"Are you sure you 't stay any longer?" Ava asked, gng at her son sleeping in the er. "I thought you would wait until Adam woke up. Maybe after what you have done and with me here, he won't attack."

  Leo sighed, thanking the Void that the others at least left the room so that he and Ava could speak alohey didn't o be here for this, Holden in particur.

  "Maybe you are right, but I 't stay, at least not now. I’ve already overstayed my wele," Leo raised a hand to stop the woman from cutting in. "I know, I probably shouldn't care, but Holden and I made a deal. The least I do is not antagonize him more than necessary. And besides, I have work to finish if I want to e back fast."

  "When?" Ava murmured.

  "I'm fast, and Holden only wants me to check two pces. I easily be back before nighttime if all goes well."

  "Does it ever?" The woman frowned, and Leo uood her well at that moment.

  He shook his head. "No. No, it doesn't... But I promise you will see me before the night es. I o talk to the little menace properly after all," Leo finished with a small smile.

  Not eveing her gaze from Adam, Ava whispered, "Will Holden even allow it? I know he is good and eveer at keeping people anized, but it also makes him quite paranoid."

  Leo nodded. "Paranoid is good, especially now. Not that it ges anything. If I want to return here, I will. I know that, and Holdeoo. He isn't stupid."

  Despite saying that, Leo couldn't help but remember that Holden took four of his own to meet with him even after Dyn — and most likely Tyler — told the man what he was capable of. A very risky pn that could have cost them lives if Holden or his group itted fully to eliminating him.

  So either Dyn is an eveer speaker than I expected, or Holden is desperate to take a risk like that. Why though? Leo shook his head, putting those thoughts away for ter.

  "I hope you are right," Ava finally responded, her eyes growing a bit misty once more. "We need you, Leo. I don't care what you bee or what you do, but we need you. Adam and I might be safe here, and I'm grateful for Holden's help, but I see how everyos around me."

  She looked him right in the eyes. "They are scared, wary, some even ht aggressive. And it only gets worse with each day. I barely go into the main building without having gres thrown in my dire." Ava chuckled bitterly. "And you know what's the worst? I 't evehem because I would do the same if it was mine and Adam's life at risk."

  Leo almost growled, g his fists. Ava might have been a bit bitchy in the past, and they didn't always get along, but not on his life did he see her so defeated. It hurt, it bloody hurt to see her like that, ahanked whoever was listening that no one else could withis.

  If only you were here, Nick...

  "Don't worry about aher than yourself and Adam. I already told Holden what would happen if you two were harmed in any way here," Leo expined, giving the woman a slight grin. "I got you, and sooner or ter, we will fix this mess. And then... then we get the hell away from here if you two prefer that. Maybe even find a different group..."

  "Lily?" Ava asked softly, and Leo just nodded without a word. "Do you think... Do you think you stop by my parents' house? I o know."

  Leo swallowed but nodded again. It would take him a bit off course from where he was supposed to go, but he couldn't really deny this request. Everyone deserved to know what fate had befallen their loved ones.

  "I will stop by the area on the way back," he firmed, just in case. "If there is anyone else you wao che, just let me know. There must be more people out there, struggling, and I always direct them here."

  "No," Ava shook her head. "Just my parents and brother. I'm aware they are probably gone, but my mind just won't give up until I know for sure."

  I know the feeling. Leo sighed and turowards the door. "I should go. I still want to get some Voidlings for Adam before I go bato the city, and with almost half of the daylight gone, I don't have much time to work with."

  At first, Ava didn't say anything, but in a move that probably surprised them both, the woman closed the distaween them and hugged him. Leo stiffened instantly, the close, physical tact almost alien at this point.

  Yet, before Ava could back out, Leo returhe embrace as best as he could. It was awkward and unfortable, but he wouldn't give it up for anything.

  "Please," Ava muttered. "Just stay safe, Leo."

  Closing his eyes, he smiled.

  "I will."

  "Until ime, d," Dyn chuckled, extending a handshake. "I'm gd this entire mess worked out in the end."

  Taking the offered limb, Leo snorted, "'Worked out' might be stretg it, but yeah, I suppose it weer than I expected. A pleasant surprise, all things sidered."

  "Aye," Dyn nodded, stepping away. "Take care out there."

  "I will. Until then, Dyn," Leo smiled ahe man behind, only to stop o the exit where Holden was already waiting.

  "e on then, Hale," the gruff man opehe door. "I will walk you out. There are a few more things I want to talk with you about."

  Leed and followed after the man, a shiver going through his body as he stepped through the exit. When he first ehe Safe Zone, he didn't feel a thing, and while it didn't hurt now, the protes around this pce definitely aowledged him leaving.

  Unfortable, but nothing I 't handle. Gd to have a firmation...

  Still following after Holdeepped bato the forest behind the Safe Zohey walked for another few minutes until they reached the same clearing from before. Only then did the other man stop and break the silence.

  "Do you remember the path my people were supposed to take to reach the mall?"

  Obvious things out of the way first? Alright then. Leo nodded. "I do. Is there anything else you wao do on the way there? If I'm going to pass almost through the ey anyway, then there is no reason to waste the opportunity."

