Lance’s heart dropped to his stomach. The only sound in the room was the tinkling of remnant glass hitting the floor. Eric removed the blade from his cane and tossed the body to Lance.

“Flip that switch toward the bottom,” Eric whispered.

Lance did so, and a scythe flicked from the bottom of the cane. His throat constricted, Amari’s body burning into the back of his mind. The ground swayed beneath him, and he leaned on the cane, his mouth dry.

A voice sounded from behind the shelf. “Hello.”

Derek whirled and fired. Chips and snacks flew like shrapnel across the room and scattered on the floor as the bullets penetrated them and the metal shelf.

Silence lasted for only a moment before a laugh rang out. “Poor girl. She was so pretty. Seemed rather sweet too.”

Kaela screamed and fired her pistol at the shelves. After the first handful of bullets sparked against the metal, her gun clicked. Empty. Lance’s ears rang as the echo of the gunshots reverberated throughout the store. He readied the scythe in his hand. If Caleb rounded the shelf, he would be in for a nasty surprise. Eric stood at the ready at the other end of the aisle.

“Do you want to know the funny part?” Caleb was lighthearted in his tone, completely casual, as if the conversation was no less normal with a dead body just outside. “She wasn’t even how I found you.”

A crumpled bullet flew over the shelf and landed near Kaela’s feet.

“Nice shot, by the way.”

The bullet glowed. No, the blood on the bullet glowed.

Kaela’s eyes widened. “Get down!”

The bullet exploded, and fragments of shrapnel flew across the room, shattering the glass doors of the freezers. Lance dove, pieces of the bullet grazing his back as his leg groaned in pain.

Lance gritted his teeth, using the scythe to pick himself up. Purple lines snaked around the shelf. The slithering lines grew slowly and steadily, wrapping the shelf in a tight hug.

“Run!” Lance yelled as the lines began to glow. He didn’t wait for them to react and limped to the back door, broken off its hinges by Amari’s body.

Lance covered his head as the shelf exploded into bits behind him, the shattering metal and glass deafening. The force of the blow shoved him farther out the door and into the alley. Eric, Kaela, and Derek landed near him.

Lance’s leg screamed in pain as he tried to stand. “Everyone okay?”

“Yeah,” Kaela said.

Derek groaned. “Same here.”

Eric was panting as he glanced behind them. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Lance caught a glimpse of Amari’s broken body, bent in unnatural ways and splayed over a trash can, her eyes wide in shock.

“Oh God,” Kaela said, her face twisting with grief.

“Kaela, we have to go. Now,” Derek said, his voice rushed.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Kaela, now!” Derek grabbed her by the arm, and she broke out of her trance, running beside him.

There was no time for mourning, no time for a moment of silence, no time for anything. They ran down the alley, lit by one streetlamp.

They didn’t get far before soldiers appeared at the end of the alleyway, guns pointed.

Lance froze, as did everyone behind him.

“Drop your weapons now!” one of the soldiers yelled.

Lance looked back at them, and after a few shared glances, they slowly dropped their weapons to the ground.

The alley filled with a tense silence, and Caleb calmly stepped out the back door. A businessman ready to strike a deal. He smiled at Amari’s body, then adjusted his coat and cleared his throat. “I do hope you—”

Kaela swore at him, one foul word after another, a list she recited as if she’d been practicing for this very moment. Every horrible insult she could hurl at him, she did, until her ammo ran out, and she was left with nothing but her heavy breathing and fiery eyes. Her hands gripped the sides of her legs, her nails digging in fiercely. She appeared to either be fighting tears or the urge to claw his eyes out—maybe both.

“I do hope you all don’t mind the new decorations,” Caleb said with a smile pointed right at Kaela.

She took a step toward him, but Lance put a hand on the small of her back.

Steady, Lance thought, wishing she could hear him. You kill him now, and we’re all dead. Revenge is coming, he wanted to say.

Her grip on her legs loosened—a response that seemed to say, Fine.

Caleb’s brow furrowed. He didn’t seem to notice the silent communication, and Kaela’s now-blank face was all he had to gauge her emotions.

The soldiers rushed closer. They were trapped.

