Cass’s answering smile was dazzling. “Excellent. Now let’s see what we can find in Goldie HQ.”
The Goldenrod headquarters was located in a nondescript high-rise downtown in the financial district. Cass led them to the back of the building, covered in her nocturna darkness.
Lock slid a thin black case out of his bag and kneeled in front of the door. Less than a minute later, he pulled it open. The alarm system immediately started to beep. He bashed the alarm with a hammer until it ceased. When he turned around, he was grinning.
“I know it can’t dial out, but we couldn’t leave it beeping, right?”
Cass snorted. “Glad you enjoyed that.”
The lights went out one at a time as they walked to the elevator still cloaked in her nocturna darkness. Nori and the three other soul lights lit the way for Scarlett. She wondered if Lock and Rex were nervous at all as they walked in the dark.
The elevator dinged, and they exited on the floor where Moira Ashworth’s office was located. They walked past the rows of cubicles, heading toward the large offices along the far wall. Cass left the lights on this time, presumably because they’d have an easier time searching if they could see.
In Moira’s bland office, they did the same meticulous, fast-paced search they’d done in Federsin’s study. Mace and Brixton stood by the door, keeping watch, while Scarlett facilitated Tyler’s plundering of the desktop computer. Cass, Rex, and Lock searched every drawer, closet, and box in the office.
This time there were no noteworthy paper records.
They’d just left Moira’s office when an elevator dinged.
The overhead lights were still on, and before Cass could put them out, a young man appeared by the elevator bay, fifty feet away. He wore a white button-down shirt and slacks—definitely a junior staff member working late. He stumbled at the far end of the floor as he stared at them.
Brixton sprang forward faster than lightning, and the movement jolted the young man out of his shock. He ran for the elevator bay, his hand outstretched.
Brixton reached him seconds later, kicking out and dropping him to the floor, but it was too late. The fire alarm began to sound through the building.
“Fuck. Let’s go!” shouted Cass.
Scarlett had to force herself to breathe as they rode the elevator to the ground floor. Flashlights danced in the lobby, but Cass immediately snuffed them out.
“What the hell?” said a male voice.
Cass led the way as they ran across the lobby to the back door they’d come in through, their footsteps echoing across the marble floor.
“Hey!”
How can they see us?
But then Scarlett heard two gunshots, and she stopped thinking. All that remained in her mind was one word.
Run.
She sprinted through the exit right behind Lock. The dock wasn’t far. Ahead of her, Lock, Rex, and Cass were halfway there. She started after them, but shouting behind her made her turn.She caught a glimpse of Brixton and Mace bursting through the door.
And then she fell.
Scrambling to her feet as the shifters reached her, Scarlett tried to run, but Cass appeared, pushing her down to the ground again as two more shots were fired. With her face against the pavement, Scarlett couldn’t see anything but the dock.
A strange ripping sound filled her ears, then the growls of a wolf.
A dire wolf.
Cass helped her up just in time for Scarlett to see the dire wolf snarling as it ran straight for the two cops. They fired their guns but hit nothing, because the wolf was too fast. Mace followed behind him, shielding himself by crouching behind the giant wolf as it ran.
One of the men shrieked as the wolf’s jaws locked around his hand. The gun clattered to the ground, and the cop clutched his mangled hand, the bones bent at odd angles. Mace darted for the weapon, scooping it up off the ground.
“Get on the boat!” Cass shouted, pulling at Scarlett.
Scarlett looked back as she ran to the dock with Cass.
