The City Was Already on a Timer

Elias found Grace and Mia behind a deserted ice cream truck two streets inland, where the crowd had spilled into the service lanes after the harbor exits jammed. Grace had a shard cut across her forearm, but she barely noticed it. She had both arms around Mia as if letting go would make the girl disappear. “Move with me,” Elias said. Grace stared at him. “Police told everyone to evacuate east. That side is fully blocked.” “Exactly.” He kept his voice low. “Somebody wants everyone funneled into one route.” She looked at him for a beat too long. “You know what this is?” “I know somebody touched the grid, the comms, and the harbor emergency systems,” he said, pulling them toward a narrower side street. “And this was planned.”