“As much as I wish I could kill all of you right here, right now, I need to know where Malcolm is… So you can tell me, and I’ll let you go. Of course, I’ll just hunt you down again, but there’s nothing wrong with trying.” He smiled, so amused by the position he had them in: mice caught in a trap of his making. “Or you could exercise your right to remain silent, and then I’ll have my officers here kill you off. One by one. You’ll have to forgive them if they opt for a slower approach than normal.”

The killing calm didn’t just stir within Lance. Finally, it seemed to realize the danger he was in, and it writhed within him, to the point that his stomach ached. His body urged him to move, to fight, to run.

No, he thought. There’s no way out.

The calm froze, as if shocked to hear that. It whispered, urging him to do something.

But Lance refused again. He was stuck, and the calm inside of him would just have to accept that he had no way out. This was the end of the road.

This was where he died.

“You’re lying,” Derek said casually, as if mimicking Caleb.

Caleb noticed it, too, and he smiled. “This is a transaction of sorts. I truly will give you all one last chance to escape, and I’ll be distracted with retrieving my brother, so there’s no need to doubt me. Who knows? Maybe you’ll escape me this time.”

“That’s cute.” Lance hadn’t expected those words to escape, but he embraced it and puffed his chest out. No point in showing fear to such a man.

Caleb frowned at him. “Soldiers,” he said, raising his hand.

The soldiers shuffled and raised their guns.

“Take a warning shot at…” He assessed them, a strain on his face, as if he was truly having trouble deciding who he wanted to shoot first.

Lance’s hand still rested on the small of Kaela’s back. His hand grazed something. He almost looked but resisted the last second. The beast went wild inside his stomach. It was her knife. She must have stashed it before they were ordered to relinquish their weapons.

So that’s what you meant.

A light growl rumbled in the back of his head.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The beast stirred within Lance again, only stronger, more forceful. He resisted a smile. He could see only one way out, and as terrible as the idea was, it was better than death.

The beast hadn’t led him wrong yet.

The weight he put on his leg ached even as adrenaline surged through him. If he was going to do something, he would have to do it now.

Survive, the beast whispered to him, and Lance nodded.

Caleb smiled as his eyes drifted to Kaela for the third time. He made to lower his hand and signal for his soldiers to shoot, but Lance ripped the knife from under Kaela’s shirt and sank it into Eric’s hand.

Eric yelled, his screams and curses shattering the night. Caleb froze, his lip quirking up as he looked at Lance in confusion. The soldiers around them lowered their weapons, sharing glances with each other.

This was his chance.

Lance whirled around. Pain tore through his leg, but he pushed through it. The calm settled over him, the beast inside guiding his body’s every move.

Yes, the beast purred. Kill them.

Lance’s body moved. He kicked off the wall and tackled a soldier to the ground. The others fired, and Lance rolled, hiding beneath the soldier’s body. The soldier convulsed as the bullets peppered his body, but then he went still. Violet blood splattered against Lance’s face. The honeyed smell flooded the air.

He ripped the rifle from the soldier’s dead hands and fired.

The bullets sprayed against the wall, and bricks shattered in a cloud of dust. Finally, they hit their mark, showering the soldiers with bullets. Purple blood painted the ground and walls. The remaining soldiers crumpled to the ground.

Breathless, Lance lay there for a moment, feeling along his body for any bullet wounds. He swallowed the lump in his throat, and a small laugh escaped him. That was way too close.

Lance shoved the officer’s body off him. Before he could catch his breath, a foot slammed into his chest, shoving him back to the ground.

The beast hissed, and Lance made to roll, but a kick to the ribs stopped him. Lance coughed, and another soldier held him down. The soldier raised his arm, a knife in his hand.

Lance held his arm out, blocking the attack just in time. The knife hovered inches over his eye.

The soldier shifted his weight, crashing down on Lance’s broken leg. Lance screamed in pain.

The beast growled and snarled, and with each passing second, Lance’s strength waned. The pain was too much.

The soldier ripped his helmet off and leaned harder into the knife. It was closing in on Lance’s eye, and as the beast desperately snarled, Lance freed his good leg and sent his knee into the soldier’s groin.

