The city was dead. No birds, no voices, just the wind stirring up dust between the ruins. I tried not to focus on the broken buildings, the burnt-out cars, or the shadows that looked way too much like bodies.
Mason stopped so fast I almost crashed into him. He threw out a hand. "Down."
I obeyed, pressing myself against the cracked pavement. A low hum filled the air. It was getting closer.
Then I saw it. A drone, gliding overhead, its scanners pulsing as it swept the street.
Mason gripped his axe, waiting. The second it turned, he exploded into motion, leaping up, swinging hard. The blade connected with a sickening crunch, and the drone dropped like a stone, sparking against the ground.
He barely glanced at the wreckage. "Move."
You don't need to tell me twice.