Chapter 20: The Scout
The silence in the maintenance room was profound, broken only by the soft, crystalline hum of the core. Eli finally stirred, his gaze pulling away from the mesmerizing light with visible effort.
"We should get back," he said, his voice rough. "The others will be getting restless."
Kael gave a single, sharp nod, his own mind still processing the strategic implications of the core. As they slipped back through the heavy door and into the main tunnel, the air felt different. The darkness seemed less like an enemy and more like a shield they had to maintain.
When they returned to the alcove, a subtle shift had taken place. Jonas was asleep again, but his breathing was deeper, more regular. Mara sat beside him, her posture less rigid with fear. The other survivors moved with a quiet purpose, checking their meager weapons and supplies. The success of the medicine had given them a fragile thread of hope.
Eli cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "We have a new objective," he announced, his voice low but carrying. "There's a hardware store two blocks east. It's our next target."
A man named Rik, who wielded a heavy crowbar, spoke up. "Just the three of you? That's a long way for a small team."
"It's a scout," Eli corrected. "We're not clearing it today. We're assessing the route and the threat level. Kael has the map. We move fast and quiet."
Anya hefted her studded bat, her expression grimly determined. "I'm ready."
As the three of them moved toward the subway stairs, a weak voice stopped them. Jonas was awake again, his eyes clear but tired. "Be careful out there."
It was Kael who paused and looked back. He saw the worry on their faces, the lingering hope that carefulness would be enough. It was a dangerous delusion.
"There's a first rule to a fight," Kael said, his voice flat and cold, cutting through the sentiment. "It applies to monsters and to men."
Everyone stilled, looking at him.
"The first one to get serious, wins." He held Jonas's gaze for a moment, then let his eyes sweep over the others. "Don't hope they'll be careful. Be ready to be ruthless."
He turned and started up the stairs without another word, leaving a stunned silence in his wake. It was a brutal lesson, but a necessary one. Hope was a flickering candle. Ruthless pragmatism was a fortified wall.
Anya and Eli exchanged a look, a silent conversation passing between them. Then they followed him up into the grey, unforgiving light of the city.
The streets were eerily quiet. Kael led them, his movements a study in silent efficiency. He used the map in his mind like a tactical overlay, choosing a route that kept them in the shadows of collapsed buildings and rusted-out vehicles. He pointed out potential hazards with sharp hand signals—a nest of Corrupted Pigeons on a distant ledge, the faint, skittering sounds of something moving through a nearby alley.
Anya watched him, her initial wariness slowly being replaced by a professional respect. She was a scout, but he was something else entirely—a predator who saw the city as a landscape of threats and opportunities.
They reached a vantage point overlooking the hardware store. It was a large, boxy building with its main entrance shattered. The parking lot was strewn with abandoned cars and debris. From their position, they could see movement inside—shadowy, low-slung forms. Corrupted Hounds, at least three of them, patrolling the aisles.
"No Sentinels," Eli murmured, his voice barely a whisper. "That's something."
Then Anya stiffened. She pointed toward the roof of a building across the street from the hardware store. "Look."
There, silhouetted against the grey sky, was a figure. They held a bow. Even from this distance, Kael recognized the posture, the alert stillness.
Lysandra.
She wasn't looking at the hardware store. She was looking down, directly at their hiding spot. She raised a hand, not in a wave, but in a slow, deliberate gesture—a single finger pointing east, down the street, then she drew a line across her own throat. The message was chillingly clear.
*Don't go that way. Death.*
Then she pointed two fingers at her own eyes, then pointed directly at Kael. A hunter's sign.
*I see you.*
Before any of them could react, she melted back from the roof's edge and was gone.
Eli let out a slow breath. "Well. She's not hostile. Yet."
Kael's mind was already analyzing the encounter. She had given them a warning. A territorial marker. She had acknowledged him specifically. It was a complex move, neither friendly nor aggressive. It was a statement of presence.
"She's defining her borders," Kael said quietly. "The hardware store is outside of them. For now."
Anya looked from the empty rooftop back to Kael. "What does she want?"
Kael watched the space where the archer had been, the new variable slotting perfectly into his calculations. "The same thing we do," he said. "Everything."