Read Online Shifting Fates by Nadia Simonenko, Aubrey Rose - Free Book Online Page B

over again, a brick shatters the glass of a nearby shop and ruins our quiet, uneventful stroll through Harlem. A thin, almost emaciated looking boy with black hair dives out through the broken window with a bag of looted goods, and he immediately spots us and darts off down the street.
    Before I can say anything, the Delta platoon chases after him.
    I shout for them to stop and come to attention, but they ignore me. This is why Delta is the worst platoon to get stuck with: because I could beat them over the head with my orders and they still wouldn't listen to me. The Harlem Sector's all but abandoned—who cares what the boy stole? Looting doesn't matter anymore, but these morons are still chasing after him.
    And this is how we all end up dead, my inner cynic chimes in, and I shake my head in disgust as I chase after my wayward soldiers.
    The boy darts like an arrow down the street much faster than I'd expected given his bag of loot, and he’s easily outpacing my troops. I ain't the fastest guy in town myself, and I'm not going to be able to keep up with these idiots for much longer. I've always been more of the strongman type, better suited for barreling over things than dodging them. It made me a great linebacker in football, but it sure ain't helping me much today.
    The boy ducks behind a dumpster and then darts to the left down an alley as the Delta soldiers run straight past him. The only one who notices is Private Briggs, and he breaks rank and disappears down the alley after the boy. Great. Now I have to choose between Briggs and the rest of my troops. I hate this platoon so much.
    I choose Briggs. The others can take care of themselves, and even if they can't… well, I'll probably kill them for this when I next see them anyway.
    The Harlem Sector was bombed twice during the war, and the wind's blown a decade's worth of thick, gray ash into the alleyway. The boy may be faster than I am, but there's no way he's going to shake me now since I can follow his footprints as clear as day. Briggs is getting winded, too, and I'm slowly making up ground on him.
    The footprints veer to the right at the end of the alley and back out onto 157th Street again, and I sprint down the street after Briggs, who is just turning down the next alley over. I leap over an abandoned pair of shoes in the middle of the sidewalk and then do a double-take as I suddenly realize there's something very wrong with the footprints.
    They’re not human anymore.
    The familiar oblong shape is gone, replaced instead by the pads of an enormous cat. That skinny little boy is a fucking shifter… no wonder I can’t keep up with him.
    My brain can't decide whether to scream in terror or laugh in delight, and it eventually settles on a grim, silent excitement. This is my chance. I'm finally going to put a bullet into one of the monsters that killed Ben.
    A single gunshot echoes through the street, followed close behind by the sound of someone screaming in pain. While I’m standing here getting all excited, Briggs is becoming that monster’s lunch.
    I pull out my pistol and sprint for the next alley. Major Harkut’s voice crackles through my radio, but I ain’t stopping to answer him now.
    The first thing I see as I turn the corner is the enormous leopard sinking its teeth into Brigg’s throat as he screams. No… scream ain’t the right word anymore. The noise he’s making’s closer to a choked gurgle now, and I’m surprised at just how strongly the sound turns my stomach.
    The second thing I see is the girl from the Christmas food line, and it’s as if time suddenly stops around me. I recognize the brown, hooded brown coat, the tuft of dark hair flitting out from beneath the oversized hood, the sleeves so long they cover all but her fingertips... my gorgeous little thief stands frozen in place as she stares in horror at the carnage, and if she doesn’t run for it, she’s going to be next on the menu.
    “Jones? Report in, Jones!” The Major’s