Page 127 of Walking in Darkness

Chapter Forty

Pax

I’d spent most of my life stealing from the scum that wandered the earth. Pillaging what they had stolen. Money they’d attained through whatever vile, heinous crimes they preferred to commit. Feeding their wickedness into the population.

Drugs and prostitution.

Thieving and deceiving.

Exploiting the vulnerabilities of others to sustain their greed.

Had sworn to myself that I would only ever take from the ones who had taken, but I’d never imagined that it would come to this—and some things just had to be done for the greater good.

Besides, I doubted any of these businesses would remain standing for much longer if something wasn’t done.

If we didn’t find a way to intervene.

To stop the madness that had so clearly infiltrated the world.

There was just this vibe pervading reality.

A lawlessness that had merged with the oxygen. So distinct I could scent the evils that coursed through the atmosphere, wisping and winding as they sought to lay siege.

Dani flew into the nearly empty parking lot at warp speed, her little car tilting to the left as she curb-checked the back wheel. The tires skidded as she cut across the lot, not taking the time to follow the aisles.

I sat forward, and from over her right shoulder, I pointed at the narrow lane between two stores that would lead around to the back of the building. “Go in down the side right there.”

Dani jerked the steering wheel, and the car whipped to the right as she took it fast. She barreled between the two buildings, the thick gray bricks of the walls blurring by on each side.

The second she rounded the corner at the rear of the building, she skidded to a stop.

I threw open my door and jumped out. Timothy was quick to follow, slamming his door shut and rounding to the trunk.

I thumped my hand against the top of it.

Dani popped it, and I dug around on the right side, where I’d stuffed a crowbar I’d seen on a workbench in her garage.

I tossed it up, testing its weight.

“That going to be enough?” Speculation lifted Timothy’s brow.

“It’s gonna have to be.” I strode over to the door as I felt Aria climbing out from her side. Both she and Dani ran up on their toes like they needed to remain covert, when we were assuredly getting ready to let the whole fucking neighborhood know we were there.

Right at where the lock was located on the door, I stuffed the crowbar into the tiny gap between the doorjamb.

I pulled with everything I had.

Metal bit against metal, a high-pitched groaning that pierced through my head as I put all my weight into it, teeth gritting as I tried to break the fucking industrial lock.

Even in the cold of the winter morning, sweat instantly beaded on my forehead and slid down my back.

I kept trying to work it, moving it up and down the slot, throwing myself against it.

It didn’t budge.

Timothy jumped in and gripped the end of the rod. Grunts rocked out of each of us as we tried to force it open.

“Come on, man,” he said through clenched teeth. “We need to get this bastard open.”