* * *

  Sarah felt more than saw Mermaid move. The woman had her under aim without a word.

  Pegasus, hands held up in the air, stepped between them. “There’s no need for that.”

  Wolf’s hand stopped over his holstered gun, his gaze locked on hers.

  Should she laugh or cry at Pegasus’ willingness to let her pull a gun on one of their teammates? Guess that answered the question of trust.

  “What’s going on?” Mermaid whispered, her voice coming through clearly via the com despite their distance.

  “Something’s wrong with Phoenix,” Wolf said.

  “What the hell is Phoenix doing there?” Scorpion asked.

  “Pegasus.” Griffon’s tone was filled with tension. “Explain.”

  “I’m countering Wolf’s assessment of the door.”

  Wolf turned his confused expression to Pegasus.

  “Based on what?” Griffon asked.

  “A conversation that Phoenix overheard saying there were several traps.”

  Sarah relaxed her hold on the gun, lowering it. “Sorry, I panicked.”

  She glanced towards Mermaid to confirm the gun remained aimed towards them, though Pegasus was still acting as a shield.

  “They’re still getting away though,” Wolf protested. He was more relaxed now that there wasn’t a gun pointed at him, though he looked suspicious of her.

  Sarah wouldn’t blame him. “We need to find the exit to the tunnel.”

  “Pegasus, I’ll be there in three,” Griffon said. “Wolf, hold there. Everyone else focus on finding where our prey is coming out.”

  Sarah hesitated, wondering if her presence there when Griffon showed up would make it worse. Should she leave Pegasus to lie for her while giving them the option to say he’d misinterpreted or misheard any of her words?

  Pegasus pulled her hand, drawing her closer to him while still watching the other two. “Anything else you remember?”

  Unfortunately, if she could excuse the word, since nothing had blown up and they were now alive and well, this was a scenario with which she was not at all familiar. It was a whole new world of possibilities.

  “I don’t know. We’d always be dead at this point.” She didn’t dare go through that door, so they needed to find the other end of that tunnel.

  “Seriously, why are you two trying to hit all the triggers for a weirdness alert?” Mermaid had yet to lower her gun.

  “You can review my cam later,” Pegasus said.

  Sarah hadn’t been wearing a camera, so there would be nothing Pegasus recorded that would expose her mounting fabrications.

  “You should help with the search, Mermaid.”

  “Griffon?” she asked.

  “Go.”

  Pegasus pointed Mermaid towards the east stairway. Was that the one he expected Griffon to take? Mermaid hesitated a moment longer before she started running.

  “Griffon will be here in a moment. I’ll sort it out,” Pegasus said, squeezing Sarah’s hand. “Go on. They should still be in the vicinity.”

  “They were moving heavy boxes,” Wolf interjected, looking disgruntled. “Should take them a few minutes even if the tunnel isn’t that long.”

  Sarah didn’t want to leave anyone there though. “I could be wrong. It could be that there’s a timer or something and nothing to do with the door.”

  “Then we need to move quickly. You’ll be a distraction.”

  Sarah cursed him in her mind, but he was right. Even if Griffon came in guns blazing, he’d be less likely to shoot Pegasus than her at this point. “All of you come out soon.”

  “I promise.”

  She ran towards the west staircase at full speed, hoping she didn’t run into anyone from her team.

  “Unicorn here. Heading north down Wesley street.”

  “This is Eagle. I have a view of the northeast buildings, but most of the streets are out of sight.”

  Sarah ran out of the building through an emergency exit, landing in a dark alleyway. She didn’t remember the streets, but she picked the nearest path that would take her north and went for it.

  “I have the next street over from Wesley,” Mermaid said. “Heading northeast.”

  “There’s an unfinished building 130 meters northwest from the north entrance. Might be our best bet,” Cypher suggested.

  “Redirecting to northwest,” Unicorn said.

  Sarah was about to tell them she was heading north when Eagle’s voice came again: “I’ve got movement. East by northeast, head for the blue lights.”

  Sarah took the next street to her right, changing course while she waited for further instructions. Bright blue lights adorned an antenna atop one of the tallest buildings in the area, flickering into sight between the closer buildings.

  Mermaid appeared beside her out of nowhere when she turned onto another street. Sarah glanced at her, wondering if she should try explaining.

  “We’ll talk later,” Mermaid said.

