The road was broken into long cracks, and pieces of glass glittered beneath the headlights.
Yan Cijin looked at the mall.
"It really is abandoned."
"Mostly."
"Mostly?"
Bai Li nodded.
"There are signs of recent movement."
Yan Cijin looked again.
A shopping cart sat outside a side entrance.
Fresh scratches marked the concrete beside it.
Someone had dragged something heavy recently.
She frowned.
"So there are people."
"Maybe."
"And the voice knew our name."
"Yes."
"Are you concerned?"
Bai Li thought for a moment.
"No."
Yan Cijin smiled.
"That answer was too quick."
"I am not worried about people inside a mall."
"What are you worried about?"
Bai Li looked up at the green clouds.
"The thing above it."
Yan Cijin followed her gaze.
The spiral in the sky had grown larger.
A faint golden light pulsed at its center.
For a moment, it looked almost beautiful.
Then a distant crack of thunder rolled across the city.
The road beneath the motorcycle trembled.
