“Ain’t the kind of thing you rush, G,” Swoop answered.
“We’re more spread out than I like already. I don’t want you guys getting cut off.”
“Go on,” Finn said. “We’ll be right behind you.”
Gamble looked like she was about to say something else, but instead she just nodded and resumed leading them up the stairs. Once they got to the top of the second floor, she said in a lowered voice, “Sky, we’re coming up.”
She kept her weapon up and swept the angles as they presented themselves, constantly vigilant for any sudden threat. Each floor was virtually indistinguishable from the others. At each landing, the stairwell connected to a long, dark corridor with doors on either side.
As they passed each one, Cass tried not to think about Gamble mentioning how they didn’t have time to clear the whole building. There was no telling who – or what – might be lurking down any one of those halls, or behind any one of those doors. The fact that they hadn’t heard or seen any signs of danger gave some small comfort, but the memory of the cascade of Weir pouring out of that building was still too fresh.
They took their time climbing the stairs, not wanting to rush Wick, not daring to get separated. Though it wasn’t really that far to climb, by the time they reached the top floor, Cass’s legs were starting to burn from all the weight she was carrying, combined with the slower pace.
Beyond the ninth floor, the stairwell extended up in a fully enclosed corridor, like a toppled chimney. There were no windows, and Cass knew for the others it must have seemed an overwhelming darkness. At the top there was a single door, which she assumed led out onto the roof.
Gamble halted at the bottom of the steps, and flicked on the red light affixed to the underside of her gun. “Sky, we’re coming out.”
She led them up the final flight of stairs, and swung the door open. The flood of sunlight overwhelmed Cass completely, and everyone shielded their eyes. When they made it out onto the roof, Able was waiting for them there by the door. Cass drew her veil down. When her eyes finally adjusted, she saw Sky set up at the edge of the roof, facing the enclave.
The roof itself was flat, with a few industrial-grade vents – and large dormant machinery of unknown purpose – clustered near the center. Here and there were scattered broken remnants of once-useful things. Cass guessed anything of value had long ago been scavenged by the residents of Ninestory. Or rather, by the former residents.
The team piled their gear by the rusted machinery. Mouse eased Wick to a sitting position, leaning back against their packs and facing the door. Wick was pale, his face slick with a thin sheen of sweat. His breathing seemed shallower and more labored than it had before, and Cass hoped it was just from the exertion of the climb. Mouse knelt next to him and checked his vitals. He didn’t look happy with the results.
Cass walked across the roof to join Sky and Gamble at the edge. The wind was up, chilly even in the full sun. She flipped up the collar of her coat to keep it off her neck. As she crossed, she was amazed by the commanding view the roof provided of the surrounding cityscape.
It was the tallest building for miles around, and even though it wasn’t all that high compared to many places she’d been before, the unbroken urban sprawl that surrounded them made Cass feel like they were on an island mountain amidst a concrete sea. What she saw when she reached the edge, however, took her breath away.
Far below, what looked like hundreds of Weir teemed throughout the enclave and the surrounding area, swarming like insects from an overturned nest. Just in front of the building, however, a stationary knot of them had formed. Most of the ones in motion didn’t seem to be following any particular pattern, but whenever an individual drew near the cluster, it quickly diverted its path to join the group, like iron filings collecting around a magnet. Even stranger, they had all gone utterly silent.
“I just don’t understand it,” Sky said, as he watched the creatures scurrying below. “They wiped out the whole enclave?”
“Looks that way,” Gamble said. “And then took it over.”
“I’ve never heard of that happening before. Ever.”
“Me neither. Like Swoop said, I hadn’t really thought about where they went after dark. Never would’ve guessed that, though.”
Everything about it seemed wrong. Even more wrong than usual. Cass thought back to the night they’d attacked the gate of Morningside. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something about the Weir had changed. Something significant. Something dire.
“You think they can see us up here?” Sky asked.