The darkness inside the wall smelled of damp concrete and old secrets.
I followed the woman blindly, my fingers brushing against the cold, rough stones of the narrow passage. My head was still swimming from the neuro blocker Isaac had injected into my arm, making every step feel like I was walking through thick, invisible mud.
"Stay close," the woman whispered. Her voice was like dry leaves skittering across pavement. "And whatever you do, do not touch the copper wires. Isaac has silent alarms wired into the masonry."
"Who... who are you?" I breathed, my heart thumping against my ribs. "And why are you helping me?"
The woman stopped for a heartbeat. In the faint sliver of moonlight filtering through a high ventilation grate, I saw a glimpse of her face. She was older, her skin etched w
