I scooped the boy up under one arm, his small body surprisingly light.

“Luca, I’m coming back for you,” I said.

“Don’t be a fool,” Luca muttered, his eyes rolling back as he slumped against the pillar. “Get the kid out.”

I saw a narrow maintenance pipe to our left, its rusted grate hanging loose.

I kicked the metal screen aside and crawled inside, dragging Eli with me.

The space was tight, smelling of old iron and freezing runoff water.

Behind us, the door at the top of the stairs banged open again.

The beam of a high-powered flashlight swept across the slope where we had just been.

“Check the body!” a harsh voice barked from above.

“The boss wants the girl secured in the transport first,” another voice replied.

I held my breath, pressing my hand over Eli’s mouth.

His tears were warm against my palm.

Through the gap in the grate, I saw a mercenary kick Luca’s leg to check for movement.

Luca groaned, but he didn’t rise.

The mercenary spoke into his shoulder mic.

“One down, severely wounded. The target and the kid fled deeper into the service lines.”