Dark Matters - Michelle Diener Page 0,80

forces through facial recognition. It had been one of the main reasons most United Council Coalition members had done away with lenses in public places.

Except this time, the strategy was working to help him. And Lucy.

He shrugged it off. There was nothing he could do to stop Bane, anyway. And the thinking system was working with them.

For now, said a voice in his head.

The group passed them.

They had remained as silent as he and Lucy as they'd gone by, but he could hear them murmuring just within earshot, arguing whether he and Lucy were Grihan.

As long as they weren't sure, that worked for him and he and Lucy were already approaching the next intersection.

“Which way?” Lucy whispered.

“Right again,” Bane said. The square is--”

“I can hear it.” The sound rose and fell like the roar of the sea and after a few more steps, a glow of light bloomed out from behind buildings, a beacon in the darkened streets.

“Doesn't sound very calm over there.” Lucy shifted beside him and he dropped his arm from her shoulders, his hand going to his shockgun.

“No.”

With luck they could avoid the square, go through the front of the military headquarters, on the side that opened out to the top of the cliffs.

The buildings they passed were mostly dark, or if there were lights on in some of the apartments, they were behind thick screens, and leaked only the smallest amount of illumination.

He steered Lucy into the middle of the street, away from the dark recesses created by the shape of the buildings and the even deeper shadows of the narrow streets and alleyways that ran beside each one.

The sound of feet pounding toward them from behind had him spinning around, shoving Lucy so his body shielded hers.

The Tecran came at them in a silent attack, something long and slim held over his head as a weapon.

Dray shot him, the flash of the shockgun fire bright in the dark street.

The Tecran went down with a cry, the first sound he'd made.

“Let's go.” Dray spun back, caught Lucy's hand and ran.

He saw her glance back, and then lengthen her stride. “There are others.”

“I know.” He'd seen the movement just before he'd shot their attacker.

They'd been waiting in the pockets of darkness.

Whether specifically for him and Lucy, or for whoever came along who didn't look like they fit in, he didn't have the time or inclination to ask.

He reached back with his shockgun, took another shot.

He wasn't able to aim, but he heard a cry of pain anyway, which meant he'd gotten lucky.

When he checked again, he saw at least two of their attackers had stopped to help the injured. The shockgun he'd taken from Bane's armory was capable of the most precise fine tuning he'd ever seen, and he'd set it to incapacitate but not kill, even if the person he shot was wearing protective clothing.

There were still three attackers racing toward them, though.

“What's going on?” Bane's voice came through his earpiece and Dray realized he'd forgotten all about him.

“Under attack.” He was back in the zone, he realized. He'd be enjoying this if Lucy wasn't beside him, in danger. “We need to get to the square, or even better, the military headquarters on the cliff side.”

“Is it the military attacking?”

“We don't know.” Lucy's voice came out as a gasp. She was trying to keep up with him, and he slowed his pace to keep in step with her. Aimed another shot over his shoulder to keep their attackers back.

“It looks like the front headquarters entrance is blocked by a group of protesters. Who might not be protesters at all.” Bane sounded grim. “In fact, I recognize a number of them as part of the Tecran military teams.”

“It'd be a good way to make sure no one can go in or out without the military's cooperation.” It was clever, Dray had to admit. Clever and effective. He slowed a little more as Lucy stumbled. “We'll have to go in the back way through the square.”

They were nearly there, anyway.

As they came in line with a street leading straight into the square, he caught sight of the wild crowd, illuminated by flashing lights.

Lucy stumbled again, this time in shock at the sight in front of her.

“Come on, they're catching up.” Dray could see the determination in the three attackers who were following them.

He'd hurt their friends, and they were determined now to get him.

He tugged her by the hand, and she nodded and began running again, as fast