  Sarah caught a glimpse of the blue lights to her right, and turned into another alley. Mermaid was about to continue straight ahead, but doubled back to follow her. “Where are you going?”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  “Eagle said east by northeast, right?” Sarah slowed, trying to check her bearings. The blue lights were still straight ahead. She pointed at the lights, reluctant to stop moving towards them.

  “Eagle, what did you say about the direction?” Mermaid asked over the com.

  “I didn’t say anything,” Eagle replied, sounding very much confused.

  What had she heard then?

  Sarah ran forward as if her body had a will of its own. “What’s next street over, towards the blue lights?”

  “A couple of parking structures,” Cypher provided after a moment.

  “I have movement!” Eagle shouted, sounding as shocked to say it as Sarah was to hear it. “East by northeast. There’s a building that looks like it’s being renovated. I saw some lights shining on it. Head for the blue lights.”

  Mermaid looked at Sarah for a few seconds. “Huh, what d’you know?”

  “I have the location. Continue straight, Mermaid,” Cypher said. “You’re almost there.”

  In a fleeting moment of madness, Sarah wondered if this was real. Like a video game, maybe she’d start again from the beginning whenever they reached their destination. The moment felt real enough, with the evening chill burrowing into her lungs with every breath.

  “You’ll get to a junction soon. There’ll be an alley across the street to your left,” Cypher said.

  At the junction, they came to a halt before running out into the street. Sarah looked around the side of the building.

  The front of a van was peeking out from a dark alley between two small buildings. Nothing happened for a few seconds.

  In the background, Mermaid explained their situation to the others.

  “Can you get any closer?” Griffon asked.

  “Not without exposing ourselves,” she explained.

  “What’re the odds that these are random thieves and not the people we’re looking for?” Sarah asked in a whisper.

  Mermaid gestured they split up, directing Sarah to cross the street. Sarah nodded, moving away from the alley before crossing over to the other side. She could see the front of the van up to the empty driver’s seat.

  In the silence, the slamming of a door echoed in the night. A man hurried along the front of the van to the driver’s side, stepping into view for a few seconds. He gave no indication he saw her.

  Sarah unmuted her com. “They’re getting ready to leave. I have a shot of the left front tire.”

  “Do it,” Mermaid said.

  Sarah fired three shots into the tire as the engine started. Mermaid ran down the street across from the van, targeting the left front tires. Shots trailed behind Mermaid, following her as she ran for cover behind a dumpster.

  The van sped forward, turning left. Sarah fired another two shots at the driver. The man slumped forward, the van slowing to a halt as it passed her. Movement emerged from the alley as another round of gunshots cracked around her. Sarah retreated, ducking into the nearest doorway.

  A giant ball of fire lit up the clouds for a split second, a cloud of smoke and dust spreading along the sky, overtaking the moon.

  Sarah’s mind punched her in the gut with the memory of the building exploding. She held onto the wall to keep from faltering.

  Pegasus!

  The back doors of the van flew open facing away from her. Boots hit the pavement at running speed.

  Sarah tried to step out of hiding, only to be met with more gunshots.

  “They’re making a run for it!” Mermaid said. “I’ve got two heading west.”

  “We’re heading your way.”

  Relief washed through her as she heard Pegasus’ voice. They were clear of the building.

  Sarah returned fire. “Cypher, is that alley a dead end?”

  “My map shows a wall. Don’t know how tall.”

  Great. They only need one person to hold her off while the others escaped.

  “Almost there,” Unicorn said.

  Sarah caught a flash of movement as a shadow approached from the other side. The wisp of a shot came next and the thump of a body falling.

  “Clear.”

  Sarah followed Unicorn into the alley, quickly checking a metal door with a sturdy padlock. It was positioned close to where the back of the van had been parked. Tunnel exit?

  “There’s no other door.” Unicorn ran to the back wall, jumping up.

  Sarah holstered her gun, using her momentum to grab onto the top of the wall and pull herself up and over.

  Footfalls sounded to their right, gaining distance.

  “We have probably two runners headed east,” Unicorn said as they gave chase. “Phoenix and I are in pursuit.”

  Sarah sped up, for the first time envying Unicorn’s long legs. She wasn’t sure if they were going the right way until they turned a corner and she caught a glimpse of movement on the other end of a narrow street.

