Kids had short shelf lives, brutally short. Most of them didn’t make it past twelve. And the ones who did weren’t kids anymore. They were ghosts in skin.
So why the hell did his mind keep conjuring her?
Why did those azure eyes keep surfacing every time he blinked?
Was his mind playing tricks on him? A guilty conscience, half-rotted but still twitching? Or was it something worse—that hidden part of him that hadn’t accepted what happened, that still held out hope in the most useless, painful corner of his charred black heart?
He exhaled slowly, the breath fogging the window.
Get your head straight,he told himself.She’s gone. Let the dead rest in peace.
But the ghost didn’t leave.
Back at the base, Malcom was waiting. He didn’t waste time. “Inside. All of you.”
The office had the familiar smell of stale cigarettes and cheap disinfectant. Malcom leaned against the edge of the desk, his fingers drumming absently.
“There’s a big shipment coming in through the docks.”
Thane gave a single nod, nothing more.
Malcom hesitated for a second, then went on. “We’ll be getting some help on-site this time. We can’t afford any hiccups.”
He didn’t name any names, but Thane knew Lirain must already be neck-deep in the dock rota for the day, looking for the ‘help’.
“The drop-offs within forty-eight hours,” Malcom continued, eyes sliding to Thane. “We’ll let you know when the merchandise is ready. You’ll get first pick.”
Thane gave a curt nod, giving nothing away.
Malcom waved him off with a flick of fingers. “Make yourself scarce ‘til there’s more to share. Don’t need you hovering. Disappear until we contact you.” He turned to Trish. “You’ll be looped in when I say so.”
She gave a sharp nod, no questions asked.
As they left the room, Thane caught movement in his periphery. Ricky stood near the stairs, eyes locked on him with that same unsettling gleam. Something behind the grin didn’t add up. There was a curious light there. Thane stared right back, jaw set. They held each other’s gaze for a breath too long before Ricky smiled lazily and looked away.
Outside, the cold hit him like a slap.
“You want to head out back?” Trish asked, voice low and sultry.
Thane forced a smile. “Mind if I take a rain-check? Maybe after the heavy lifting’s done.”
Her eyes held his for a second too long before she gave a shrug and walked off without another word.
As he turned toward the barracks, Ricky brushed past him with a shoulder-check. “Watch your back,” he murmured, lips barely moving. “I have eyes on you. You will trip up, and when you do, I will put a bullet between your eyes.”
Thane just watched him go, the chill creeping deeper into his bones. Instinct screamed that things were not going to go according to plan.
They would need to move carefully.
Everything was shifting, and the ground beneath him was getting shakier.
But Thane had danced on thin ice before.
He could do it again.
Chapter 21
The door shut with a soft click, and Zel was already pulling out the handheld scanner.