  "Apart from taking a closer look at the police station, it won't be necessary," Holden shook his head lightly. "However, if you happen upon any medical supplies, we will be grateful to have them. You ever have too much of those."

  On that we agree. Leo hummed. "Will do... Now, if you don't mind, I would like to know if there will be any problems with letting me ba when I return."

  "No," the man winced as if it hurt him to say that. "Whenever you want to get inside, cover yourself like you did before and kno the door. I will have someorust on guard all day."

  "Good," Leo grunted. "If there is nothing else, I'm gonna go. Got a long trip ahead of me."

  "Hold on," Holden grimaced, raising his hand. If before, he looked like it hurt him to give Leo free access to the Safe Zone, now the man appeared like he wao be anywhere but here. "There is one more thing. Something I couldn't mention with others around."

  Iing... Leo noted, and even Huarted paying attention, pausing its withdrawal into his mind.

  "The Safe Zone, or rather the barrier proteg it," Holden began. "It's slowly failing. As it is now, it will barely hold for another few days. And that's a rough estimate given by the System."

  Leo froze, eyes growing a bit wide. Of all the things he expected Holden to say, this was not even on the list. Shit... So he is desperate...

  "Why?" He asked simply.

  Holden's posture slumped, his cold-as-stone expression breaking.

  "When I and my first group ed up this pce, the System gave me an offer," the man shook his head lightly. "It would create a temporary Safe Zohout initial cost for the price of giving me a job that I ever ge."

  So that's how the Safe Zone came to be. Doesn't expin the problem, though...

  As if listening to Leo's thoughts, Holden tinued. "All in all, the job is good for someone who lead, so I 't really pin. That it gave me the power to manage and create Safe Zones iure was just another plus... Unfortunately, thanks to my new job, I realized what exactly a temporary Safe Zone means."

  "An expiration date," Leo stated the obvious.

  "Yes and no," Holden scoffed. "The first two days, we were fine. But as soon as the sed Cataclysm hit, I was informed that if I didn't sustain the barrier with Ether, it would soon fail."

  In hindsight, that makes sense. Leo admitted. "How much?"

  "When it first asked, it was fifty Ether to keep it up for another day," the man expined. "With each day, it needs more, and my job already told me that tomorrow I will o pay another four hundred. Not a small sum, yet one I pay thanks to others in my group transferriher to me."

  You traher? That's a new one... Whatever, I ask about it ter. Leo shook his head. "I sense a but there."

  "Aye," Holden sighed deeply. "Each temporary Safe Zone has something called Stability. Ours is at about thirty pert, and even if I get the necessary Ether each day, Stability will run out in three or four days at the rate it is going down."

  "Fuck!" Leo growled, the bloodlust inside him fring just a bit. "And there is no way to fix it?"

  "No. And trust me, Hale. I tried to find a way, but there were none. Ohe Stability runs out, it is the end of the road. I don't think I o tell you what will happen then."

  No, you definitely don't. Leo scowled, walking from left tht. Surviving the day shouldn't be that hard, especially in this area. But ohe night came? Yeah, he didn't even want to imagine how quickly the Nightmares would find such a rge group, if they didn't already.

  "So what now?" Leo gred at the older man. "You wouldn't be tellihis if you didn't have a solution. Hell, this is probably the only reason why you even came to meet me today."

  Holden nodded, not even moved by Leo's accusation. "Indeed, but I don't think it really matters now, does it?"

  "No... it doesn't."

  "That's what I thought..." Holden snorted. "Listen, Hale. As I said, my job also allows me to create new Safe Zones and not necessarily temporary o that. Of course, it isn't as simple as going to a random pd setting one up, at least not yet."

  "That's why I have my assassins running around the city. So they find ahat maybe bee a Safe Zone." Here, Holden grimaced. "We found a few that have the potential, but there are some plications..."

  I think I know where it's going. Leo frowned. "They are s, aren't they?"

  Holden dipped his head. "Not ting the y o us that 't bee a Safe Zone, we found two more s to this day. There is also the Tainted Wastend, but sidering where it is situated, I doubt it bee what we want."

  "So let me guess. As a st resort, you wao help clear one of the other s. Why seo the mall then?"

  Holden looked him straight in the eyes. "Because, Hale, if a pce is judged worthy by the System, it bee a Safe Zooo. And all this without risking my people inside a ."

  Leo narrowed his eyes. "And what makes you think the System will judge the mall worthy?"

  "Possible supplies, a rge amount of space, and the building's quality in the past. This is what I think made our current Safe Zone a worthy didate. Will it be the same for the mall? I don't know, but this is why my assassihere."

  "And why won't you just send more people to check it? Why risk it with me?"

  "Because I 't, Hale! Not if I want to keep this barrier active for now," Holden scowled. "Those two aren't the first ones I lost and probably won't be the st... But if I have you do their job better and faster while letting me sustain the Safe Zohen so be it. Besides," the man gave Leo a wry smile, "you are right. If all fails, then I need your help with the s..."

  Leo couldn't help it; he ughed. "Then I suppose I better get to work."