I follow a little ways behind Jasper, stopping when he ducks behind a graffiti-splattered wall.
For a second back there, I was starting to think the farm part of the rogue's territory was kind of cute. But now that we've crossed the line from dirt to cement everything seems different.
The buildings are straight out of a post-apocalyptic disaster film.
Where am I? District 13?
Windows are missing, with jagged, ice-berg-shaped shards sticking out from their frames. The walls are dark with age, cracked by weeds spurting between the bricks, and covered in some pretty uninspired graffiti.
"What is that smell?"
There's an indistinct odor coming from inside the buildings. A mix of scents that I don't recognize. It's like mixing paints in art class.
Eventually they all mingle together to create an indistinguishable shade of brown.
This must be what it smells like when wolves of different packs come together. The various scents become one pungent mess.
"Reminds me of the subway," I say, chuckling to myself.
Rounding a corner, I watch as Jasper sprints across an open cement courtyard.
I'm about to chase after him when I hear a voice.
"Wanna play again?" They sound like a teenager. Are there kids here?
I turn and peek over the edge of a splintering windowsill.
Inside the warehouse, there are rows of tents, laundry hanging on strings along the walls, and a fire burning in a rusted oil can.
The first person I see is a man wandering at the far end of the room.
He's too far away to be the owner of the voice and way too old. A few tents down a woman is lying asleep on a bare mattress. Not her either.
But these people don't look like the rogues I'm familiar with. They look more like the homeless people you see around Manhattan than the crazed wolf who tried to take a chunk out of my shoulder.
Then it dawns on me. The tents are faded, the clothes on the laundry line have holes and stains. This isn't a bustling city or a den of criminal activity. It's more like a human refugee camp.
"Your turn, Cassie."
I hear the voice again.
"I dealt last time, I always deal," a girl–Cassie–replies.
I rise higher onto my toes, straining to peer over the windowsill. A guy and a girl are sitting on the floor beneath me. They're about my age with matted hair and pale, sunken cheeks. They're skinny and dirty, but they're grinning, slapping cards determinedly into a pile.
"Snap!" Cassie yells, slamming her hand on top of the pile.
My grip on the windowsill slips and I stumble backward.
"What was that?" the guy says.
"Probably just those guys over in the grain silo, they've been holed up in there for weeks."
"Those guys are jerks," the boy says.
Breathing a quick sigh, I look around and realize I can't see Jasper anymore.
I hunt for his scent, widening my nostrils, and finally, find it leading in the direction of a building in the distance. There's a tank attached to the side with a slide-like pipe connecting it to a hole in the roof. Scrawled in red spray paint on the side wall is an image just like Troy described.
A wolf and a lightning bolt.
I hurry in the direction of Jasper's scent, trying to stay low.
I cross the open expanse of concrete, and reach the building but notice a dark shape out of the corner of my eye. My curiosity takes over. I turn away from the open sliding door and press my back against the cinder-block wall, edging my way to the corner.
I peer around the corner being careful in case someone is waiting there. Luckily, there aren't any wolves hanging around but there is a fancy car parked next to the silo. It's a black town car, with black-out windows and shiny silver hubcaps that scream wealthy New York businessman.
What is a car like that doing in a place like this?
A metallic bang sends panic shockwaves fizzing up my spine. I turn back to see the large door, my way in, has been slammed shut. The lock thuds into place.
I don't think I've been spotted. But I have no idea how I'm going to get inside. And Jasper has just been locked in.
Behind the car is a wrought iron fire escape, climbing the side of the building to a door on the second floor.
With one last glance behind me, I tiptoe my way to the stairs.
They creak a little as I climb but they seem sturdy enough.
It's hard to keep my legs from shaking as I reach the door. I gently turn the handle and have to lean my full weight against it to get it to budge.
But I exhale with relief when it swings open.
I step inside and onto a metal walkway, running in a square around the outside wall of a tall open space.
Above me, there's a panel in the ceiling, where grain, or whatever, used to pour through from the silo. Now the only thing pouring in is sunlight. My eyes have to adjust to the dimness but when they do I spot her. On the other side of the warehouse, Aisha is slumped on the floor, leaning against a beam with her hands tied behind her.
I slap a hand over my mouth so my involuntary gasp doesn't attract attention. Because Aisha isn't the only person here. Right beneath me is a man.
This guy looks like he's been in a bar fight or two. Tanned, muscular arms jut out from a denim jacket with the sleeves torn off. The Rogue City emblem is tattooed on his right shoulder. Across from him another guy in a leather jacket is sitting on a chair cracking peanuts from their shells.
I kneel so as not to be seen and I look around wondering if there are more of them.
There has to be more of them, right? And where is Jasper? It's hard to make out his scent here with the stank of rogues and the yeasty stench of the warehouse.
