Kyron
I hear the Hollow before I see it.
The tree line opens up and the main street is below me, lit and quiet. Normal from the air. Too normal after what I just saw.
I come down in the back field. Hard landing, sloppy shift — bones cracking the wrong way fast, ground coming up too quick — and I hit the grass on two feet already moving. Laith hitting the dirt a few feet back.
The crow lands on the closest fence post.
It’s just there. Watching me with one black eye like it was already waiting.
“Yeah,” I say. “Me too.”
Cal comes around the side of the Community Hall first. Then Brent, half a step behind, wiping his hands with a rag.
They both stop when they see Laith’s body on the ground.
Cal reads it fast. His eyes go to Laith’s hands, his position, making sure he’s bound.
Brent stares like he can’t believe what he’s seeing.
“Is that—”
“Yes.”
The rag stops moving in his hands.
“That fucker.” Quiet. Like he didn’t mean to say it out loud.
“I know.” I look at Laith on the ground. “Where’s the bunker?”
Cal’s already moving. “This way.”
I haul Laith over my shoulder and follow.
The entrance is behind the storage building, set into the ground. The guys from Clockwork reinforced the lock during the perimeter work — I remember Kree crouched over it with tools and Declan telling him not to make it complicated.
The door is heavy. Cal hauls it open.
Brent takes Laith from me without a word.
He’s not gentle about it. Probably a little rougher than he needs to be. I don’t blame him.
They head down into the dark.
“Kyron.”
Max. Coming from the direction of the Community Hall, half-jogging.
He looks at my face and some of the hopefulness in his drops.
“Did you get them,” he says. “Nova. Lena. Did you—”
“We got them both.”
His exhale is audible. “Okay. Okay, good. Are they—”
“Nova’s on the ship.” I look at him. “She’s not awake as far as I know.”
“But she’s—”
“She’s breathing.” I keep my voice even. “That’s what matters.”
He nods.
“And Lena?”
I don’t answer fast enough.
“Kyron.”
“She’s alive,” I say. “She came out of that place and she’s — she’s somewhere else right now. Not hurt. Just…” I breathe. “We don’t know yet.”
Max looks at the ground. His jaw works. I know he’s not going to fall apart in front of me and I appreciate it more than I can say right now.
“Okay,” he says finally. “Okay.”
The crow hops from the fence post to the top of the storage building. Settles there. Watching the sky.
I hear it before anyone else does.
Engines.
Low. Getting closer.
“They’re here.”