“Where do you want to meet?” Frosty asked.
Cole thought for a moment. “Ankh’s. They already know we’re staying there, and if they make it that far, his cameras will snap pictures of their faces and we can start IDing these people.”
I’d opened my mouth to protest, only to press it closed. He was right. We needed IDs. “I like the way your brain works,” I said. It was as sexy as the rest of him.
“Me, too. Consider it done. See you two on the flip side.” Frosty fell back to take Veronica’s hand. “You’re with me, Ron. And guess what? Team Fronica is about to...”
I didn’t hear the rest. They were already motoring down the road.
Cole nodded to Bronx, who took Jaclyn’s hand. They, too, moved away from us.
My adrenaline spiked, and surprisingly enough, it was all systems go. These people could be the ones who had killed my friends. If they wanted to chase me, fine. Have at it. But it would not end well—for them.
“You ready for this?” Cole asked.
“I am, but I can promise you they are not.”
Chapter 11
IT’S YOU, NOT ME
As nonchalantly as possible, Cole ushered me into one of the stores. A bell jingled. Hello, racks of clothing. Hello, line of mannequins. We picked up the pace, darting past the counter.
As a salesgirl shouted, “Hey!” we snaked an employee-only corner. A small narrow hallway provided three doorways. We opted for the one on the right, the break room, heading for the door in back. The word EXIT glowed overhead.
Two employees sat at the table. One jumped to his feet and frowned.
“Customers can’t be back here.”
“Good thing we’re not customers,” I said as we breezed by.
We shouldered our way outside, the door slamming behind us. As we ran down a darkened alley, the door slammed a second time. We were being followed. Good. I glanced over my shoulder, cataloging our opponents. A male, our age, a knife hilt sticking out the waist of his leather pants. A female, slightly older, with her weapon already in hand. Both were dressed in black.
Anima must have sent them to make it look like gang members had finished the job.
Anger ignited. Another alley loomed ahead. We took a corner at top speed, always staying in the shadows of the buildings. My heart beat against my ribs, a war drum I wasn’t going to deny. Kill...kill...kill...
“Maybe I can stop them,” I said. I might have had reservations about my new ability, but I wanted our pursuers at my mercy, mine to do with as I pleased. However necessary.
You have to be careful with this particular skill, Helen had said.
Why? Right now I couldn’t see a downside.
“Like you did with zombies?” Cole said. “Maybe, maybe not. You didn’t lift any slayers, so I’m not sure you’d be able to lift an actual person now. Besides, we’re too public.”
Well, crap. He just had to go and be the voice of reason, didn’t he?
I could guess how civilians would react to people being tossed into the air by nothing but, well, air. They would panic, and chaos would ensue. Worse, Anima would learn what I could do, and we’d lose a major advantage.
I filed the new ability in the back of my mind under the heading: Favorite toy. Subtitle: Zombies go boom, boom. Humans? Not sure.
With a flick of his wrist, Cole lifted the lid of a Dumpster, and for a second, I thought he actually expected me to climb inside. But he jerked me around another corner and finally stopped, pressing me against the wall, acting as my shield. As always. I heard the Dumpster’s lid fall back into place and realized what he was planning.
Here’s hoping it worked.
As his warm breath fanned over my face, I reached in my purse and withdrew the Judge, a small revolver that used the same ammo as rifles. This thing could do serious damage.
I was in a mood to do damage.
Footsteps echoed...slowing the closer they got to the Dumpster.
Cole and I shared a look rife with anticipation. He tensed, waiting.
Then the footsteps ceased altogether. The pair responsible hadn’t reached us, so they must have paused at the receptacle, thinking we were dumb enough to hide inside. The moment we heard the hinges on the lid creak, Cole whipped around the corner and aimed his .44.
“Drop your weapons,” he commanded.
Dark curses rang out. There was a rustle of clothing, a thud.
“I know who you are.” The female. “You won’t kill me.”
“Try me,” Cole said.
“You can’t shoot us both,” she taunted. “You can kill one, but by the time you’re ready to aim at the other, you’ll be dead and I’ll get to hunt down your friend. She’s a civilian, isn’t she? Oh, the things I’ll do to her. Maybe I’ll even go after your girlfriend when I’m done. I hear she’s a hulking he-beast.... I’ve always wanted to slay one of those.”