“I’m tired, I’m not at my best, and I don’t want to frame this wrong. I’m saying if you want out, you can be out. If you want in? If you want to check out the scene, get all the facts, have your say? I would welcome any input. I think we all would. We’re shaken up.”

“Yeah. Absolutely.”

I had to clear my throat. It still hurt.

“If you don’t want to look at the scene, if you want to give your opinion without knowing the whole why? You’ve earned that. It’s unfair but you’ve earned the right to be a little unfair. If you want to give that input, then yeah. I’ll listen. We’ll listen—the rest of Breakthrough, I think. Just… don’t be unfair about it and call it fair. I don’t think I’d be comfortable going this extra mile in any premeditated way if either you or the mayor said no.”

“You want me to sign off on murder?”

Put so bluntly, it was a heavy thing.

“Just… go upstairs? Or settle in down in the lobby, wait for ambulances and cleanup?”

“Or go,” she said.

“If you want,” I said.

I saw her expression, put myself in her shoes for a second, and then I frowned, hand going to my face, pushing hair away, momentarily covering my eyes. “I’m just realizing the situation I’m putting you in. You can’t go, because that’s the same as giving permission, because you heard one end of the conversation with the mayor.”

Natalie hunched her shoulders, hands in her pockets. “I’ll go up. Don’t worry about it. It’s been a shitty night.”

“Thank you.”

She headed inside, turning to where the stairwell was.

The wind changed direction. There hadn’t been anything falling from the sky or stirred by the air, but with the change, snow was whisked from precarious positions, and flurries stirred up.

“I might have to opt out,” Foil said.

“Okay,” I said.

“I love the kids, many of them, I really do, but the horrific stuff isn’t getting easier with time. You’re supposed to become numb to it, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know,” I said.

“I’m not becoming numb,” Foil said. “Each time’s harder than the last. I’m going to stay down here. Keep watch.”

“Okay. It makes me feel better to know we have someone watching out. Just remember you’re being targeted too.”

“I’ll be careful,” Foil said.

I nodded.

Precipice followed me inside.

The door shut behind us, and he put his hand on my shoulder to stop me. His mask glowed blue, the circuit pattern glowing in the unlit lobby. Similar circuits traced his miniature arms.

“What’s our next step?” he asked.

“Vista may have this in hand. It’s looking more like we might have to go after Cradle.”