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Marc’s smile faded and he glanced at his brother. “Zeke got snatched by a monster. He was twelve. He made it, but…”

I saw a terrible darkness flit through Marc’s eyes. It had to have been hard on Zeke and on Marc.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on my bro,” Marc said. “He’ll do everything he can to save those boys.”

I glanced at North again. “Is North okay?”

Marc blew out a breath. “When it’s kids, it’s tough on him.” He leaned in closer, keeping his voice low. “On an early mission, he rescued a boy. A teenager. A monster had torn the kid up really badly, and the boy was terrified. North did everything he could, but…the kid didn’t make it.”

“Oh.” I glanced back at North. His jaw was so tight it looked like granite, and I wanted to touch him, comfort him.

I curled my fingers into my palm.

He wasn’t mine to touch or comfort. We were colleagues. Squad mates. We couldn’t be more than that, no matter how good the sex was.

I was here to be a member of Hunter Squad. I was going to expand my monster research. I’d promised my dad on his deathbed that I’d do this, and live to the fullest.

He’d been so proud of my work.

“You can see New Sydney below us.”

I startled and looked at North. He tilted his head toward the window.

I shifted over and looked out.Oh.

Ruined buildings filled the landscape below us. Just ahead lay what remained of the city center. There were still some skyscrapers standing, while others were in tatters. One section of the city was different. It was surrounded by a sturdy, metal wall. The streets were clear of debris, and the buildings were lower and looked newer. One looked grander than the others, with a domed roof. I assumed this was the rebuilt center of New Sydney.

Then the Sydney Harbor Bridge came into view. It was broken, the two sides no longer meeting over the water.

Wait. I leaned closer to the window. There were workers on the structure. A large crane was set up on the northern side.

“They’re rebuilding the bridge?”

“Yeah,” Jameson said. “It’s the main access across the harbor north and south. Right now, people have to fly or take a boat across. Plus, it’s also a symbol. That things can be rebuilt.”

My gaze drifted over the water of the harbor as it stretched eastward toward the ocean. Then, the city center was gone, and there were more ruined suburbs below. Every now and then, I’d spot a lone building that seemed untouched by the chaos.

We continued north, and soon we moved over a dense spread of trees. Ahead was a large river.

“This was all national park,” North said. “And that’s the Hawkesbury River.”

“We took down some monsters hanging in the river last year,” Marc said. “They kept stealing cattle from a nearby town. They were holed up in the rusted shipwreck of an old Australian Navy ship from the 1900s.”

The Talon changed directions, following a smaller tributary of the larger river.

“St. Albans ahead,” Colbie said.

“Jameson,” Sasha’s voice came clearly over the comm line. “The town leader is waiting for you, her name is Danielle. Along with her head of security, Garth. They’ll meet you on arrival.”

A small, walled township nestled beside the curve of a river came into view. The land around it was hilly, and quite pretty; green and lush. Some smaller, walled enclosures sat outside the town proper, and I realized that they were for livestock.

A group of people was waiting outside the gates for us. Several guards stood nearby, weapons in hand. The Talon descended and landed.

I followed the others off the aircraft. A woman with steel-gray hair stepped forward. She looked like she was in her mid-sixties, and her gaze shone with sharp intelligence.

“Hunter Squad, I’m St. Albans town leader Danielle Fraser.”

“I’m Jameson Steele.” Jameson shook the woman’s hand. “Tell us everything, so we can get started.”