They bolted down the stairs and into the bones of a once-grand department store. Zach had been here when it was still open, but he’d only been told about what it had been in its heyday—a six-floor shopping experience like nothing that existed today. The empty building still offered echoes of that splendor in the beautiful marble columns that stood solemnly amid the clutter of shelves and glass display units.
Kade took them straight through it all. Past the elevators, now silent. Past the frozen escalators. The broad array of exits to Portage Avenue, one of Winnipeg’s main vehicular arteries, lay ahead.
But they were no longer alone.
“They’re here!” Zach warned Kade.
From the depths of the old store, something howled.
“Oh, damn it to hell and back,” Jessie offered through clenched teeth.
Behind them, something skidded across the floor. Zach heard a snarl. He glanced back, and his heart accelerated. No human witnesses in here. The pursuing Weres were shifting.
“Effing hell.” Jessie looked back and tripped, recovering when Zach grabbed her elbow. This time, she didn’t shake him off. Their little group had seconds, no more, until the Dires were onto them.
They wouldn’t make it to those exit doors.
Kade deviated to head for the large glass display windows that ran along the sides of the building. The Sabre Were skidded to a halt, lifted a sizable display unit like it was a lawn chair, and flung it through the plateglass windows. The huge pane shattered, sending shards everywhere.
There was a small platform for the displays. Zach and Jessie scrambled onto it and jumped through the opening onto the sidewalk beyond.
It was hardly a quiet exit. A few alarmed people stood frozen, staring, as the four sprinted across the street beyond. Kade had his phone out again and spoke rapidly into it.
A human standing on the street watched them bear down and pulled out his phone to film. Kade grabbed it as they ran by.
“Sorry, buddy.” Zach apologized as he hurried past.
Kade rounded the corner onto Portage Avenue. He slowed to a walk, but his bleeding arms attracted a fair amount of attention. There were a lot more people here, and Cara handed him her jacket to fold over his arms.
“What now?” Jessie asked.
“Now, we blend,” Kade said.
They blended. Two suspiciously big guys also did their best to drift with the crowd about thirty feet back. The ones pursuing them in the store were screwed. Even if they turned back to human, they’d left their clothes in shreds along the way.
It seemed Jessie was still synced to his thoughts. “Big naked guys might stand out.”
“It’s Winnipeg on the weekend.” Zach offered. “Anything is possible.”
Kade stopped. Three more Dire Weres worked through the lunch goers toward them.
Zach glanced wildly across Portage Ave. Two more stood across eight lanes of heavy traffic, staring their way.
Jessie’s opinion was whispered but no less obscene for it.
They were surrounded.
19
They were surrounded. But they weren’t alone.
Jessie’s awareness centered on a couple of big men moving through the crowd toward them. And another two, just crossing Portage Avenue from different locations. Her recent contact with Zach enabled her to feel their emotions. And her heart lifted.
Even without her borrowed ability, their builds were unmistakable. Taller, broader, with the craggy features she’d come to know. She didn’t need to be linked to Zach to sense their intent; their eyes glowed gold with it. They stayed focused on the Dires rather than Kade’s group.
Sabres.
But not enough. They were outnumbered.
