Page 110 of Bleed the Shadows

My stance hadn’t won me any friends in school — and I’d lost the debate, although not on merit in my opinion — but Dimitri had taken me under his wing, had opened doors that would have been unimaginable if I’d stayed in my lane, as the kids liked to say, as the poor foster kid I’d been.

Movement near the brick building caught my eye and I watched as Maeve Haver emerged from the building, wearing a coat and holding her dog’s leash.

“Do you have the syringe?” I asked Anton.

He held it up. “Got it.”

I reached for the door. “Let’s go.”

71

MAEVE

My hair was still dampwhen I stepped outside with Ray, and I shivered and pulled up the hood of my coat as I led him down the old loading dock’s ramp.

I walked him over to the small patch of dead grass at the edge of the parking lot. It wasn’t ideal, and I wondered if I could get the Butchers to pull up some of the cracked asphalt and install more grass.

I took Ray for walks during the day but it would be nice — for both of us — to have a late-night pee spot close to the house.

Ray sniffed the dead grass with disappointment.

“Do me a favor and make it quick tonight, will you boy?” I begged. “We’ll go for more walks tomorrow, I promise.”

I stuffed my free hand in my pocket and sighed with relief as Ray started to pee.

Then movement caught my eye in the shadows at the edge of the parking lot.

My heartbeat kicked up a notch as I scanned the area. It was fenced, but just by chain-link. It’s not like someone couldn’t just climb it

But that wouldn’t make sense. Everyone in Blackwell Falls knew this was the Butcher’s place.

No one would dare.

I’d barely come to the conclusion when Ray started barking.

I felt movement behind me and turned as Ray went nuts, growling and pulling on the leash.

Everything happened so fast: a man in black, the blur of a face I almost recognized.

I tried to run but it was too late. Strong hands came around my waist, lifting me off the ground as Ray pulled loose, circling us, growling and snapping at the heels of the big man who’d grabbed me.

And then a second figure came into view, this one smaller, his face hidden in shadow.

“Do it for fuck’s sake, before she gets away.”

The voice… I recognized the voice.

Not just from his videos, the keynote speeches.

From the tunnels. The Hunt.

There was a pinch in my neck, a stinging and burning, and a second later, my legs went out from under me.

Ray’s lead slipped from my fingers as the man behind me tossed me over his shoulder.

Ray…

At least there was a fence. Ray would be okay. He’d be here when the Butchers got home.

It was my last coherent thought before another face swam into view, up close as I hung over the big man’s shoulders.

Ethan Todd.

“There you are.” He studied me for a few seconds before disappearing from view. My vision grew fuzzy around the edges, my head buzzing. “Call Igor. Make sure the plane’s ready to go.”

Everything went dark.