First World(59)

“The only reason for them to take Lucy from First World is as a trap for you, Red. Someone knew about your relationship, because Lucy has no significance to either world.” Brace’s flat words halted my pacing.

My head flew up; we locked eyes.

“Olden knew. She’s our compound leader. But how would she know about First World?” I started pacing again, musing as I went. “Olden had an awful lot of cash in her room. Maybe it was bigger than just working for the gangs.”

“If it’s a trap, Aribella can’t just stroll up there and hand herself over. I won’t let her.” Lallielle’s black hair was practically bristling in anger; her hands were firmly planted on her hips.

I shrugged. “I will be going no matter what. Lucy would do the same for me and I’ve left her long enough.”

Josian was also exuding annoying levels of concern. “They will expect you to have that very attitude.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off.

“All Walkers have a slight problem with impatience, so I understand. So I’m not saying don’t go, I’m saying be smart about it. Running in there blind, without a plan, is just stupid.”

I sighed, conceding to them for the moment. “Okay, we need some type of plan. But first let’s see what weapons we can be packing on our way.” I turned to Quarn. “Give me a quick rundown on where they’re being held.”

A blind moron could tell Quarn was military trained. His reply was quick and succinct.

“Large warehouse in the Upper East Side. Surrounded by deserted industrial zones. Isolated but close enough to the compounds to get any supplies they could need. I observed two entrances: one in front and the other on the left side. The rest of the building is locked down very tightly. Each entrance is guarded by two men; they are armed, dangerous and highly trained.

“An armored Hummer arrived each day at fourteen hundred hours. A cloaked person would exit with four armed guards; they entered the building, staying around forty-five minutes. The guard shift changes at seven hundred and nineteen hundred. The rotation of guards is the same each day.”

This was good information, but we needed weapons. There was no doubt the guards would have them.

“The building is huge, with two stories, but I couldn’t get inside to check out the layout.”

I took a deep breath. “They’re going to vastly outnumber us. And, despite the shortage, I’m sure they’ll have guns in that type of setup.”

Lallielle shook her head. “What’s a gun?”

I closed my eyes briefly. This lack of knowledge was going to get someone killed.

“It’s a weapon that ejects a piece of metal at a rapid trajectory, faster than the eye can track. They are deadly, easily able to blow a large hole in a person.”

Quarn’s face was grim. “A gun was what ... took Hallow when we first arrived. I had never seen a weapon like it and we weren’t prepared. Depending where the projectile hits, the damage can be too great for our cells to repair.” He looked around, throwing his hands to emphasise his words. “Even on Earth, with limited abilities, if you pay attention, we are still fast enough to track the bullets. Do not lose focus; if they start shooting, expand your senses.”

I shuddered at the thought. “Okay, let’s leave that as a last resort. Ideally, we should get in and out without anyone really noticing. We don’t want a shoot-out. Innocent people will get killed.”

Lucy didn’t have any super speed and a stray bullet would end her life.

“So, I’m going to the training room now. I’ll see if anything useful has been left.”

“We will all go with you. Now is not the time to split up,” Brace said, his tone serious.

I tried to get a read on him, but right now he was locked down tight. Was his lack of power making him nervous?

The group were waiting on me. I stepped away from my biggest distraction, Brace, to gather my focus. It was battle time; Lucy was depending on me to save her.

Well, she probably wasn’t. She’d be trying to save herself and irritating everyone to death in the process. I just hoped she wouldn’t get hurt through sheer bloody-minded stubbornness.

The solar power was still working, so the stairs were lit enough for us to traverse them easily. They were narrow and rickety, and even in the low light I almost lost it down the last three steps.

Nothing looked disturbed on the lower level, but there was a strange feeling in the damp air. I stepped across the cement floor.

“Aribella – stop!” I froze at Josian’s order.

He was looking around, his features frozen in a type of confused worry. “A doorway has been opened here ... recently. The rift is still open.”