Cain Mercer woke to the smell of antiseptic and blood.His wrists were strapped to a metal gurney. His ankles too. The fluorescent lights above him buzzed like angry wasps. A needle sat in the crook of his left arm, feeding something cold into his veins.He tried to remember where he was. Failed.The ceiling was white. Sterile. A single camera watched from the corner. Red light blinking. Recording."Subject is conscious," a voice said. Male. Flat. Professional. "Vitals stable. Sedation wearing off faster than projected."Cain turned his head. The movement sent a spike of pain through his skull. A man in tactical gear stood near the door. Black uniform. No insignia. No name. Just a weapon holstered at his hip and a face that showed nothing.Another man stepped into view. Older. Gray temples. A tablet in his hand. He looked at Cain like he was inspecting damaged equipment."Agent Mercer," the older man said. "Do you know where you are?"Cain's throat was dry. He swallowed. Tried to spea

Cain woke on a cold floor.Concrete beneath his cheek. Fluorescent lights above. His skull pounded like someone had driven a spike through it. The static had receded, but its echoes still buzzed at the edges of his thoughts.He pushed himself up. The room was small. Windowless. A metal table and two chairs in the center. A camera in the corner. Red light blinking.The safe house.He remembered the driver. The sedan. The helicopter circling overhead. And then nothing. Just the static swallowing him whole."How long was I out?"The door opened. Director Vance walked in. Her jacket was gone. A bandage wrapped around her left thigh. Blood had seeped through the fabric."Three hours," she said. "You've been muttering in your sleep.""What did I say?""Names. Places. Things that don't make sense." She sat down heavily in one of the chairs. "You need to get yourself under control, Mercer. If you black out at the wrong moment, you're dead. We're both dead."Cain stood. His legs wobbled but he

The helicopter touched down on a rooftop.Not a safe house. Not a military base. Just another building. Another anonymous location in a city that had become a battlefield.Cain stepped out first. His legs were steady. His mind was sharp. The static buzzed at the edges, but he held it at bay.Lena followed. Then Marcus.The pilot lifted off immediately. Rotors faded into the distance."I need an hour," Cain said."You have thirty minutes," Marcus replied. "The Frequency Division knows we escaped. They'll be tracking our flight path. We need to move.""Then make it count."Marcus led them to a rooftop door. Down a flight of stairs. Into an apartment that smelled like stale coffee and old paper."I've been here before," Lena said. "This is one of my safe houses.""Used to be," Marcus said. "Now it's neutral ground."Cain moved to the window. Looked out at the city. Somewhere out there, Vance was moving pieces on the board. Preparing her next move."Start talking," he said. "You have thir

The red dot on the screen stopped moving.Marcus stared at it. His face was pale. "They're here."The truck lurched to a halt. The driver slammed the brakes. Tires screeched against gravel.Cain was already moving. He threw open the rear door. Jumped out. The cold air hit his face like a slap.The road stretched ahead. Empty. Silent. No vehicles. No movement.But the static was screaming.Cain raised his rifle. Scanned the darkness. Nothing.Then he saw them.The Strays emerged from the tree line. Dozens of them. Flickering shapes of gray and white. Their eyes were black voids. Their mouths were open in silent screams.They moved toward the truck. Slow. Deliberate. Hungry."Lena, stay inside," Cain shouted.He stepped forward. The Strays stopped. Turned toward him.Sarah's face appeared in the crowd. Her eyes were black. Her mouth was open.*You shouldn't have come,* she whispered. *She's waiting for you.*Cain raised his hand. The static surged. He pushed it outward."Stop," he comma

The facility groaned around them.Metal twisted. Cables snapped. The amplifier's destruction had triggered a cascade of failures. Lights flickered. Alarms blared. The ground shook."We need to move," Marcus shouted. "This place is coming down."Cain looked at Vance. Unconscious at the base of the broken machine. Her face was peaceful. Almost innocent."Leave her," Marcus said. "She's not worth saving."Cain hesitated. Then he turned. Walked away.Lena grabbed his arm. "We can't just leave her.""She made her choice.""And you're making yours. Don't become her."Cain stopped. Looked at his sister."I'm not.""Then prove it."He sighed. Turned back. Bent down. Hefted Vance over his shoulder."Move," he said.They ran. Through the laboratory. Through the tunnel. The Strays followed. Silent. Watchful.The facility collapsed behind them. Debris rained down. Chunks of concrete. Sparks of electricity.They burst through the service tunnel entrance. The blizzard had passed. The sky was clear.