It pounded against Pat’s shield, enough of it leaking through that he staggered back a few steps and brought his hands to his head. Through the earpiece he heard Alek’s bark of surprise and then Miko’s even, uninflected voice: “That was the Lost One. Every psion in there is washed in the colors of panic.”

“Kyn? What’s going on in there?” Pat asked.

There was no response.

Pat hesitated only a moment before moving across the roof toward the fire escape. He’d be damned if he was going to just sit here and wait. Kyn might need him. Any psion with sense would be hiding behind shields. They’d all be too busy staying out of Luka’s way to worry about him. He hoped.

“I’m in,” Kyn’s voice whispered in his ear. “You can cut the power anytime, Miko.”

“Cutting the power now,” Miko said.

Pat reached the fire escape and peered over the low wall. The building was dark and the alley was full of shadows. Both ends were lit from the streets beyond. The northern end appeared clear, but a dark shape was briefly illuminated by the streetlights as it darted across the southern end.

“They’re evacuating the building,” Miko said.

“Yeah, I haven’t seen anyone yet.” Kyn’s voice sounded strained, even over the earpiece.

“Most of them are outside,” Miko said. “Taking cover around the exits. Waiting for the Lost One.”

“Great. Any idea where I’ll find him?” Kyn asked.

“Head for the center of the building,” Miko suggested. “And be careful when you leave… from the outside vid-feeds, it looks like some of the people waiting for you might be carrying more than just stunners.”

Alek swore and the sound of the flyer engines roared through the earpiece. “I’m coming over there,” Alek said. “This isn’t a stealth op anymore. Kyn’s going to need help getting out of there.”

“Agreed,” Pat said. “I’m heading down to keep the exit clear.”

“Wait for me,” Alek said. “I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“Five minutes is too long,” Pat said. “Kyn, when you find Luka, head back to the east door and wait for my signal. I’ll try to keep it clear for you.”

“Got it,” Kyn said. “Don’t do anything stupid, Pat.”

Alek wasn’t nearly so accepting of his plan. “Damn it, Pat—”

“One psion climbing up the fire escape to your position, Pat,” Miko said.

“Thanks, Miko. Alek, shut up and get over here. I’m going to need your help.” Pat melted into the shadows and waited. When a figure slipped over the low wall and landed on the roof, he was ready. He fired his stunner. The figure collapsed and Pat swung himself over the wall and onto the fire escape.

 

* * *

 

Kyn moved quietly through the empty halls, stunner drawn. He needed to find Luka before Luka found him; he figured the kid was scared enough to blast first and mourn the dead later. There was no guarantee that whatever it was that kept his own mind hidden from other psions would afford him any protection against Luka.

The night-eyes Kyn wore were the standard civilian issue, used mostly for hunting. They didn’t have nearly the resolution of the military gear he was familiar with. He wouldn’t be able to identify individuals, and he was of half a mind to simply stun anything that moved and sort it out later. If he ended up stunning Luka, he’d just have to carry the kid out.

From the whisper of conversation in his ear, he gathered that Pat had reached the alley safely, and Alek was setting the flyer down on the rooftop. Kyn hoped that Miko was on top of Traffic Control — they’d be all over Alek for making an unauthorized landing within city limits.

Kyn saw a flicker of movement and pressed himself against the nearest wall. There was a cross-hallway ahead. The night-eyes showed him a dim glow as someone moved across the open space, weapon drawn. At this distance, Kyn couldn’t tell if it was Luka or not. He approached cautiously. When he reached the intersection, he peered around the corner in time to see the figure raise the weapon and take aim. Kyn fired his own stunner. The figure collapsed before getting the shot off.

Farther down the hall, a smaller figure turned and froze. Kyn raised the stunner and shouted, “Luka, it’s Kyn!”

There was a moment’s silence. Then he heard Luka’s voice, high and wavering, “Kyn? Where are you?”

“Sit tight, I’m coming.” He hurried down the hallway. “Right here,” he said as he drew near.

A moment later Luka was pressed against him, body trembling as he hugged Kyn hard. “You came for me,” he whispered.

“Of course I came for you,” Kyn said, giving him a brief squeeze in return. “I told you I wasn’t going to let them take you. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I am, now.”

“We need to get out of here. They’ve evacuated the building, but they’re waiting for us outside. Eventually, somebody’s going to get smart and start tossing stun grenades in here. Or maybe gas us out.”

“Okay,” Luka said in a taut voice. His hand found Kyn’s and he held on tight. “Okay, let’s go.”

Kyn turned back the way he’d come, hoping he’d counted the hallways and turns correctly. Just as the exit came into view, Alek’s voice came over the earpiece, loud and frantic. “Heads up, Pat, guards with blasters are moving into that alley — two from the south, three from the north. Get inside if you can!”

