“I should be at the station with you.”

“Your team is working here, and it’s important that you stay with them.”

Something else under the words. “You don’t expect to come through this.”

Burke hesitated. “Our odds have greatly improved with Nathan Wolfgard being with us at the station. And I wouldn’t have told men to bring their families to a place I thought would be destroyed. But if something should happen and I’m no longer fit for duty, I want a ranking officer who the Others trust to be able to step up and take command.”

“The station’s chief isn’t going to promote me over men who have been working here longer,” Monty protested.

“This isn’t about seniority, Monty. It’s about survival.”

A crack of thunder made them jump.

Burke held out his hand. “Good luck, Lieutenant.”

Monty took Burke’s hand and held on tight for a moment. “Good luck, sir.”

He stood in the doorway and watched Burke lumber across the paved area and disappear around the corner to the employee parking lot, where he must have left his car. Then Monty forced the door closed and leaned against it. If he dashed over to the efficiency apartments to look in on Lizzy, would he stir up the children when his mother would have them settled?

He heard footsteps and voices and the rustle of raingear.

The Gresh family smiled at him. “We’re on the Meat-n-Greens team,” Mrs. Gresh said.

“Better hurry.” Monty held the door for them and noticed Kowalski hurrying to catch up.

“Any orders, Lieutenant?” Kowalski asked.

“Stay in touch and keep everyone inside. Wait for the all clear before you go out.”

“Yes, sir. You’ll be staying here?”

“Yes.” Having contact with Simon and Vlad was prudent. And if Lizzy did need him, he’d have a better chance of reaching the apartments from the back door of A Little Bite than from the Market Square.

“Michael is staying here. So is Pete Denby.”

“We’re covered. Now, get going.”

Kowalski ran.

Bloody and terrible, Burke had said. He would pray none of the men he knew would face the bloody and terrible—but he didn’t think that particular prayer would be answered today.

•••

Tess watched the black sedan drive out of the Courtyard and waited a minute before she unlocked the front door of the Liaison’s Office and stepped outside, pulling up the tight-fitting hood that hid her face and all but two coils of black hair.

“Not a day to be outside,” Nyx said.