Luyten. They must have come down the river, maybe underwater.
She heard Alfe calling her name, spotted him ten feet away, weaving in the tightly packed mob. He shouted something, but she couldn’t make it out.
The crowd carried her across River Street, up a steep cobbled road. When they reached Bay Street there was more space to move. Her heart racing, Lila jogged up Whitaker, watching for starfish, expecting one to appear behind her at any moment.
“Lila!”
It was Alfe, pressed against the First Citizens Bank building up ahead. Lila ran to join him.
“We have to hide,” she said.
“That won’t do any good. They’ll know right where we are.”
She grabbed Alfe’s wrist. “Remember when you saw them by that lake? They’ll know, but two people aren’t worth chasing.”
They ran into the bank. It was deserted, save for three or four employees, one of them armed, and an elderly couple. It was less a bank now, more an exchange center, where people swapped gold, gems, ammo, anything that still had value.
“They’re coming!” Alfe shouted.
“Why didn’t the siren sound?” a woman in a blue and white business tunic asked. She looked to be in charge, was beautiful in a way that made Lila think of mannequins.
“I don’t know,” Alfe said.
Outside, someone shrieked. Crowds were still running past.
Lila looked around for a place to hide. Somewhere tight, where Luyten couldn’t easily reach. An inner room, or better yet, if there were stairs leading down into a cellar … or a vault.
“Does this bank have a vault?” she asked.
“A vault?” the beautiful woman repeated.
“Come on,” Lila said. Alfe followed her behind the row of teller stations, down a wide hallway. It was an old bank—it might have one of those vaults full of safe-deposit boxes.
“There,” Alfe said. She’d been looking for a big, round opening, but it was a narrow, heavy door.
They waited by the entrance to see if the others were following. Two of the employees appeared, the old couple a dozen steps behind them. A moment later, the woman in charge followed.
“It won’t lock,” Alfe said, pointing at the edge of the heavy door, where the bolts had been soldered in place. They pulled the door closed as far as it would go. Despite lacking a lock, being in the small steel room in near darkness gave Lila a sense of safety. She and Alfe sat on the floor with their backs against the far wall. The others sat as well.
They waited, listening.
“Anya, shouldn’t we run?” the armed employee, a muscular guy in his thirties, asked the woman in charge. “We can’t hide from them.”
“They can’t hunt down every person in every building,” Lila answered. “They kill people as fast as they can, so they’ll go after crowds in the streets.” If one of the starfish did want to get to them, Lila had no doubt it could. She’d seen them squeeze through smaller spaces than the double doors of this bank.
“But if they’re here, they won’t ever leave. Once they take over the city they can take their time coming to get us.”
Lila hadn’t thought beyond the next few hours. “Once they move past us, I guess we head out of the city.”
“To where?” the old man asked, trying to control the panic in his voice.
There was a crash, out in the lobby. It sounded like a table of trade goods being upended.
“Shh,” Alfe hissed.
All of them looked toward the door. It knew where they were. In a few seconds that door would fly open, and it would kill them all. Lila pulled her legs to her chest. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Alfe’s Adam’s apple bob.
Muffled shouts erupted outside. The voices sounded surprised, alarmed, angry. Not terrified. They didn’t sound like people being killed.
“What’s going on?” Anya asked, her voice low.
“Maybe it’s more people looking to hide.” Alfe got to his feet, opened the door wider. “This way,” he called.
“Who is that?” It was a woman’s voice. Footsteps
She heard Alfe calling her name, spotted him ten feet away, weaving in the tightly packed mob. He shouted something, but she couldn’t make it out.
The crowd carried her across River Street, up a steep cobbled road. When they reached Bay Street there was more space to move. Her heart racing, Lila jogged up Whitaker, watching for starfish, expecting one to appear behind her at any moment.
“Lila!”
It was Alfe, pressed against the First Citizens Bank building up ahead. Lila ran to join him.
“We have to hide,” she said.
“That won’t do any good. They’ll know right where we are.”
She grabbed Alfe’s wrist. “Remember when you saw them by that lake? They’ll know, but two people aren’t worth chasing.”
They ran into the bank. It was deserted, save for three or four employees, one of them armed, and an elderly couple. It was less a bank now, more an exchange center, where people swapped gold, gems, ammo, anything that still had value.
“They’re coming!” Alfe shouted.
“Why didn’t the siren sound?” a woman in a blue and white business tunic asked. She looked to be in charge, was beautiful in a way that made Lila think of mannequins.
“I don’t know,” Alfe said.
Outside, someone shrieked. Crowds were still running past.
Lila looked around for a place to hide. Somewhere tight, where Luyten couldn’t easily reach. An inner room, or better yet, if there were stairs leading down into a cellar … or a vault.
“Does this bank have a vault?” she asked.
“A vault?” the beautiful woman repeated.
“Come on,” Lila said. Alfe followed her behind the row of teller stations, down a wide hallway. It was an old bank—it might have one of those vaults full of safe-deposit boxes.
“There,” Alfe said. She’d been looking for a big, round opening, but it was a narrow, heavy door.
They waited by the entrance to see if the others were following. Two of the employees appeared, the old couple a dozen steps behind them. A moment later, the woman in charge followed.
“It won’t lock,” Alfe said, pointing at the edge of the heavy door, where the bolts had been soldered in place. They pulled the door closed as far as it would go. Despite lacking a lock, being in the small steel room in near darkness gave Lila a sense of safety. She and Alfe sat on the floor with their backs against the far wall. The others sat as well.
They waited, listening.
“Anya, shouldn’t we run?” the armed employee, a muscular guy in his thirties, asked the woman in charge. “We can’t hide from them.”
“They can’t hunt down every person in every building,” Lila answered. “They kill people as fast as they can, so they’ll go after crowds in the streets.” If one of the starfish did want to get to them, Lila had no doubt it could. She’d seen them squeeze through smaller spaces than the double doors of this bank.
“But if they’re here, they won’t ever leave. Once they take over the city they can take their time coming to get us.”
Lila hadn’t thought beyond the next few hours. “Once they move past us, I guess we head out of the city.”
“To where?” the old man asked, trying to control the panic in his voice.
There was a crash, out in the lobby. It sounded like a table of trade goods being upended.
“Shh,” Alfe hissed.
All of them looked toward the door. It knew where they were. In a few seconds that door would fly open, and it would kill them all. Lila pulled her legs to her chest. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Alfe’s Adam’s apple bob.
Muffled shouts erupted outside. The voices sounded surprised, alarmed, angry. Not terrified. They didn’t sound like people being killed.
“What’s going on?” Anya asked, her voice low.
“Maybe it’s more people looking to hide.” Alfe got to his feet, opened the door wider. “This way,” he called.
“Who is that?” It was a woman’s voice. Footsteps
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