The soldier merely grunted, but Lance threw his weight to the side just as the knife plunged into the ground, narrowly missing his cheek. Lance yelled and craned his neck, gripping the soldier’s ear with his teeth and ripping it from his head.

The soldier screamed in pain and fell back. Lance gaped, the words leaving his mouth before he could stop them: “I’m so sorry.”

The purple blood tasted just as coppery as regular blood, and for just a moment, the officer before him was a little boy, scared and cradling his ear.

Lance snapped out of his shock when Derek flew over his head, hitting the ground and sliding to the end of the alley.

Both of Caleb’s arms grew in size and mass, and he swatted at Kaela and Eric like flies. Eric slashed at his neck, his arms, his stomach, but the attacks were met with only a stagger and another swing. Eric held his blade in one hand and the cane scythe in the other.

Kaela kept her distance, her eyes darting across Caleb’s body. Her dagger was grasped firmly in her hand. Eric’s blood soaked the blade.

She met Lance’s gaze, rage seething in those cat eyes. Lance unholstered a pistol from a body and threw it to her. She caught it and shot at Caleb. The bullets hit his chest and stomach like bee stings.

One bullet grazed Caleb’s eye. He roared, his voice deep and distorted, and fell backward into the trash can, knocking Amari’s body from the lid. His hand smashed against his face as he rolled on the ground in pain.

Lance’s stomach turned as Amari’s empty eyes stared accusingly at him. Someone smashed into his side and shoved him against the wall, knocking the breath from him. The broken bricks were sharp against his side, and he cursed the assailant as his leg screamed in pain.

The officer held him in place, purple blood pouring from the side of his head.

A gunshot sounded, and the officer fell limply to the ground, revealing Derek standing behind him.

Derek shoved a pistol into Lance’s hand. “Thank me later.”

Lance nodded, and they emptied the guns into Caleb. The bullets barely pierced his skin. They aimed for his other eye, missing every shot. Derek cursed as his hands shook.

Caleb reared his head back and roared at the sky, his veins glowing in response. The beast stirred again, warning Lance of something, and when he looked around, the blood of the dead soldiers started glowing.

Lance started to yell for them to run to the street, but the beast stopped him, hissing for him to go the other direction. In the panic, he gave in. There was no time to argue. “Back inside the store!”

No one protested. They looked Lance’s way, and their eyes all widened in shock.

As they dashed into the store, Eric jumped and sliced his blade across Caleb’s hurt eye. He landed and threw his weight against Caleb’s back, shoving him into the glowing bodies of his men.

The moment Eric dove into the store, a boom shook the walls, and blue flame ignited, billowing throughout the alleyway. A wave of the fire blew into the store, narrowly missing Eric as he dashed back into the aisle with everyone else.

Lance panted. The air smelled of sweat and blood. The crackling of flames sounded from the alleyway. They waited for footsteps or a voice.

Lance calmed his racing heart and stood, wincing as he put weight on his leg without thinking. It hurt worse than ever, and tears ran down his cheeks. He wiped them away. Snacks, glass, and pieces of metal were scattered all over the floor. The others moved, and he held a hand out to stop them. Eric handed the scythe back to Lance. Lance leaned on it, his steps crackling against the debris on the linoleum floor. Eric cursed then hissed. His hand, most likely.

I’ll have a lot of trouble explaining that later.

Lance reached the doorway, and after taking a deep breath, he peeked around the corner.

Before he could react, a large hand wrapped around his throat and hoisted him into the air. The scythe slipped from Lance’s grip. Caleb’s smiling face glowed as he stepped into the store with Lance, holding him like he was a trophy. The beast inside panicked, dashing around inside him wildly. Lance kicked despite the pain, aiming for wherever he could reach.

Caleb didn’t seem to care.

Gunshots popped, and small splashes of blood sprang from Caleb’s backside. He was taller now; bigger. His entire chest, his head, his legs, all fueled by the nanobots.

Eric jumped and landed on Caleb’s back, plunging his knife deep into his neck. Caleb yelled in pain and, with a heavy backhand, knocked Eric into the broken shelf.

Lance’s chest tightened by the second. His body ached for air, the beast within clawing at him, screaming at him to do something, anything. His vision darkened. He reached blindly for the knife protruding from Caleb’s neck.