I turn my attention back to Aisha. She's slumped on the ground, with a bruise in the right corner of her mouth and a small bloodstain on her jeans. Her head is drooped against her chest, and her eyes closed like she's sleeping.
As if she can sense me, she rolls her head to the side and opens one eye drowsily.
She's still alive, at least.
"Hey boys!" a gruff voice calls out from the shadows. The other two perk up. "The boss is here."
A tower of a man lumbers into view. His legs are thick like logs, threatening to tear through the seams of his faded jeans. His white t-shirt is covered in stains and a scar runs down the side of his face. Scarface? My heart jumps into my throat at the sight of the knife attached to his belt. That thing looks more like a machete.
"Where is he then?" the peanut shucking guy responds.
"He's waiting in the car," Scarface says. "Wants us to bring out the girl."
"Has he got the money?" the guy with the tattoo says. I lean away from the edge of the walkway as Scarface turns to his associate.
"He wants to see the girl first."
"That wasn't the deal," Tattoo groans, rubbing his eyes. "Let me talk to him."
He crosses the room and Scarface follows as he heads outside.
Whoever their 'boss' is, he must be out in that town car.
Now it's just Peanut left with Aisha. Or maybe not. There's movement in the shadows behind her.
Like a total ninja-badass, Jasper emerges directly behind Aisha. He crouches down and while Peanut is distracted, Jasper elongates one of his claws and slices through the rope holding her in place.
Aisha lifts her head, opening her eyes groggily, and Jasper places a hand on her arm. Her eyes pop open and her body goes rigid. She's awake!
And she knows we've come to rescue her.
Jasper leans close to Aisha and whispers in her ear. I don't know what he says but she nods, subtly enough not to draw attention to herself.
Then brandishing some tool in his hand––a wrench or a spanner, I'm not sure, I never took shop class––Jasper rises and approaches Peanut from behind.
I know what he's about to do! He lifts the wrench above his head and gets ready to knock the dick out.
But, before he can strike, Tattoo and Scarface reappear.
I lean forward hoping he'll hear their footsteps but he's too focused on his target. Jasper is about to be found out! And he's crazy out-numbered!
I know I have to do something, so I jump up, my feet landing heavily on the metal walkway. "Jasper, watch out!"
Everyone's eyes shoot in my direction. I'm not sure who is more shocked to see me. Peanut, Aisha, or Jasper.
"What the…?" Scarface says.
"They stink the same as her," Tattoo says. "They're from the Elite Pack!"
Peanut growls and spins around, swiping a claw at Jasper who jumps backward.
Scarface and Tattoo come running and I hop about, not knowing what to do. Have I just made everything worse? Jasper is down there with the three of them and I'm up here being completely useless.
"Up there!" Peanut shouts, gesturing at me, and before I know what's happening Tattoo has me in his sights. He leaps into the air, clutching onto a beam and scaling the structure like a professional free runner.
He lands heavily a few feet away from me and grins. His teeth are yellow.
"I'm going to rip you in half," he says.
"Max!" Jasper yells. It looks like he's about to attempt his own Spider-man-like feat, but he's intercepted by Scarface.
Geez, how tall is that guy? Even Jasper looks tiny next to him.
He pulls the blade from its holster and swings at Jasper. I want to keep watching to make sure he's okay but I have a big rogue problem of my own.
"I bet you bleed real nice," Tattoo says, taking a step toward me.
"Actually, I've never been very good with blood," I say, almost tripping backward.
I wish I had time to shift. As a wolf, I might stand a chance against this guy. But if I shift, he'll shift, and I have a feeling his wolf could swallow me whole.
"Oh I don't know, you look pretty ripe to me," he taunts.
I glance back to the floor below hoping Jasper might be on his way to save me. But he has his hands full taking on both Scarface and Peanut.
He jumps into the air, spinning, and delivers a fly kick to Peanut's face.
Scarface is on him as soon as he lands and he has to duck and roll to avoid being sliced in half.
Aisha is on her feet too now and, much to his surprise, she leaps on Peanut's back, plunging her fangs into his neck. He screams but I have to turn my attention back to the snarling rogue advancing on me.
"You're going to feel so much pain," he says, punching a fist into his open palm. "And I'm going to enjoy every second of it."
He charges at me. I scream and slam my eyes shut, bracing for the impact. But it doesn't come. Instead, I hear a pained howl and open my eyes to find Tattoo clutching the knife that's lodged in his thigh.
"You little shit!"
On the ground, Jasper is standing with his arm outstretched, having just thrown Scarface's blade with pin-point precision, levelling my attacker.
"Get away from him," Jasper yells.
Tattoo groans as he rises to his feet. I turn and run.
There's a ladder on the far side of the room and if I can just make it down I can join Jasper and Aisha and maybe we can make a run for it.
Aisha grunts as she hits the floor. Peanut has managed to throw her off his back. "Take this bitch!" he says and delivers a swift kick to her side.
