to go. Better than falling down an elevator shaft or getting shanked in an alleyway.
How do I survive with no weapons, no backup, and no escape?
No one was coming for me. The only chance of surviving was to kill an innocent man.
I stared at the hole in the wall and thought about that long slide.
“This wasn’t in the brochure.” I yanked off my boots, hopped off the wolf, and braced myself for one hell of a climb.
Chapter 29
Wyatt packed up his laptop while Viktor sped to the auction house. He reached inside the glove compartment and swapped out his loose beanie for a black ski mask that belonged to Shepherd. It had a rectangular opening over the eyes and looked like something a serial killer would wear.
“What is all that?” Viktor asked, gesturing to Wyatt’s backpack.
“Do a U-turn in front. Go slow.” Wyatt put his hands on the dash, the ski mask in his grip. “I need a better look.”
Viktor slowly turned the wheel and then backed up. The headlights sprayed the brick wall and revolving door. Wyatt spotted the metal shutter behind it.
“Blast!” He flew back in his seat. “Pull over for a minute. I have an idea.”
“What is your plan?”
Wyatt raked back his hair. “They don’t usually hook up sensors to windows on the upper floors. I doubt they even have an alarm system with all the illegal activity going on inside.”
“And if they do?”
Wyatt looked at the open bag of weapons in the back. He didn’t like carrying weapons. The dead could be spiteful, and the last thing a Gravewalker wanted to do was kill someone. Wyatt had enough issues with random specters, but he sure as hellfire didn’t need a freshy with a grudge following him around for the rest of his mortal life. If they had money hidden somewhere, they might cut a deal with another Gravewalker and put a hit on him.
“I’ll worry about that later.” Wyatt pressed his nose to the glass and studied the taller building next door. They were crammed together like sardines. That was how city architects used to construct them in the old days. As he studied the windows, he realized it was an apartment building. A brunette woman with a messy bun on her head waddled down the steps and waited by a tree while her little white dog sniffed at a patch of grass.
Wyatt opened the door and looked back at Viktor. “Take your time following me. Act cool. I’ve got a plan.”
Hopping out of the vehicle, Wyatt reached deep down for that boyish charm that the ladies liked. After putting on his backpack, he stuffed the ski mask into his back pocket and rushed across the street. “Hurry up, Dad! We’re gonna be late for your party.” He smiled at the lady, who looked embarrassed when he glanced at her blue pajama bottoms covered in white crescent moons. But then she noticed his Pac-Man shirt, and Wyatt had found that people were put at ease by the simplest things.
He bent down and gave her little dog a scratch behind the ear. “My dad’s finally retiring from the force. Thirty years.”
“Congratulations to him.”
It was the best lie Wyatt could come up with considering Viktor was crossing the street with a gun on his hip. “SWAT team commander. His buddies are taking him out for drinks after the formal ceremony. I’ve got to get him in a suit and make sure he looks decent.”
She chuckled and gave Viktor a passing glance. “Isn’t that your mom’s job?”
“She died five years ago.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Wyatt stood and scratched behind his own ear. “It hasn’t been easy, and he turned into a workaholic. Most nights he doesn’t even go home, and when he does, it’s after midnight. Sorry—I talk a lot.”
“No, that’s okay.”
Viktor stepped over the curb and kept a straight face. He knew better than to speak and give away his accent until he could assess the situation.
“Come on. We have to hurry.” Wyatt tugged at Viktor’s sleeve and led them up the steps. “Nice meeting you!” he said over his shoulder.
“Have fun,” she replied cordially.
When they reached the door, Wyatt frowned at the key swipe. A lot of apartment buildings these days had access-control cards. He tested the door and glanced at the card swipe again.
“Search your pockets,” he murmured. Then louder, he said, “Where’s your key? Don’t tell me you left it