Page 47 of The Fall

Lusa stepped around a sticky blood puddle, vast enough that it hadn’t had time to dry. The ceiling had started sagging where Pinga had torn off the door frame. Leave it to Pinga to destroy a load-bearing wall.

The bars of the go-go cage had been scattered and Hexaline dust covered everything else. Kerr held the EMP cuff aloft. “Chalice must have removed it. If it broke, she’d still be wearing it.”

“Look at you, detective.” Lusa smiled.

Kerr glowed. She pointed to the remains of the fire door. “They must have escaped through there.”

“Where are they now? Did Chalice message you?”

Hoisting herself up onto the remains of a table, Kerr stared at her knees while her legs dangled. “This is the oldest part of town. Technically part of Facility Two. None of the towers work here and the access tunnels don’t connect to ours.”

Lusa thought that sounded an awful lot like I don’t know. The tenuous amicable feelings between them evaporated and she had Kerr’s collar in her fist before Kerr understood what was happening. “Where. Is. My. Sister?” Lusa enunciated every word, low and restrained.

The slight hitch and glint of delight in Kerr’s eyes threw her off. Lusa released her and stepped back. She was trying to threaten her, not start foreplay, goddammit. Her mouth hung open for a few moments while her brain tried its best to catch up, both of them finding confusion in each other’s eyes. “Sorry,” she muttered finally.

It didn’t erase what they both knew had happened, but it did draw a line. And in doing so, it admitted that something beyond that line existed – that it was possible to cross, however inadvisable that may be.

Kerr pulled the wrinkles from her shirt. “Optis have trouble connecting out here.” She didn’t take her eyes off of Lusa. “It’s a dead zone.” When Lusa didn’t lunge at her, she continued. “But we get here from the edge of our access tunnels. The access is a half-hour walk from here.”

“Let’s go then.” Lusa started toward the bike.

Kerr called after her. “There’s a problem, though.”

Lusa exhaled to keep control. “Which is?”

Kerr turned at a sudden noise. Lusa froze. She didn’t hear anything, but Kerr had aural processors and she didn’t. “Fuck,” Kerr swore. “In here.”

Lusa found herself being shoved into a closet. Her heart trilled unexpectedly. People didn’t normally throw Lusa around, especially not people as small as Kerr.

“Stay quiet,” Kerr hissed.

“The only one talking is you.”

Even in the darkness, Lusa could feel her glare.

In here. Do a scan.

“Pure hell. How does your biosig blocker work? Can it shield two people?” Kerr failed to hide the panic in her voice.

Knowing there was no explaining something that didn’t exist, Lusa could still bluff. “Which direction are they coming from?”

Kerr pointed.

“Turn this way then.” Lusa shuffled Kerr to put herself between her and whoever was outside. She wrapped her arms around Kerr for good measure.

Kerr started hyperventilating. If she continued, they would surely be heard.

Lusa held her tightly, stroking her hair. “It’s okay, they’ll be gone soon.” They might not be. They could both be killed in minutes. Lusa quickly made a plan for taking out the first one who opened the door. If they were lucky, he wouldn’t be seen and she could do it quietly.

All clear, boss, but the spot’s naff. We can’t use it. It’s falling apart.

Footsteps drifted away. Lusa exhaled, not expecting that to work. She relaxed her grip and tried to step back, but the closet was too small. Kerr didn’t move.

“Are you okay?” Lusa asked.

Kerr kept staring. She must be in shock.

“Are they still he…”