The crackle of gunfire tore through the smoky haze as Zara pressed herself against a crumbling wall. Her pistol felt heavy in her hand, but she kept it steady, her eyes scanning the silhouettes moving through the chaos. The King's hunters were disoriented but not retreating; their precision and discipline made them dangerous even in confusion.
"Stay focused," Zara muttered to herself, taking a calming breath. She counted three distinct voices barking orders, but she couldn't tell if the leader was still among them.
The faint sound of Rowan's hurried steps fading toward the eastern ridge reassured her—he was making his escape. Now all she had to do was survive long enough to follow.
A shadow moved through the smoke, drawing closer. Zara raised her pistol, her finger hovering over the trigger. Just before she fired, a metallic clink sounded nearby. A grenade.
Without hesitation, Zara dove behind a chunk of debris as the explosion erupted. The shockwave rattled her, but her cover held firm. She bit back a curse and rolled to her feet, sprinting toward a narrow alleyway between the ruins.
The smoke began to clear, revealing two hunters closing in on her position. Their rifles gleamed under the faint glow of the rising sun. Zara ducked behind a column and drew her second pistol. With a swift, practiced motion, she fired two precise shots. One hunter went down, clutching his chest, while the other dived for cover.
"Flush her out!" the leader's voice boomed, echoing through the battlefield. Zara clenched her jaw. This wasn't the first time she'd faced overwhelming odds, but it was starting to feel like the clock was ticking against her.
She spotted a collapsed archway ahead. If she could reach it, she might have a chance to regroup. Holstering one pistol, she pulled out a smoke dart from her belt and launched it toward the hunters. The dart hissed as it emitted a fresh cloud of dense smoke.
Zara sprinted toward the archway, her boots kicking up dust as she ran. Bullets whizzed past her, one grazing her shoulder. Pain flared, but she didn't stop. She vaulted over a pile of rubble, sliding behind the arch's base just as another burst of gunfire peppered the area she'd vacated.
The sound of footsteps grew louder. The hunters were closing in fast. Zara checked her pistols—two bullets left in one, three in the other. Not great odds.
"Come out, Kincaid," the leader's voice called. "We know who you are. The King has plans for you."
Zara smirked despite the tension. "Plans, huh? Funny, so do I."
She pulled a flashbang from her pouch and lobbed it over the arch. The deafening bang and blinding light bought her a moment to move. Zara darted into the shadows of a nearby building, her mind racing.
The eastern ridge wasn't far, but the hunters were relentless. She needed to regroup with Rowan—and fast.
As she disappeared into the ruins, Zara silently vowed to turn the tables. They thought they were the predators. They were about to learn she was the deadliest prey.