o cut through the weight of the night. My desk was still cluttered with Gerald's case file, an

ain of thought. Aceman poked his head

ng to want to hear thi

like this were rarer than a clean cop in a bad station. Whoever had

asked, already

conscious and babbling about 'them coming back.' Paramedics say he's got wou

alive, they wanted something. A message? A

_____________

m the nurses' station. Aceman led me to a small room near the back, where a man lay propped against a pile of pillows. He was gaunt, mid-thirties,

en I stepped in. For a se

keeping my voice even. "I n

s apple bobbing against

aning forward. "Who kno

who marked Gerald. They watch. They listen. And if they find out I talked

inside, my pulse quickened. "Tel

ushed, broken whisper, he said, "It's not just on

e wh

ts. "Pieces of you. A nam

"Do you know why G

hing he wasn't supposed to. We all did. An

l lead. "What

His whole body seized, and his eyes rolled back. The lines on the screen spiked err

m, pulling me back.

do," I snapped

y his body convulsed, the sheer terror in his unfocused gaze it was like he was being swallowe

under my

dead w

er me

***

mess of photos, reports, and connections that weren't quite coming togeth

reen came back already. Nothing lethal in his syst

ttered. "That wa

t do we

ene photo. The Crimson Mark wasn't jus

rvivor said was tr

ice firm. "Because whoever th

ither

fice wall. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my temples. It was one of

my pho

robably another dead-end lead or a wrong

Randi," I

ed with fear, whispered urgent

my instincts kickin

have to help me. Th

down. Who got killed or are you ta

y killed him right in front of me. I ran, but the

Where are you?" I gra

tone, "I'm hiding in a hote

Martha? Give m

n. Room 214," she whis

g my coat. "Stay put. Lock the do

ka

line we

-2:47 AM. Fifteen minu

red but ready. If they were after Martha,

silence. I kept my foot pressed hard on the gas, weaving through the occasio

checked in when they didn't want to be found dimly lit parking lot, peeling paint o

ance, out of view. I didn't know who else was

m 2

d moved quickly down the hallway. My fingers hovered near my h

t's Randi.

. Then I heard s

a little louder

enough for one wide, terr

it's really you

uld already be off its hinges

nough for me to slip inside. She pushed it shut immediatel

s too big for her. Her hair was disheveled, her face pale. She backed

" she asked, her voice

canned the room single lamp on, bed unmade, curtains drawn tight. She had barric

gged h

Randi. They killed him like he was nothin

n we make sure you d

stant sound of a car screeching

were

tightly around herself. I kept my ears sharp, liste

Heavy, deliberate. Not j

or Martha to stay quiet. Her e

utside the door. A hushed voi

O

rtha down just in time as bullets shredded through the air above us.

uy went down before he even got a second shot off. His buddy stagg

artha, shoving the mattre

ty. They weren't some street thugs they wer

bed a flashbang

the bed. Boom! The blast rattled my skull, my

and took them out in quick success

en

er toward the door. I lunged, wrapping my arm around his neck and

rabbed her hand and yank

I caught his wrist, twisted hard, and turned his

do

t ten more. And th

alf a second before swinging her legs over. I followed right behind, lan

ith them. More black SUVs skid

d," Martha

d my car, parked ne

nked open the car door and shoved Martha in first, diving in after her. The secon

t th

Vs roared after us, headlights glaring. A storm of bullets chas

, ducking as gl

ving hard to avoid a roadb

burst of gunfire hit. One round whi

own a dark side street. The pursuing

t. But I wasn't g

ked my ammo, and prepare

treets. The SUVs stayed on us, their headlights bouncing in the rearview mirror.

a screamed, her hands gripping

barely avoiding a parked

out with an automatic rifle. I ducked just as a spray of b

growled, reach

he brakes, and the two vehicles shot ahead of us. Before they could react, I floored it again, ramming in

wn!" I

. I ducked low, twisting the wheel hard. The car jerked violently,

rom my holster. "What ar

napped, rolling

ok a deep bre

the SUVs. The vehicle swerved violently before flippi

" I muttere

e last SUV was still on us,

k!" Marth

k sedans parked across the road, armed me

ammed my foot down, gr

es screeching, smoke filling the air. The pursuing SUV didn't have time

and blasting through it. The street behind us was chaos-burn

breath ragged. "Tell me

f the gas. "For now," I mutt

th something between fear and de

last time, then tighten

d. "Now, we