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had forgotten. He smiled sheepishly as he slipped a couple of shells into the rifle’s receiver and picked up his pack as if it were a suitcase.
    Activating the light attached to his shotgun, Capelli followed the pale blob through a zigzagging passageway until he came upon a wooden ladder. It slanted up through a dark hole, and the angle was such that Rowdy could climb it. The dog was already halfway up the crudely built structure by the time Capelli arrived.
    Wood creaked as Capelli stepped aboard, and it gave slightly as he made his way upwards. Cool night air greeted him as the light from the shotgun splashed the underside of a slab of concrete. From there he had to get down on his hands and knees and crawl through a short tunnel to the spot where the bartender, his son, and Rowdy had escaped into the darkness beyond. The light was a potential liability, so Capelli paused to turn it off,and took the opportunity to listen. The air was chilly, hinting at things to come.
    Capelli heard something rattle behind him. It was Locke, and Capelli wished that the big man could move more quietly. He took note of the fact that the sound of gunfire could no longer be heard. It seemed that one side or the other had won. Capelli would have put his money on the stinks.
    Shotgun at the ready, he eased his way out onto what had been a ramp and froze. A little bit of light shone from the street beyond. When Locke appeared, Capelli held a finger to his lips and began to slide along the sloping wall. He found a corner at the bottom, just inside the big doorway, a good place to hide while he looked outside.
    It was a horrible scene.
    A bonfire blazed in the middle of the street. But the Chimera
liked
cold air, so it wasn’t for the heat. They were cooking with it. Half a dozen human bodies had been dragged into the circle of flickering firelight, where they were being systematically butchered and eaten. The axes made a thunking sound as they rose and fell. Was the blond waitress among the victims? Capelli hoped not. “Follow me. And be quiet,” he whispered to Locke. “Or they’ll have us for dinner too.”
    Locke looked ill. But he managed a nod and followed Capelli out onto the sidewalk. The ruins of the parking garage were at the very edge of the firelight’s reach. Moving stealthily, the men were able to slip from shadow to shadow, steadily putting distance between the stinks and themselves.
    The Chimera were ghastly silhouettes by then, gathered around the leaping flames, gnawing on human flesh. Capelli had seen a lot of horrible things during his days as a Sentinel but nothing worse than the scene in the middle of Rose Avenue.
    It was a clear night, and the stars were out, leaving just enough light to navigate by as they sought to put the stinks behind them. Moving carefully, Capelli led Locke east about a quarter of a mile until the taller buildings began to thin out. Then he was faced with the usual conundrum. Should they find a place to hole up because it was dangerous to travel at night? Or should they keep going because it was dangerous to travel during the day?
    That’s a tough one
, the voice in Capelli’s head said unsympathetically.
If you make the wrong decision you could wind up like me—which is to say dead!
    Shut up, Hale
.
    That’s shut up “sir” to you
, the voice responded sternly.
Because I’m an officer. Or was, until you blew my brains out
.
    You were changing
, Capelli countered, for what might have been the thousandth time.
    You could have taken your concerns to the Major, or to Dr. Malikov
, the voice said accusingly,
but you didn’t. Why was that, Capelli? Was it because you were afraid I would turn into something like Daedalus? Or was it because you’re an insubordinate sonofabitch who can’t take orders?
    Screw you
.
    Peals of laughter echoed inside Capelli’s head. The laughter faded away as he heard the familiar click of claws and Rowdy materialized out of the gloom. He was panting and he