“Don’t worry- I’m right behind you.” I wasn’t going to risk letting him out of my sight. Just because he had reason to trust all of his crew didn’t mean I did. This would be a perfect time for an assassin to strike.

Rounding another flight of stairs, Firus pulled one of the bolt-action rifles off the wall and handed it to me without slowing down. "Know how to use one of these?

“Of course. The Air Corp trains everyone in basic marksmanship.”

“I hope studied more than the basics, lad!”

We reached the bitter cold of the top decks. Firus squinted at the darkness, hands tight on the railing, obviously looking for something.

“What’s out there?” I asked.

Firus raised his voice to be heard above the roar of the wind. “Bats.”

“Bats?” I yelled back.

“Look over there!” He said, pointing past my head.

I tried to follow where he was pointing but I didn’t see anything right away. It was movement that finally drew my eye to the three shadows that sailed among the clouds like flying squirrels.

“Are those men?”