Chapter 67

MAD HATED CITIES. Perhaps it had been her tumultuous upbringing bouncing from one urban orphanage to another, or perhaps the memories of Frigidum's barren landscapes were still too fresh, but the tall and tightly-clustered buildings made her skin crawl. Malleus was small as cities went (though Mad's reference points were admittedly limited), but there were still enough shadowy corners and slightly ajar windows to make an assassin's job (and Mad's lifespan) much shorter.

"The ODCC has two points of entry," Rich said, striding purposefully beside Mad. Idle bits of trash fluttered along the sidewalk and in the road, but nobody troubled Mad and her team. In fact, Mad hadn't seen any pedestrians whatsoever after crossing into the city limits.

"The main entrance," Rich continued, "and the ventilation system. Going through the main entrance would require more firepower than we have on hand, so I'll recommend the vents."