Chapter 85 - Infiltration

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Ian

AS the gunshot sounded, Agathe slammed her head into Jesse's chin, then spun and kneed Reilly between the legs. She broke loose from them outside the door and sprinted for the town square.

"Son of a..." I let go of Abby and we both ran out the door just after Joseph and Kat.

Down the hall, Jesse pushed off with a hard burst of speed and slammed Agathe against the wall. He locked up her arms by the time Reilly reached them. They got her to her feet and headed into the town square to loop around to the Old City.

Abby and I made it to the end of the hall. As we rounded the corner, Abby crashed into Harlan.

"Sorry!" She regained her balance, then froze, her eyes wide enough to give a deer in headlights a run for his money. "Dad?"

"Abby?" Harlan teared up.

"How?" She looked back at me.

I gave a sheepish shrug.

Abby shook her head, mouth agape, an uncertain look in her eyes like she didn't know what to do.

Another gunshot rang out from the town square, turning all our heads.

Rawlins and Chen stood near the East Passage. Two women lay at their feet, gasping for air, blood running from their chests. I hadn't met everyone in the city, and I didn't even know the ladies' names. Just two victims of a screwed up game that played out right in front of us. A game that might end us all.

Rawlins holstered a silver pistol beneath his coat.

Joseph and Kat stopped at the top of the East Bridge. Abby, Harlan, and I closed in on them. Behind us, from the South Passage, came Artie and Brother Lawrence. Their mutual strangeness must've drawn them together. They chatted spiritedly as if nothing were happening. Somehow, I wasn't surprised.

"Well, well, Mr. Sharp. In the wrong place at the wrong time again." Rawlins looked confused. At Chen's rear, Hunters fanned out—a lot of them. "I'm surprised to see you here. I thought Agathe got you exiled." His face returned to its cool stare with a hint of amusement.

"Well..." I put on a mocking tone. "Since I'm not intellectually challenged like some people"—I blatantly stared at Rawlins—"I found the city in a few of days. How long did it take you? Thirty years?" I gave him my best patronizing smile.

"Clever." Rawlins snorted a laugh. "I like that." He looked to Joseph. "The twins work well together, don't you think? Of course, Lena's no serial killer like Agathe, but aren't Agathe's games fun? No need to waste a good serial killer in prison when we can put her talents to use, right?"

What kind of sick person used serial killers to murder people? Well, apparently Rawlins.

When Joseph gave no reasons, what little amusement was in Rawlins' eyes vanished. "I suggest you give up now so this doesn't get," he paused as he glanced down at the dead bodies, then looked back to Joseph, "messy."

There was plenty of anger and fear to pull from to activate my power, but when it manifested, I could barely feel it. I tried to push out a telekinetic pulse from my palms hanging at my sides. It barely came out of me. My powers were present like Brother Lawrence had said, but they may as well not have been there at all. I'd be useless in this fight.

"Hand over Agathe," Rawlins said.

"Why should we?" Joseph closed in on the Hunters, everyone following behind.

"Because I have something you want." Rawlins nodded to someone down the East Passage.

Asa walked from the passage, a Hunter holding a gun at her back. A thick, silver, Egyptian-style necklace wrapped tightly at the base of her neck. She hadn't been wearing it before. It must be a collar, though it looked very different than the one I'd seen on the Hunter in Denver.

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