The rain hadn't stopped. It pounded on the cracked sidewalks, splattered off rusted fire escapes, and hissed as it slid down the faded bricks of Sector 50's derelict buildings. The cold clung to me, sharp as broken glass beneath my skin.
Anthony matched my pace, silent but alert. We didn't speak — words felt cheap against the weight pressing down on my chest.
We were heading to the sewers.
The stench hit me before the concrete steps did — a thick, wet rot mixed with rust and decay. I took it in like a punch to the gut, the smell of the city's forgotten veins where no sunlight reached.
This was where Hyena had to be.
Grant and I had set the trap perfectly.
Hyena's voice still echoed in my mind, dripping with rage, "Two hours. Or the kid dies."
I clenched my fists, feeling the cold bite of the band on my wrist. We'd tricked him, making the abandoned sewer network appear to connect to other sectors — a perfect escape route. But in truth, it was a dead end.
A cage.
A maze.
