She was still frightfully amateur when it came to processing link data, but she tried to think hard about what it felt like when Samm and Heron had entered Afa’s compound, trying to truly read the emotion behind it. All of it seemed to be coming from Samm and Heron, not the attackers. That meant the ambushers were either human or Partials wearing gas masks—a common tactic when Partials fought one another. Kira stayed still, listening, trying to figure out where each person was. The generator had been turned off, or outright destroyed, which meant that one of the attackers was there; Afa’s screen had shattered, too, which meant one of the attackers had been somewhere with a clean shot at it. That would likely be two rows to her right, though whether they were in front of her or behind her, she didn’t know. Had Afa been shot as well? She felt something in the link about a wounded comrade, but she didn’t know who or where.

Someone moved to her left: friend or foe? She couldn’t tell; she listened to the footsteps, trying to tell which direction they were moving, and heard the unmistakable squelch of water. A wet boot, but whose? Unless they’d come in from the roof, the invaders would have shoes just as wet as Samm’s and Heron’s. Possibly wetter, since they’d been in the water more recently. That could be a clue in and of itself, but without more information, Kira had no way of knowing. She reached for her own boots, slowly easing them off, never making a sound. Her wet socks followed, leaving her barefoot. She’d be the only one in the room who didn’t squeak and squelch as she walked.

Another flash of link data cascaded through her mind—THEY’VE FOUND ME—followed seconds later by another burst of gunfire. There was another sound behind it, like a gunshot but different. Kira couldn’t tell what it was, but the gunfire stopped and a body fell heavily to the ground; Kira estimated it was about ten yards away, behind and to her left. She felt the sudden, confusing sensation of being sleepy and not sleepy at the same time, and interpreted it as another message from the link: One of her companions had been drugged or sedated. The not-quite-gunshot she’d heard had been a tranquilizer dart.

That means they’re not trying to kill us, thought Kira. Who wants to capture us? Dr. Morgan? But how does she know where we are?