No one’s going to attack us, because no one’s here.
“I thought you said someone talked to these people.”
Riann doesn’t tell me that someone did.Hecan’t quite believe what he sees either.
No one’s lived here for a long time.
As soon as Kilo stops the car, I pop the top, climb out, and grab my closest gun.
The streets are overgrown with weeds, the trees that are still standing haven’t been pruned in years, and as I step closer, there aren’t any windows or doors left on the houses. And there are no thoughts…
None but the confusion and incredulity coming from the two men behind me.
“Get your drone out… see if you can find anything else.”
Kilo doesn’t even question how I know he has his drone—he goes back to the car and pulls it out—and I don’t say anything when he climbs on the hood to set himself up.
He can leave a dent in it for all I care, as long as it gets me answers…
Riann starts to wander away.
“No.”
He flinches, turning back to me. “What’s wrong?”
“You drive a desk. Your field training is not enough for this kind of situation.”
“He’s right,” Kilo says, lifting his drone up. The thing flies up to hover fifty feet over our heads.
“You stay here. Kilo can’t watch out for what might come up on him. You’re his eyes on the ground.” I pull the rifle from Kilo’s bag and he mentally threatens me, but he keeps his mouth shut.
He can dig out one of the four others he brought.
“If I see anything, I’ll let you know.” Kilo presses his earpiece into place, and I pull mine too.
Riann looks nervously at me, but I don’t have time to offer the bureaucrat platitudes.
I double-check the power clip and dial down the intensity on Kilo’s rifle. I don’t want to kill anyone here… but if something jumps out at me, I don’t want to let it get to me first, either.
Walking through the remnants of the town, my skin crawls… this is what Chrys would call bees under her skin.
When I follow one of the public paths, the reason hits me.
It’s not the dark, open doorways, or the plants growing through ceilings…
It’s utterly silent out here. Standing in the ruins of a playground, not even the wind makes a sound.
The Shadow Zone is big. It’s empty. But it’s never silent.
There are bugs, but they have no thoughts. I see a single lizard. It briefly screams “Flee!” and then skitters up a wall into a crack.
And then…
Pum pum pum.
I swing around, rifle leveled at the thought… The song?
There was a melody to the thoughts.