  Their prey saw them two, firing a few shots at them randomly before splitting up. Unicorn took the one veering right, while Sarah turned left down another cramped alleyway.

  She paused at the entrance, her breathing the only sound she could still hear. The footfalls were gone. Garbage containers, back doors, and barred windows turned the narrow passageway into a dark recess filled with suspicious shadows. She steadied her breathing, focusing on any nearby sounds.

  Gun ready, she slowly ventured into the alley. The first door she checked was locked.

  She kicked aside a large, person-sized garbage bag. The thing easily rolled over.

  None of the shadows moved.

  A glass shattered behind her.

  She whirled to find a broken bottle beside an open dumpster.

  A shot rang behind her. Pain burned into her lower back as if someone had stabbed her full force with a hot poker. Sarah doubled over, turning to return fire as another spot of burning pain pierced her right below her neck.

  She pulled her trigger as she fell, hitting the man-shaped shadow. It went down as well, vanishing in the blink of an eye. A creature of smoke and mirrors that dissipated before her eyes.

  Sarah remained on her knees, fighting the burning sensation as she pointed her gun at the imaginary target. From the amount of pain, both shots had missed her vest, but the familiar warmth of blood had yet to make its appearance.

  Was she in shock?

  The sound of glass breaking behind her shattered the silence.

  Sarah refused to look this time. Eyes wide and unblinking, she stared ahead.

  A pop-up she’d been expecting at a carnival shooting range, the man suddenly emerged from his hiding place. Sarah pulled her trigger, not needing to readjust her aim.

  The man collapsed instantly.

  Weak and a bit unsteady, Sarah rose to her feet and quickly secured his gun.

  He wasn’t moving, but she could still feel a pulse.

  She felt at the base of her neck, searching for a wound. There was sweat and cold flesh, but no blood. The phantom pain remained there and on her back, refusing to abandon her.

  Sarah moved to the corner, back to the wall, her eyes canvassing the alley repeatedly in case any of the things she’d done had not been real.

  This would be one hell of a time to have an out-of-body experience.

  “I got one,” she said over the com. “He needs medical if we want him alive.”

  She didn’t dare move any closer to him. When Unicorn reached her, Sarah was still pressed against the wall, letting her team’s voices wash over her.

  “Are you injured?” the woman asked.

  Sarah shook her head.

  Unicorn checked on their prisoner. “Falcon’s team should be getting here any minute now.”

  Brought to life by her words, a pair of bright lights shone into the alleyway, making all those creepy shadows stretch and dance.

  The vans were all similar enough, but this was not the one she’d abandoned earlier in the evening. Falcon’s team had finally arrived.

  Had it been ten minutes?

  “I left Mockingbird to check out the boxes you guys intercepted,” Falcon said as he saw them. He glanced at where Sarah’s catch was being looked over.

  “Well, Mermaid got a live one, at least.”

  “Mine’s alive,” Sarah protested.

  “It doesn’t count if they don’t make it to the compound,” Pegasus said, joining them.

  “You’re lucky my aim is bad, I was going for his head.”

  “You weren’t aiming for his head.”

  Sarah said nothing. She was honestly not sure where she’d been aiming. She might’ve been aiming at a ghost.

  “Pegasus, take Phoenix back to the van.” Griffon barely looked at her.

  Pegasus nodded, turning to Falcon. “The inner end of the tunnel had been rigged, so be careful when you’re examining the outer entrance.”

  Sarah followed Pegasus back to the van, preparing herself mentally for the aftermath. Both she and Pegasus would have to face the scrutiny, not to mention the consequences, of her disobedience tonight. She was not looking forward to getting stuck in an interrogation room once again, but that would be the least of her problems.

  She sat in the van in silence, watching as the dark smoke blended into the clouds. A sudden worry that she would wake up again caused a wave of cold to race underneath her skin. Even if she went back to that building, she knew how they would’ve died in that specific scenario.

  She traced the edge of her collarbones, down to her sternum, searching for a nonexistent wound. She rubbed her arms at the sudden chill.

  Pegasus wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

  Sarah leaned against him, nestling into his warmth. Her breathing mirrored the steadiness of his breaths. She looked down at her partly exposed wrist, tracing the words Pegasus had placed there.

  It all felt real.

  All of it, always.

  That was what was most terrifying.