[Ethan's POV]
The alleys of Sector 4 were a labyrinth of broken concrete, rotting garbage, and suffocating darkness.
I pulled Claire around a sharp corner, my boots splashing through a deep puddle of stagnant water. Behind us, the shouts of the Lupii thugs echoed off the brick walls, accompanied by the sweeping, erratic beams of their flashlights. They knew the terrain better than we did. They were hunting in their own backyard.
"Keep your head down," I hissed, pressing Claire against the cold, wet brick of a narrow alcove.
I peeked around the edge. Two men were jogging down the main thoroughfare, sweeping their lights across the doorways. One of them was holding a heavy, short-barreled shotgun.
...
Flashback - Sixteen Months Ago
The rain in upstate New York was freezing, turning the Aegis Solutions tactical training ground into a sea of mud.
