Page 41 of Hunted in the Shadows
Cliff nodded. “It was a few years ago… A short while after you ditched us, actually—” This he aimed at Gwen, whose eyes went wide with outrage.
“That’s not what—I didn’t mean—” Gwen started.
“Don’t interrupt. So we got looped into this hunt with a couple of cleaners looking to kill this prowler,” Cliff went on, turning his attention between Hannah and I. “These things need to be burned to keep them from reanimating. Simple enough, but these guys—Rhett and Jameson—they wanted extra hands. Especially Rhett. Turns out his friendly attitude was all because he found a client willing to pay for anything he could salvage.”
“He didn’t bother to tell us he was after the prowler’s eyes because he didn’t want to split the payout,” Jon said, pushing a hand through his hair. “So when the time came to burn the corpse, he said he’d handle it. Instead, he tried to knock us out and ran off with the head to remove the eyes. Next thing we knew, the body was back on its feet and slashing its way toward us."
Cliff shook his head. “He was pissed when we got the upper hand—looked like he wanted to kill us both then and there. But he was smart enough to know we'd cave his chest in if he tried it.”
“Andthat’swho’s in charge now?” I asked, looking at Gwen in alarm.
She rubbed between her eyes again, giving a half-hearted shrug. “Money talks. He brought along updated security and some new systems that are helping the outpost make bank. That’s what rubbed me the wrong way—it isn’t about targeting the monsters causing the most bloodshed anymore. It’s all about collecting what's most valuable.”
Hannah shuddered. “That doesn’t sound like any place you need to be,” she told Gwen pleadingly.
“I know what I’m doing. I’ll just get them as far as they need. As much as I try to be a heartless bitch, I'm still a work in progress.” She shared a chuckle with Hannah, interlacing their fingers together. “Hey—you wouldn’t want your new customers to bite it before they have a chance to pay you, right?”
Hannah kissed the back of Gwen's hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “Text me every five minutes, you hear me? And at least finish your breakfast before you head out.”
I looked between the muffins and fresh fruit laid out on the table. Anxiety had suddenly ruined any appetite I'd had. But this venture was absolutely necessary—we needed that silver.
Cliff idly watched Gwen, who picked at her omelet meticulously. He lifted his eyebrows, shooting Hannah a humorless smile. “She likes her eggs scrambled, by the way.”
Gwen stood, jabbing her finger at the door. “Out. You’re eating on the porch, asshole.”
9
Jon
“Do me a favor andpleasetell your sidekick to stop staring at me,” Gwen snapped from the backseat.
Sylvia scrambled off my headrest and perched by the window. “Does she have to sit right behind you?” she grumbled. “What if she pulls a weapon?”
“You don’t have to worry,” I said, not bothering to lower my voice. “If she wanted to off me, she’d want to watch the life leave my eyes.”
“I’m more interested in thesoundyou’d make, actually,” Gwen replied dryly.
Sylvia huffed, fidgeting as she turned her gaze outside.
The marsh was different in the daylight, though very little sun could penetrate the fronds and the moss. The crowded trees and mucky paths were familiar in ways I preferred to forget. I’d slogged through this mud when I was barely eighteen, secondhand clothes hanging off my lanky frame while a veteran hunter barked at me to keep up. Their damn monopoly on quality silver brought us back to their door dozens of times over the years, but unshakeable heaviness always rose within me. Tammy may have spent a lot of time in these parts, but most other outposts didn’t carry the same unsettling reputation.
My eyes fell back to Sylvia at the thought of Tammy, and I was almost relieved to hear Gwen behind us again.
“Slow down here—see that sign on the tree?” Gwen asked.
A metal plate drilled into the bark declared:PRIVATE RESEARCH FACILITY. TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED.
“Yeah. One of the guide marks,” Cliff said.
She shook her head. “It’s got a new layer of security. See that trip wire up ahead? Releases toxic mist.”
Cliff scoffed in disbelief. “Oh, so they’re melting civilians for wandering too close these days? Can’t say I’m surprised, with that asshole in charge.”
“It’s harmless to humans,” Gwen said too casually. “But it’s a cocktail of silver, bronze, and iron. If you take the car over the tripwire, the bulk of the fumes will come through the A/C.”
Sylvia kept her face pointed toward the window, seemingly calm, but I could see her reflection. Her eyes were wide, lips slightly parted at the imagined horror of her flesh bubbling and melting away.
I resisted the urge to coddle her with an assurance that she was safe. It would be a lie, anyway. She should have stayed behind at the shop. “Any way around?” I asked Gwen.
