I shook my head, hoping I was projecting the correct amount of terror. “It looked like a monster.”

Foster’s eyes darted back and forth. Finally, he seemed to decide. “We’re not here just to monitor you. Miles thought… he thought there was a chance someone might make an attempt on your life.”

“Someone?”

“Myrddin.”

“What? Why now? There were plenty of chances before.”

Foster looked away.

“Holy shit. For talking to the Taskforce. That motherfucker used me as bait?” I said, outraged.

“Wasn’t my idea, didn’t like it from the start.” Foster said, looking guilty as hell.

I held my silence as the creature slammed against the door. “It doesn’t matter. Pointing fingers isn’t going to help anyone. How—” the door exploded inward nearly a third of the way, throwing me to the ground. I scrambled to my feet and rammed my shoulder against it, wincing. “How do we get out of this?”

Foster’s brow furrowed. “Send for help, barricade the door and try to get to the penthouse elevator.”

I pulled up the social UI and sent a message to the landlord, then to Kinsley. The second message didn’t go through. I glared at Foster, furious. “Why are you jamming me?”

Foster looked bewildered. “I’m not. I’m just a civilian. Cook was the User, and the one running squelch.”

I swore. “Cook’s still alive.”

The lights cut out, replaced by an eerie red strobe. A voice spoke through a crackly intercom that echoed throughout the building.

We are under attack. The designated authorities have been contacted. All civilians are to lock themselves in their rooms until the danger has passed. Do not answer the door for anyone.

“Cook being alive changes things.” I locked eyes with Foster. “You’re sure I’m the target?”

“Miles was.”

I ran through the scenario in my mind. “Okay. Who’s in the building right now?”

“Hawkins and Waller. Miles is running overwatch on an adjacent building.”

“You have a way to contact them?” I asked.

Foster held up a walkie.

I nodded. “Tell them to met us on the Penthouse floor. It’s defensible, and the elevator requires a card swipe. One entrance, and one exit. Cook is still alive for the moment, but Myrddin doesn’t like loose ends. If we just rabbit, he’ll finish the job.”

“We don’t have the firepower to fight Myrddin on our own.” Foster shouted back.

“True. Which is why we’re not going to fight him. If this works, we get Cook out. But we need that monster out of the way. I’m guessing it’s a summon or something along those lines. I glanced at the gun in his hands. “How good of a shot are you?”

“Best you’ve ever seen.”

“Then I’m casting the line.” I pulled my hoodie over my head and wrapped it around my arm. Foster’s eyes widened in understanding.

Then he smiled grimly. “If we survive this, I’m never letting Cook hear the end of it.”

Thump, Thump, Thump—

Timing it perfectly, Foster swung the door open. Then slammed it shut again after a dark mutt, more hyena than dog, charged through, strands of drool hanging from its mouth. Talia skidded on the slick surface as she tried to course correct, giving the vague impression of a cartoon character attempting to sprint on ice.

She gained traction and charged me, barking and snapping. I held my wrapped arm out like a shield and Talia sunk her teeth into the thick material, the rest of her ramming into me, knocking me to the ground.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

”Do it.” Talia confirmed.

I strained against her, getting a hand around her throat and, with all my strength, shoved her upward.

A half dozen gunshots rang out in groupings of two. Blood spattered my face as Talia slumped, and I struggled to shove her limp form off me.

Foster had fallen into a crouch, still bracing against the door, the muzzle of his 1911 smoking. I stared at my fallen summon’s body. All six shots had landed in a tight grouping at the base of Talia’s skull.

A voice spoke, muffled, from outside the door. “First, you and the Oshkosh reject kick me out of the merchant’s guild. Then you narc on me to the Taskforce. And now you’ve killed my dog. Never liked you much, Matt, but this is a cut above.”

Foster aimed carefully and positioning himself away from any potential ricochet, and fired his remaining rounds through the door. The high caliber rounds punched through the door like it was tissue paper.

“Close.” Azure chuckled. Then his voice took on a dark malevolence. “Check on that boyfriend lately, Foster?

