Hime hurried to apply a final bandage as Caledonia stood to follow Oran. Pisces’s orders could be heard throughout the ship and almost before they’d arrived on the main deck, the crew had the aft starboard bow boat ready to go.

“Ready to drop!” Pisces shouted the instant Caledonia hoisted herself over the rail and into the small vessel.

Oran landed beside her. Caledonia spared a moment to give him a disapproving look. “Has Hime seen your hand?”

“She will,” he promised. “After.”

Caledonia frowned, but the boat was already descending, rushing toward the water below, where it landed with a jarring slap. Oran winced as he reflexively braced a hand against the lip of the boat, and Caledonia’s frown turned into a glare. The engine roared and they rushed ahead, aiming for a dock where a similar bow boat paused to let Tassos and Cepheus disembark.

Apart from Lir firing directly on the Holster, the town had been largely untouched by the battle. The harbor was lined with buildings that looked remarkably similar, each one built of concrete walls with tall doors that rolled up like mouths. Three main thoroughfares led up the hill to town, each dug deep into the ground with high, narrow sidewalks on either side. Here, the streets were empty. Every available Bullet had joined the battle, and the rest of the Holster’s residents were farther inland.

Tassos chewed up the road with his steps. His shoulders were hunched, and his dark red braid swung behind him. Cepheus had to jog to keep pace with the man, her whip bouncing at her thigh. By the time Caledonia, Pisces, and Oran had boots on the ground, Tassos and Cepheus had followed three Bullets to the southernmost road and were two blocks ahead.

“Tassos!” Caledonia called when they had closed half the distance between them.

Tassos paid no attention, but continued to climb with angry, hurried steps.

“I could shoot him,” Pisces offered, pausing as Caledonia came to a stop. “That would stop him.”

“Redtooth would be proud of that suggestion,” Caledonia answered.

“But she would have been serious about it,” Oran added.

“Who says I’m not?” Pisces raised an eyebrow.

“Tassos, if you don’t stop right now, I’ll blow your ship out of the water!” Caledonia shouted.

At this, Tassos stopped, then spun around on his heel and moved just as quickly toward Caledonia. His eyes were narrowed and dark, and at his sides his fists swung like anvils.

The soft pop of Pisces pulling her gun from its holster sounded just behind Caledonia. On her other side, metal whispered against metal as Oran instinctively tried to make fists.

“Where are you going?” Caledonia demanded. “We agreed to enter the city together. After the initial sweep.”