“I have to get out there,” Kyn said to Luka. “The exit’s just up ahead. When we get there, I’m going out, and I want you to stay inside until I come and get you.”

“Fuck that—”

“Don’t argue.” Kyn stopped at the door and pushed Luka aside. “They’re shooting out there and Pat’s in the middle of it.”

“They want me alive,” Luka said.

“So do I. Now stay put.” Kyn held his stunner ready, cracked the door open and listened. He heard shouting and stunner fire. He slipped out, trusting the shadows to hide him. The door shut behind him, and he hoped Luka had the sense to stay hidden.

The moon had risen while he was inside. Its golden light penetrated the shadows of the alley, making it impossible to hide. The stunner fire was coming from the south. Kyn stayed close to the wall and started moving south to get within stunner range. He’d only gone a few steps when Pat’s voice cut through the air: “No! Kyn!” Someone slammed into him from behind, shoving him hard.

Kyn stumbled and went down just as a brilliant flare of blaster fire lit up the alley. He heard a hoarse cry from behind him — right where he’d just been standing — and Pat crumpled to the ground beside him. The sickening smell of burned flesh filled the air. In the dim moonlight Kyn made out dark figures approaching from both ends of the alley.

Dimly, he heard Alek’s voice through the earpiece demanding to know what was happening. Kyn scrambled to his feet and pressed his back against the wall. Sweat trickled down his neck as voices on either side of him shouted for reinforcements. From Pat, he heard nothing. He raised the stunner and waited for someone to move into range. How many could he take down before he ended up on the ground beside Pat?

The door next to him burst open, and Kyn turned to see Luka staring down at Pat, hands clenched into fists. “Fuck playing nice,” Luka growled, head whipping around as he took in the situation.

Something brushed against Kyn’s mind like ripples on the surface of a pond. Not an emotion, not a thought, but a whisper of power. The air felt heavy and electric, like the calm before a gathering storm. “Luka, what are you doing?”

Luka didn’t answer. He stood in the moonlight, eyes closed, lips curved in a predatory smile. Kyn watched in horror as the advancing figures on both sides all stopped at the same moment. Their weapons clattered to the ground. Moments later, their bodies followed.

“No…” Kyn whispered, a sickening twist of nausea curling through him.

Luka’s eyes snapped open and he stared down at Kyn. “They ain’t dead,” he said in a rough voice. “Even if they are, I don’t fucking care. They would have made me…” his voice broke on the words and he trailed off.

Kyn stared back at Luka, afraid to move. “Luka…”

“I’m fine,” Luka said. He moved to Pat’s side. “But he’s not.”

Luka was right. Pat was too still, too quiet — not dead, he wasn’t dead, he couldn’t be dead…

Kyn dropped to his knees beside Pat, and Luka helped him turn Pat over. It was hard to see what the damage was in the dim light. Kyn’s hands were shaking so much he couldn’t find a pulse. He gathered Pat up in his arms, holding him close. “No… no, you can’t be dead… you can’t leave me like this…”

“He ain’t dead, man, he’s still breathing,” Luka said in shaky voice.

Kyn blinked at Luka, hardly able to think through his fear. He could feel the panic starting in his belly and trying to claw its way out.

Luka took the earpiece from Kyn and set it in his own ear, then spoke quietly. His voice sounded far away and indistinct.

Bright light cut through the dim, moonlit alley, jerking Kyn’s mind out of a downward spiral of ever darker what-if’s. The brilliant wash of light illuminated a swath of burned fabric over charred skin running down Pat’s side. Kyn looked up, blinking. The light came from a flyer that had set down in the street at the end of the alley.

A figure stepped down from the pilot’s side of the flyer. Kyn raised his stunner.

Luka’s voice snapped, “Put that thing away, damn it. It’s Alek. He said he was coming.” Luka pried the stunner out of his hand. “Yeah, Pat’s still out and Kyn’s fucking losing it,” he said in a quieter voice. “You better hurry.”

He heard footsteps pounding against the pavement and then Alek was there, kneeling beside him and putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder as he checked Pat’s pulse.

They moved Pat to the flyer and settled him on the back seat. Kyn knelt on the floor beside him, holding his hand. “I’m sorry,” Kyn whispered to him over and over, even though he knew Pat couldn’t hear him. “I’m so sorry.”

Luka climbed into the seat beside Alek and strapped in. “Holy fuck, Alek,” he said as Alek lifted the flyer off the ground. “This is some rescue, but I’m pretty sure you ain’t supposed to be putting a flyer down in the middle of a city street.”

Kyn didn’t hear Alek’s reply, nor did he worry about it. He trusted Miko to sort out anything that needed sorting out. He smoothed Pat’s sweat-damp hair out of his eyes. “Hang on,” he whispered, touching Pat’s neck and feeling the faint beat of a pulse that said yes, he was alive. “There’s so much I need to tell you.”