Foster’s professional stoicism was obliterated in a split-second. ”What the hell?” Foster mouthed, panic in his eyes.

“Kyle wanted to stay in, eat takeout, watch Fiddler on the Roof for the fiftieth time—but you went to play super cop, and left him all alone. Bad move.”

Foster ejected the magazine and reloaded, his expression livid. I caught his gun arm before he could unload the entire magazine into the wall.

“Remember the profile. Myrddin’s highly manipulative. He’s done his homework, and now he’s screwing with you. Trying to knock you off balance.” I mouthed, the words barely more than a whisper.

“What if he isn’t?” Foster whispered back, eyes darting back and forth.

“Ninety-percent sure it’s bullshit. Either way, we won’t know until we get Cook to drop squelch. You can message Kyle then. Go. I’ll meet you at the elevator.”

“Are you sure?” Foster looked uncertain. He’d been charged to protect me, and now I was advising him to put me in harms way.

“He’s probably a hell of a lot stronger than me, but I have a few tricks up my sleeve.” Reaching in my inventory, I withdrew a cylinder filled with golden liquid from my inventory, showing it to him, then replacing it. “I’ll be fine. Just get Cook out of harm’s way.”

We traded places. I braced my back against the door and drew watching as Foster bounded up the platforms and entered the suspended octagon, scaling the fence and clearing the railing in a feat of jaw-dropping athleticism.

“Getting bored, Matt.” Azure crooned. “You’re cornered. Either one of you opens the door, or I slice open the fed and kill you both.”

I retreated to the center of the room, nocking an arrow. A few moments later, the door swung open, and Azure stepped in and closed the door behind him. He was wearing the Allfather’s Mask, along with my Eldritch armor.

I loosed an arrow, and it struck the wall next to him. Azure fired several bolts around the room, none of them coming anywhere close to me. Then threw out bags that emitted a foul smelling smoke that filled the room. Then he knelt down next to the door. His hand dissipated into shadow. “He’s dragging Cook towards the elevator. We’re clear.”

We moved quickly. As Azure laid out bolts on the floor, I resummoned Talia, sweat trickling down my brow. Once Talia had reemerged in her silver wolf form, I glanced at her apologetically. “Are you alright?”

“That was… unpleasant.” Talia growled.

“Yeah. You took one for the team.”

“Considering what you are about to put yourself through, I cannot complain.” Talia watched me with concern.

I pointed to the door, “Get moving. Make sure no one sees you until it’s time.”

“Be careful, pup.”

Azure opened the door for her, and Talia slipped through. I knelt over the laid out bolts, casting on each of them.

“You had to bring the boyfriend up?” I murmured, keeping my focus on bolts. A single mistake here could easily kill me.

“Like you said,” Azure shrugged. “Gloves off.”

“Guess I did.”

I finished casting the spell on every bolt.

“There may be a problem.” Azure said, hesitantly.

“What?” I whipped my head around to face him. He shifted his weight back and forth, projecting nervousness. “Spit it out, we’re already taking too long.”

“You feel differently to me than other Users. I thought it was our bond. There’s a certain resonance—“

“Azure!”

“I felt it again, when I was phasing through the lobby. A presence, similar to yours.”

My blood went cold as I slowly connected the dots. “Another unique class?”

“My suspicion as well. I couldn’t locate them, though my senses are dulled in my etherial form. It’s possible a third party is taking advantage of this situation.”

“Fuck!” I kicked Foster’s ejected magazine, sending it skittering across the floor. Then I looked at Azure. “Don’t break character unless I tell you.”

Azure bit his lip. “This plan already puts you in danger. Adding an unknown variable—”

“Stay on target. I mean it. We either push through this, or we die.”

The violet message notification light pinged in my vision, flickering as scores of messages came in. We were out of squelch range and almost everyone in my circle had reached out to me, though I was missing some context from previous messages that couldn’t be delivered. Mom and Iris were hunkered down in their room. Even Estrada had messaged.

The only person missing from the list was Ellison.

I shot him a message.

Of course, he didn’t answer.