When Mina reached it, she gripped the sides. “There’s a cover on it. We’ll need to push it off. Careful, it’s a little slippery.”
They wedged together on the narrow ladder.
“It’s not heavy. I’m taller, let me.” Dorian gritted her teeth, shoved. “I’ve got it. I’ve got it.”
As she used both hands to push the metal cover, Dorian’s foot slipped. Even as Mina grabbed for her, she went down, banging her knee on a rung, then feeling her ankle twist and go out from under her on the fall to the concrete.
She bit back a scream of pain as Mina pulled her up. “You’re okay, you’re all right. I see light. We have to go up now. They’re getting closer.”
She shoved Dorian up, climbed behind. “Hurry. You have to hurry.”
The pain made her sick, made her dizzy, but she climbed. Climbed into pouring rain and roaring thunder.
Mina popped out like a cork behind her, then dragged the cover back in place.
Through the storm, they saw what looked like a huddle of derelict and abandoned buildings, a couple of rusted-out cars slumped on weedy gravel, a heap of busted-up planks, a lot of trash.
It smelled like a broken recycler filled with rotten fruit.
But in the distance, lights gleamed through the wall of rain.
“That way!”
“I can’t run, Mina. I can barely walk. I maybe broke something.”
“Lean on me. If we can get to those lights—”
She broke off as the cover shifted. With an arm around Dorian, she dragged her friend to the old lumber pile.
“We hide,” she whispered. “Stay down until they go away.”
A man pulled himself out of the hole. Spoke to someone below him. “There’s blood on the ground, the ladder. One of them’s hurt.”
The Matron Monster climbed out. “I hope to fuck it’s the little shit who stole my swipe. She’s going to pay for it.” Already soaked to the skin, she spoke into a ’link. “We found their exit, and one’s banged up.”
The man gave a location and orders to send more for the search. Ordered vans for a street sweep even as a third climbed out.
“They didn’t get far,” he said. “We were a minute behind them. Spread out and find those bitches.”
“They’ll find us,” Mina whispered in Dorian’s ear. “I’m going to lead them away.”
“No!”
“I can run faster than they can, and it’s raining so hard, I can get a head start maybe. Stay here, stay quiet. I’ll make them think you’re with me so they’ll stop looking. I’ll send help.”
“You can’t—”
Mina picked up a broken piece of wood with a jagged edge, and shoved at the bright hair the rain plastered to her face. “Stay down, stay quiet. We got out, Dorian. We’re not going back.”
She gripped Dorian’s hand one last time. “Partners,” she whispered, then ran.
“There! I see one!”
“Go, Dorian,” Mina screamed. “Keep going! Don’t stop!”
As Mina ran, Dorian squeezed her eyes shut. She’d tried praying a few times in her life, and it never worked. But she tried again, as hard as she could.
She heard a shout, and then a scream. Mina? Following her gut, she lurched to her feet, managed one running step before her leg crumpled under her. Her head cracked hard against a plank on the way down. She saw stars. Then nothing at all.
Under a black umbrella, Auntie stood over the body. The trainee she’d put so much time and effort into, had such high hopes for, lay like a soaked rag, impaled with a jagged spear of wood.
Useless now, she thought. Useless.
“No sign of the other one.” Her head of security stood next to her. “What a fuckup. I’ll have a full report for you after I debrief. Do you want her taken to the crematorium?”
“No. 238 may go to the police. It’s not her nature, but in case she does, we’ll turn this on her. Have that idiot Nurse get the last blood draw from 238. When the cops find the body where you’ll deposit it, it’ll have 238’s blood on it. And have whatever 232 was wearing when we recruited her brought up. Get this disappointment in a van. You’ll take care of this tonight.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ll relay precise instructions. I want no more carelessness. Understood?”
“Loud and clear.”
“Stupid, ungrateful bitch.”
Auntie kicked the body once, viciously, then walked away.