“What are you going to do?” Stefan asked. There was no challenge in his tone, just genuine curiosity.
“I’m going to make sure they stop working, and to do that I’ll need to go back outside.”
“No!” the twins said in unison.
My heart squeezed with love for them. “I’ll be fine. Trust me. I have Helgi with me and we’re going to shut off the power that makes them work.”
“Like take out the batteries?” Neddie asked.
“Yes, like that. And then you guys are going to make a run for it with Bran and Nile. They’ll be in charge.”
Gemma shook her head. “Not going without you.”
“I’ll catch up to you, I promise.” I smoothed her hair back from her face. “I’m not going to lie to you. I have no idea what else is out there, but I do know that we have to try to get out, because staying here indefinitely is not an option.”
Gemma pressed her lips together, her eyes welling.
“What if your plan doesn’t work?” Stefan asked in a small voice. “What if you can’t stop them?”
Oh lord. “Then we’ll think of another way.”
Helgi joined us. “Anya, we need to get going.”
I made to stand but the kids jumped me in a group hug, their tiny hearts beating way too fast, reminding me that their lives were in my hands and there was no way I’d be letting them down.
With a final squeeze I released them and stood up. “Let’s get this done.”
* * *
The boom of gunshots and the crackle of metal drowned out the thud of my boots as we sprinted away from the library and down the street. But they were on us, riding the power lines either side of us, scuttling and jumping across rooftops. The trick was to keep moving. We sprinted in a weaving pattern, dodging their jumps and swipes. No need to talk or give instructions—we were connected.
So far so good.
Helgi’s bellow had me swerving toward her, Jezebel already arcing in a swipe to cut the fucker off her back. She scrambled but didn’t lose her balance, and we cut a corner onto the main road leading to the industrial estate. Behind us the air was ripped by angry shrieks, and a quick glance over my shoulder showed that the spider things had halted pursuit.
What the heck?
“Don’t stop,” Helgi ordered. “Keep moving.”
The buildings changed, large factory-type structures made to house equipment and people. Lots of people. But then the structures thinned out, leading to open land and huge metal towers. Massive funnel-like structures rose up into the air in the distance. This was it. We were here. Low, flat buildings came into view—part of the plant, no doubt. We slammed through the entrance and then stood with our backs against the door.
“We made it,” Helgi said. “Now what?”
“Those funnel things outside should be producing steam or some kind of gas but they aren’t, which makes me wonder what is actually producing the heat to work these rotating thingies that produce the electricity.”
Helgi stared at me blankly.
I shrugged. “Look, it doesn’t matter. What matters is getting to the generators. If we shut those off, then no electricity will be produced.”
“And how long before the power lines are inactive?”
“I’m not sure. Not long. We need to find some kind of control room.”
“And where would a control room be?”
“There has to be a map of the facility somewhere. Let’s take a look.”
A long desk spanned the back of the foyer. This was where people came and checked in. There had to be something there, right?
“Where do you think everyone went?” Helgi asked in a hushed tone.
“Best not to think about that.” But the thought had crossed my mind.
All this perfectly preserved stuff and not a single perfectly preserved person. Had they gotten out, or had the monsters consumed them? Helgi shuddered and then vaulted over the metal barrier separating us from the rest of the facility.
“Anything?”
She grabbed a folder off the desk and flicked through it. “I think this is what you’re looking for.” She threw the folder at me.
The map of the facility was color-coded and clearly marked. Floor plans and levels and loads of gobbledegook greeted me. Control room...Where the heck was the control room. Aha. Page ten showed a floor plan of level two, the control room marked clearly at the center.
“Here.” I tapped the map. “We need to get to this control room. We can flip the relevant switch remotely from there.”
I hopped over the barrier and joined Helgi. “There’s a corridor through that door that connects the main building. We take the stairwell to level two and find the control room.”
“Let’s get it done.” Helgi headed for the door.
* * *
The next five minutes were uneventful. We took the stairs to the second floor and exited onto a dark corridor. The air smelled funky—a scent I couldn’t quite define. My scalp prickled.
“Anya…”
“Yeah, I feel it.”
“Fucking hell, what more can there be?”
I didn’t want to find out. “Let’s just get the job done and get out.” Left, we needed to go left. “This way. Three doors do—”
The thud of feet had my head whipping round. I caught sight of the creature a moment before Helgi did. A three-foot-high, red-eyed feral rat. My heart jumped into my mouth. I shoved Helgi back through the stairwell door and slammed it shut. The world vibrated as the thing ran past, and then there was silence.
Helgi’s chest heaved. “Please tell me that wasn’t what I think it was.”
“Fine, I won’t.”
“No. Uh-uh. No.” Helgi shook her head.
Rats and Helgi didn’t mix. The tank could flatten a Skin twice her size, could fight a wyvern and live, but when it came to rodents, she was a mass of nerves.
“It’s gonna be okay. It’s just the one. We can do this.”
“Just one?” She gave me an incredulous look. “Did you see the size of that
