“The Mazikin held me on the bottom floor,” said Henry, staring up at the building with hatred. He was completely healed, but his face now bore the scars of his beating, the marks of torture.

“That’s where they’re holding Tegan,” said Jim, gripping the knife in his hand with white knuckles. “I saw them carry her in.”

Henry pointed to the lower patio, strewn with overturned beach chairs and chunks of rotted wood that had fallen from the collapsed deck above. “There, right? That’s the main entrance.” His arm swung to the right, and I followed the line of his finger to a corner window, busted out like all the others. “That’s where we can go in. There’s a bathroom down there, and no one’s guarding it. But it’s like a maze once you’re inside. A bunch of rooms, and they’ve got prisoners in every one. It’s like they’ve been collecting them. I could hear them crying the whole time I was in there.”

“How many Mazikin?” I asked. “Were you able to get a sense?”

“The one named Sil worked on me.” Henry grimaced. “Other than that, maybe a few dozen? Some in front of each room guarding those prisoners.”

“There may be fewer than that now,” said Malachi. “We terminated at least fifteen this evening. And two were arrested.”

Henry grunted. “Assuming they haven’t turned more in the past hour,” he said.

“They couldn’t have turned them all. It takes too long.” Even the thought of it made me shudder, though. Malachi scooted in a little closer, offering me the solid warmth of his body, the armor of his touch. This seemed possible—three of my Guards against a few dozen Mazikin was actually decent odds—if I could keep Sil busy. “I want you guys to get in there. Find a way to free their captives. Get to Tegan and get her out.”

I typed a text and sent it off, proud that my fingers didn’t tremble as I hit send. I’m here. Where do you want me?

Top floor street entrance open welcome lela girl

I clenched my teeth and stood up. “I’m going to go around the front. Give me two minutes. Then you go in. But be quiet. I’ll keep whoever’s up top with Sil occupied as long as I can. Text me when she’s safe, and come get me if I haven’t come down. Then we’ll burn it out.” I touched the tip of my finger to Malachi’s backpack, which held the deadly and powerful grenades that would blow this place into the next dimension. “With any luck, this will be it.” I raised my head and looked at each of them. “Kill all of them. We’ll clean up the stragglers tomorrow.”