The red dot pulsed once more—then vanished.
I didn't wait for confirmation.
"Down!" I yelled, grabbing Camille by the shoulder and yanking her to the dirt. My other arm locked around Evelyn, pulling her down as I twisted to cover her with my body.
Then the jungle cracked open.
A burst tore through the clearing—sound and pressure colliding like a thunderclap wrapped in broken metal. Heat washed over us, not fire, but concussive force. Leaves shredded in the air. Shrapnel peppered the edges of the overhang. A vine next to me exploded into pulp.
It was shot meant to handicap individuals, but without a doubt it had more than enough power to kill someone.
Smoke bled through the vines like ink in water. My ears rang. Evelyn's breath caught in her throat beneath me. Camille gritted her teeth and hissed through the pain.
Above the ringing, a voice cut in—amplified, mechanical, commanding:
"MOVE. NOW."
"Flush tactic," 3830 shouted over the chaos. "They want us scrambling!"