He stretched his arm until his hand grasped the hilt of the blade. He ripped it from Caleb’s neck and sliced his forehead. A waterfall of purple spilled from the wound, pouring into his eyes. Blinded, Caleb threw Lance with a roar.

Lance didn’t know where he landed, but his back slammed into something. Glass shattered, and cold asphalt scraped his cheek.

He was outside, in front of his store. His body convulsed for air until finally his lungs permitted him to breathe. The air was cool and sweet. The metallic taste in his mouth didn’t hinder the enjoyment.

Get up!

Caleb swung his body wildly, slamming into the walls of the store until he fell over the counter and crashed to the ground. Lance tried to stand. The beast urged him again to get up, but pain shot through his arm, covered in cuts and glass.

Eric, Kaela, and Derek bolted from the store as Caleb’s cries rang from inside. They ran to Lance, and Eric helped him to his feet.

The beast hissed, and adrenaline muffled some of Lance’s pain. He almost muttered a thank-you as Eric helped him limp away.

Eric kept close to Lance, and with every shot of pain that stabbed into his leg, Lance stumbled. Eric kept him steady.

“We’re talking about my hand later,” Eric said as they ran, his voice shaking with pain.

Lance refused to look back, refused to see Caleb’s destruction. “Emphasis,” he said, trying to get his breath together, “on later.”

Eric laughed. Laughed in a situation like this.

Lance’s leg yelled in pain, but the beast hissed again, silencing its cries.

Lance didn’t know how long they ran, but they left the slums at some point. He stopped when the adrenaline ran dry, and he dashed into a nearby alleyway. His leg gave in, and he fell, but Eric caught him and lowered him to the cold ground.

The blood rushed to his ears, his heart struggling to catch up with his breathing. Eric panted between curses.

“Where,” Lance tried to say, but the word came out in a gust of breath. “Where… where’s Kaela and Derek?” He searched around the alley as panic rose in his chest.

Eric sat next to him, his back leaned against the wall. He was invisible in the patch of darkness, except for a peek of his leg jutting out. As if realizing that, he withdrew it into the shadows.

“Not sure.” Eric smiled, his eyes wild. They shone through the darkness like a creature staring at him, stalking him. “That was intense, eh?”

“Amari’s dead.” Seeing that smile turned Lance’s stomach. Every life-threatening scenario they got themselves into seemed like nothing more than a fun activity for Eric. “And now Kaela and Derek are missing.”

“Wherever they are, I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Eric said, waving his hand. “I’m the one stuck with the cripple.” He laughed then looked at his palm. “By the way, you owe me a hand.”

Lance resisted the urge to punch him then forced himself to sit up. He tested his leg. Pain bit into his bone like a rabid hound. The adrenaline was already wearing off, and with it, the pain worsened. Lance bit his lip and waited for it to ease. It didn’t.

“I don’t get it,” Lance whispered. He slid himself beside Eric in the darkness—no reason to make himself more of a target than he already was. “You threw him right into his own explosion… I don’t think it even fazed him.” He took a deep breath. Just keep talking, he thought. Don’t think about the pain.

Eric nodded. “And the walls of the store didn’t crumble like the church. It’s almost like he weakened the explosion.”

Lance shook his head. “How?”

“Well, Malcolm did say Caleb could control the nanobots. Maybe Caleb stopped the explosion from hurting him. Lucky we ran into the store and not into the street, huh? If Caleb wasn’t sitting between us and that explosion, it probably would’ve killed us.” Eric froze as a small sound came from the street. Like an animal, all his focus shifted to the mouth of the alley, his head peeking out from the patch of darkness. When nothing came of it, he relaxed.

Lance gulped, and the beast made no acknowledgement of what Eric had said. But it had told him to run into the store, not the street, as if it had known.

“We need to look for Kaela and Derek,” Lance said, struggling to stand.

Eric groaned and hissed at his hand. “Yeah… before we do that, Lancelot, there’s something I have to tell you.”

Lance leaned against the brick wall, his leg throbbing with pain. “Spit it out.”

Eric hesitated. “Daniel Landreau is alive.”