Whatever advantage Jasper had on Scarface is gone. I wince at the cracking sound that echoes off the walls, as Scarface's fist smashes into Jasper's cheek.
Not the face!
At the ladder, I find my footing and I'm halfway down when a rough hand grabs my wrist. Tattoo is leaning over the ledge, holding me so tight I worry my hand might pop off.
Behind me, Aisha cries out in pain. Peanut drives his foot into her ribcage again and again. Jasper is in my periphery trapped in a headlock.
This rescue is a disaster and it's all my fault.
My fingers are ripped from the metal bars as Tattoo lifts me into the air. He holds me above his head bringing our faces level.
"Got you now, little mutt. Shame I'm going to have to put you down."
I'm dangling above the concrete floor, kicking my legs about frantically. In my thrashing, I notice the knife still sticking out of Tattoo's leg. A wet patch of blood has seeped into the denim of his jeans.
"Hey," I say. "The vet called. They're going to have to amputate!"
I set my jaw and kick. My foot makes contact with the knife and Tattoo screams in pain.
His grip loosens and my wrist slips free. And then I'm falling. I flail my arms about as if I can swim through the air.
I brace for impact but luckily, my fall is cushioned. I crash down on top of two bodies. Somehow Jasper, still trapped in a headlock, has managed to get himself and the rogue wrapped around his neck, beneath me. The three of us tumble to the ground in a pile.
The shock of my arrival is enough for Jasper to escape the python-like arms of Scarface and we scramble to our feet.
Jasper dives for Peanut, tackling him to the ground, while I rush to Aisha, pulling her up.
"Are you okay?"
"I can walk," she says.
There's a spine-bending crack as Jasper slams Peanut's head against the concrete, knocking him out cold.
"Whoa," I say.
"That way…" Jasper says, pointing to the open door.
Scarface is still getting to his feet, and Tattoo is only halfway down the ladder. We have less than a second until they're on top of us.
"...NOW!!"
He doesn't have to tell me twice. I take Aisha's hand and we run for our lives. Jasper arrives on Aisha's free side and together the three of us burst out of the warehouse into the sun.
From inside comes the spine-tingling sounds of bones cracking and muscles tearing.
"They're shifting," I say. "They can run faster as wolves."
"She's too weak to shift," Jasper says, glancing at Aisha. "We have to make it on foot!"
"Okay." I nod. "Let's go!"
Jasper slings Aisha's arm over his shoulder and in one fluid motion lifts her into his arms.
For a split second, I look to my left and notice the black town car is no longer parked beneath the silo. Where has it gone?
There's no point thinking about that now, not when there are two massive, supremely pissed-off rogues chasing us.
"Hurry!" I scream and we race back toward the car, the two rogues right behind us.
Before I know it we've left the industrial bombsite behind and are sprinting between two rows of orange trees.
"We're nearly there!" I say as the clump of trees where we parked comes into view. But the rogues are gaining speed.
"We're not out of the woods just yet," Jasper says, accelerating.
I match his space, somehow able to keep up. I thought this speedster gig was a blue moon-specific skill but apparently, I've still got it.
"Get in!" Jasper says, as soon as we reach the car. He opens the back door and places Aisha inside. I hurry to the passenger side and dive in.
We pull out and the rogues appear in the dusty path ahead of us.
Jasper grips the wheel and pushes down hard on the gas.
"Hold on!" he says.
His eyes are fully black as he plows forward. I glance from him back to the rogues who aren't backing down. It's the life-or-death game of chicken I imagined!
Jasper's muscles are tense and he's not breathing, he isn't going to stop.
An inch from collision the rogues bail out. They dive out of our way, but one of them is not quite in time. There's a bang and a crack as the front bumper makes contact with one of their back legs. I watch as he flips and lands awkwardly in a row of cabbages.
We careen off the path, throwing up a trail of dust, and glide back onto the road. I flop back in my seat, wiping the sweat from my brow.
"That was close," I say.
I turn back one last time and the rogues are gone, left back behind the horizon. Aisha is also staring out the back window making sure we put enough distance between us and them.
When we're safe she turns to me and I take her hand.
"We made it," I say, unable to contain the burst of laughter erupting from my soul. Aisha smiles and laughs right back at me.
"You did it!" she says, beaming but still holding her most-likely broken ribs.
I leave my arm stretched out behind me so I can keep hold of Aisha––I need constant physical contact––and glance at Jasper.
He's quiet, eyes fixed on the road.
"Jasper, we did it," I say, wishing he would at least crack a smile.
"What were you thinking?" he says. "You could have gotten us all killed."
"I wanted to help."
"Well, you didn't! You put everyone in danger, including yourself. I told you to stay in the car."
"I thought…" "No, Max. You didn't think. You never do."
I shrink back into my seat as we drive on in silence. It's going to be a long journey home.