Chapter 12

I gasped for breath and jammed my fingers into the pain to help ease it.

Traffic had picked up from the exodus of people from Avalon Street, but the walk signal at the next intersection was in our favor. We ran across.

A large parking garage loomed up to the left just before the next intersection. I thought we were going to run right past it, but at the last second, Ryan pulled me between the ticket window and the orange and white barrier. We ran through the maze of concrete and steel, car windows flashing by under the glare of the dirty yellow lights stuck to the ceiling. The dank air filled my lungs with its chill, and every gasping breath shook me with cold hands.

A wall of elevators stood behind a long row of parked cars. We ran towards them.

I smashed my thumb against an up button, then leaned against the cinder block wall and tried to catch my breath. "Why did Era send the guards after me?"