Patricia

The eastern perimeter was quiet, almost eerily so. Too quiet. My senses were on full alert, every fiber of my being scanning for the faintest disturbance.

I crouched behind the reinforced wall of the secondary barrier, eyes tracking the shadows that moved in unnatural patterns. Whoever—or whatever—was out there was skilled, careful. This wasn’t a random attack; this was a calculated approach.

I activated the thermal sensors, and faint heat signatures appeared—three ...