“Stop!”
Miri froze at the sound of Vautour’s voice. She slowly turned and looked up at the top of the temple. Vautour’s commanding presence loomed over the city like an emperor preparing to address his subjects. He stood at the edge of the top step, staring down at her, knowing she had no way out. Under normal circumstances, Miri might have had a chance. He was still a good fifty feet and two flights of stairs away. But these circumstances were anything but normal.
Still, Miri couldn’t help but glance over her shoulder to estimate how long it would take her to reach the city walls.
Right then, Rafa appeared beside Vautour, struggling, with his arms held behind his back by Sérgio. Blood trickled down his cheek, and his shirt was torn and twisted. Rafa tried to hold his head high, pulling his mouth in a tight line. But his fear was palpable.
“Do you really think you’re going to survive out there on that foot?” Vautour called down to her.
“We made it this far, didn’t we? Let him go, and I’ll gladly take our chances again,” she yelled back, nodding her head toward Rafa.
“Why do you care so much about him?” he asked.
“Why don’t you?” she replied.
“He’s my son. Of course I care about him.”
“Really? Then how could you leave him for dead out alone in the rainforest yesterday?”
“Alone? He ran,” Vautour said, his voice confused.
“Is that what he told you?” Miri asked, pointing at Hunter standing off to the side.
Vautour turned toward Hunter. “What is she talking about?” he asked.
Hunter looked back and forth. Then, with a swift movement, he pulled a gun from the back of his waistband underneath his shirt, pointing it at Rafa and causing everyone else to take a step back.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Vautour growled at him.
“Take another step and I’ll shoot him,” Hunter said, brandishing the gun.
Rafa shirked to the side to shield himself, still in Sérgio’s grasp.
“Pull that trigger and you won’t make it out of this jungle alive!” Vautour shouted.
“I think I’m done letting you call the shots,” Hunter said. “NowI’mthe one in charge.”
“That is incorrect, senhor.” Sérgio let go of Rafa, took a step toward Hunter, and put a knife to his neck. “Put the safety on and toss the gun down to the bottom of the stairs,” he commanded.
He motioned at Hunter with the knife. Hunter grimaced as he did as he was told, clicking the safety on the pistol, and then threw it all the way to the ground, not far from Miri’s feet.
“Now go over there,” Sérgio said to Hunter, gesturing toward Vautour.
“Fuck off, old man,” Hunter spat back.
Right then, another man came from beyond the temple, pointing a knife at Vautour. Moments later, three more emerged.
“What is this?” Vautour asked.
“We’re os protetores da lua,” Sérgio said of himself and the other four men who’d appeared.
Miri smiled. So it was true. All of it. The Moon City, the protectors.
And Vautour was finally going to get what was coming to him.
“What are you going to do, kill us?” Vautour asked.
“No, senhor. We’re not murderers. I know the lies that you’ve spread. I know who you are. You were the one who took our Andressa.” Sérgio then looked at Rafa. “Your mother.”
