I stepped out and shut the door behind me. The latch closed with a soft, final click.
Mercury was already out on the road. The night air was cooler than the car, carrying the thin, continuous smell of smoke and the larger silence of the Capital.
It was the right call. The car had to carry nine people back to that camp and it wasn't going to do that if we drove it into something in the dark.
I came round to her side. She was crouched, turning her ankle, studying the bracelet and trying to work out why it had gone quiet. The metal sat dark against her skin.
"Do these things actually work?" She didn't look up. The words were quiet, almost careful. "Like properly. Can one of these blow a person's leg off?"
I glanced back at the car. Neither of the rear doors had opened yet. The dark shapes of Trapper and Linn were still inside, the windows reflecting the yellow of the street light in long, empty sheets.
"Can I be frank with you?"
