Hugo and Frank remained inside Frank’s apartment, crouched he window, peering through a narro in the blinds. Outside, the Eood in formation, their leader positio the ter with an air of and, exuding authority that dematention.

  He was a striking figure, not in the way of brute force, but in presence. He wasn’t the biggest man in the group, but something about him made him feel rger than life. He carried himself with the easy fidence of a man who had killed before and had no problem doing it again. His clothes were —practical, but a cut above the usual sged rags. A tactical jacket, dark jeans, boots that hadn’t seen months of decay. His face was sharp, all edges and purpose, with cold blue eyes that missed nothing. A scar ran from the er of his mouth down to his , twisting his smirk into something permaly lopsided. His dark hair was cropped short, and a light stubble covered his jaw, just enough to give him a rugged, seasoned look.

  He looked up toward the apartment, as if he could see them watg. When he spoke, his voice was smooth—calm, persuasive. The kind of voice that beloo a man who was used to being obeyed.

  “Gentlemen,” he called out, tone almost casual. “I’m going to assume you’ve been watg us as much as we’ve been watg you. So let’s not waste time pretending we don’t know what’s happening here.”

  Hugo’s jaw ched. Frank didn’t move, his rifle steady in his hands.

  The leader tinued, pag slowly. “One of my men was following you st night, but he never came back. That’s a problem. I don’t like problems.” He stopped, looking up again. “And when I have problems, I solve them.”

  Fra out a slow breath. “He’s fishing.”

  Hugo he guy didn’t know what had happeo his scout, but he wao see if they’d react.

  Hugo leaned closer to the window and called out. “If your man’s missing, that’s not our problem.”

  The leader let out a shh. “Oh, but it is.”

  Silence huweehen the man’s voice turned sharper. “Here’s the deal. This city’s dangerous. You know that. But we’re prote. We keep the worst of the dead off these streets, we make sure no one else moves in on our territory.” He gestured broadly. “That includes you. You want to stay here? Fine. But you pay tribute. Supplies. Food. Medie. And iurn, we make sure nothing… unfortunate happens to you.”

  Hugo narrowed his eyes. “Sounds more like extortion than prote.”

  The leader’s grin widened. “Call it what you want. Doesn’t ge the facts.”

  Frank exhaled through his nose. “And if we say no?”

  The leader tilted his head, sidering. “Well, then I’m afraid we’ll have to take what we need by force.”

  Hugo g Frank, who met his gaze with a grim nod. No way ihey were going to roll over for these bastards.

  “Here’s my teroffer,” Hugo said. “Go to hell.”

  The leader let out a long sigh, almost disappoiheuro his men. “Kill them.”

  Gunfire erupted, shattering the window as Frank and Hugo dove for cover. Bullets ripped through the walls, sending splinters of wood and pster into the air. Frank rolled onto his stomach, raising his rifle and firing a quick shot through the broken window. One of the masked men dropped instantly.

  “They’re ing!” Hugo shouted, shoving a table onto its side for cover just as the apartment door burst open. The first Ehug through the door barely had time to react before Frank put a bullet through his chest. The man crumpled, but another was right behind him, firing wildly into the room. Hugo ducked as the couch cushions exploded in a cloud of stuffing.

  Frank fired again, but this time, they were ready. Two more men stormed in, f him to duck behind the kit ter. Hugo gripped his crowbar, heart hammering, waiting for an opening. One of the men moved to fnk Frank—

  Hugo didn’t hesitate. He surged forward, swinging the crowbar with both hands. The metal ected with the man’s knee, shattering it with a siing ch. The thug screamed, colpsing as Hught the crowbar down again, sileng him permaly.

  But the distra cost them. The remaining Encve soldier raised his gun and fired—

  Frank grunted, staggering back against the ter. Blood bloomed across his shirt.

  “No!” Hugo lu the attacker, smashing his crowbar into the man’s skull with a desperate, furious strike. The man crumpled, but outside, more footsteps pounded up the stairs. More were ing.

  Frank slumped against the ter, gripping his wound. “Dammit, kid… looks bad.”

  “Shut up, don’t say that.” Hugo grabbed him, trying to put pressure on the wound, but the old man shook his head.

  “Too te for me.” Frank’s grip tightened on Hugo’s arm. “Don’t let them take you. Make ‘em work for it.”

  The door burst open again.

  Hugo barely had time to react before something struck him hard across the temple. Stars exploded in his vision as he hit the floh hands yanked him up, f his arms behind his back.

  Through his blurred vision, he saw Frank raise his rifle o time, blood dripping from his lips.

  Then—

  A gunshot.

  Frank’s body crumpled.

  “No!” Hugo roared, struggling against his captors, but a heavy fist crashed into his jaw, sending him spiraling into darkness.

  The st thing he heard was the leader’s voice, low and satisfied.

  “Wele to the Encve.”

  Pain dragged him back to sciousness.

  Hugo’s head lolled forward, his skull throbbing like a war drum. A sharp, burning ache spread across his cheek where he had been struck. He was seated, arms bound tightly behind him. The rough scrape of rope dug into his wrists.

  Slowly, he lifted his head.

  The leader stood before him, rolling his shoulders like a man preparing for a long versation. The dim dlelight flickered, casting shadows along the cracked walls. Hugo was in another apartment, stripped of his ons, blood dried at the er of his mouth.

  The leader k down, leveling those cold blue eyes with him.

  “You went down faster than I expected,” he said smoothly. “I was hoping for a bit more of a fight.”

  Hugo worked his jaw, tasting co fuck yourself.”

  The leader chuckled. “See, that’s the problem. You still think you have options.”

  He reached to his side, pulled a knife from his belt, and twirled it zily. “I know you’ve been watg the city. I know you’ve seen how this world works now. A, you chose to make this difficult.”

  Hugo met his gaze without fling. “I choose not to be your bitch.”

  The leader exhaled through his nose, like a disappoieacher. Then, without warning, he drove the ko Hugo’s thigh.

  Hugo hissed, body jerking against the restraints as paihrough his leg.

  The leader leaned in close. “Let’s try this again,” he murmured. “Where’s my man?”

  Hugo ched his teeth, breath ing sharp through his nose.

  The leader twisted the bde.

  A choked sound escaped Hugo’s throat, but he refused to scream.

  The leader smiled. “Take your time. We have all night.”

  Hugo sucked in a ragged breath, gring up at him. His pulse pounded in his ears.

  He had to find a way out of this.

  Hugo worked his jaw, tasting copper. “How long was I out?”

  The leader smirked. “Does it matter?”

  Hugo’s gaze didn’t waver. “I’d like to know how much time your man knocked me out.”

  The leader chuckled, tapping his knife against Hugo’s thigh—the same leg he had stabbed before. “Why does it matter?”

  Hugo ched his teeth. “Figured I’d ask before you got bored and decided to slit my throat.”

  The leader’s grin widened. “You’re assuming I’ll get bored.”

  He twisted the knife slightly. Hugo inhaled sharply, but he refused to let the bastard see him break.

  The leader sighed. “You’re really not going to make this easy, are you?”

  Hugo lifted his defiantly. “Go fuck yourself.”

  The leader’s expression darkened.

  Then, without warning, he drove his fist into Hugo’s gut, knog the air from his lungs. As Hugo gasped, the leader leaned in close.

  “We’re just getting started.”

  Hugo let the pain wash over him, rolling his shoulders back against the chair. His breath came in short, trolled bursts. He wouldn’t let this bastard see him break.

  The leader stood back, flexing his fingers like he was deg where to hit .

  “I’ll tell you what,” he said casually, pag the room. “You give me something, and I’ll give you something. You tell me where my man is, and I’ll tell you how long you’ve been out.”

  Hugo exhaled slowly through his nose.

  He had two options: Lie or tell the truth. If they didn’t already know what had happeo the scout, they had no way to verify. But if he lied, and they found the truth ter, they’d kill him in a heartbeat.

  So he went with something iween.

  “He’s dead.”

  The leader stopped pag, tilting his head slightly. “How?”

  Hugo locked eyes with him. “He ran into something worse than us.”

  A flicker of i crossed the leader’s face. “Worse?”

  Hugo didn’t blink. “Mutants. Runners. Whatever the hell they are, they tore him apart.”

  For a moment, the leader studied him, like he was weighing whether or not to believe him. Then, surprisingly, he let out a soft chuckle. “Yeah. I figured something happeo him.” He shook his head. “Idiot was too cocky for his own good.”

  Hugo narrowed his eyes. “You don’t seem too broken up about it.”

  The leader gave a zy shrug. “He wasn’t the first. Won’t be the st.” He stepped closer, leaning down until their faces were nearly level. “But you, Hugo—you’re still alive. That makes you a whole lot more valuable.”

  Hugo refused to lean back. “So? I told you where your man is. Now tell me.”

  The leader smirked. “You were out for five minutes.”

  Hugo blinked. “Five minutes?”

  The leader chuckled at his surprise. “I don’t like to waste time.”

  Hugo ched his jaw. “If you were going to kill me, you would’ve do already.”

  The leader’s grin widened. “That’s the spirit.” He tapped the hilt of his knife against Hugo’s leg again, lightly this time. “But you’ve got it backward. I don’t o kill you. I o know what’s in that head of yours.”

  Hugo inhaled slowly. “You’re not getting shit from me.”

  The leader let out a dramatic sigh. “See, that’s what Frank said too.”

  Hugo stiffened.

  The leader watched him closely, looking for a crack.

  “Old bastard went out with some fire, I’ll give him that. But in the end?” He leaned in, voice l. “He still bled like anyone else.”

  Hugo’s fingers curled into fists behind the chair. A slow burn of fury crawled up his spihreatening to boil over.

  The leader studied his face, and for a moment, his smirk almost seemed amused. Like he enjoyed seeing how much he could push before Hugo snapped.

  Then, suddenly, he straightened, g his hands once. “Alright, enough of this bad forth. You’re smart enough to know your situation. You don’t have to die here, Hugo.”

  Hugo let out a sharp ugh. “A me guess. If I ‘cooperate,’ you’ll let me live?”

  The leader nodded. “Exactly. See? You cat quick.”

  Hugo gave him a hollow smile. “I’d rather take my ces with the dead.”

  The leader tsked, shaking his head. “That’s the wrong answer.”

  He raised the knife again—

  Then a knock at the door.

  One of the Encve soldiers stepped inside, helmet still on. “Sir, we o move soon. Too muoise.”

  The leader sighed, rolling his shoulders. “Yeah, yeah.” He turned back to Hugo, lips curling into a smirk. “Looks like you get a little more time to think about your options.”

  Hugo met his gaze with a defiant gre. “Go fuck yourself.”

  The leader just ughed. “Oh, I like you, Hugo. Let’s see if that attitude holds up tomorrow.”

  Theurned and walked out, leaving Hugo alone in the dark, tied to the chair, blood dripping from his mouth.