Chapter 8 - Evan ran.I caught him before he reached the room.
“Maya!”
The girl looked at him.
She was older than the photograph.
Maybe nine.
Thin.
Pale.
Her hair had been cut unevenly.
But the eyes were unmistakable.
Brother and sister.
She didn't smile.
She didn't cry.
She simply looked at Jax.
The dog's tail moved once.
Then again.
Maya whispered:
“He came back.”
Voss stood behind us.
“You wanted your sister.”
Evan nodded.
“You wanted her alive.”
Another nod.
“So you followed instructions.”
My blood went cold.
“What instructions?”
Voss looked at me.
“He was told to bring you.”
I looked at Evan.
“Bring me where?”
“To the server room.”
“Why?”
“Because you're the only person with access.”
I frowned.
“Access to what?”
Voss gestured toward the main computer.
A biometric scanner was embedded beneath the screen.
I walked closer.
My name appeared.
OFFICER JONATHAN REED
I hadn't told the story who I was yet, but the system knew.
I placed my hand on the scanner.
The machine beeped.
Then displayed:
ACCESS GRANTED.
Sarah stared.
“You've been here before.”
“No.”
The screen disagreed.
LAST ACCESS: 2017-03-14
Nine years ago.
The day Jax had been assigned to me.
I stepped backward.
Voss smiled.
“You weren't given Jax.”
“What?”
“You were paired with him.”
“What's the difference?”
“Everything.”
He pressed play.
An old video appeared.
A younger version of me stood inside this very room.
I was speaking to Voss.
My face looked terrified.
I couldn't hear the audio clearly.
Then the image sharpened.
My younger self said:
“If anything happens to me, erase the files.”
Voss responded:
“You understand what you're giving up?”
My younger self nodded.
“Everything.”
The video ended.
I felt the world tilt.
“I don't remember this.”
“You were shot.”
“What?”
“Twice.”
I looked at Jax.
“He saved you.”
“No.”
Voss shook his head.
“He saved himself.”
I couldn't breathe.
“You don't know what you're saying.”
“I know exactly.”
He turned to the children.
“Every one of them remembers.”
Maya spoke.
“You told us to wait for the dog.”
I stared at her.
“What did I tell you?”
She hesitated.
“That one day…”
She looked at Jax.
“He would come back with a man we could trust.”
I felt tears burning my eyes.
“I don't remember.”
“You weren't supposed to.”
Voss smiled.
“That was the agreement.”
I stepped toward him.
“What agreement?”
He didn't answer.
Instead, every monitor in the room lit up.
A countdown appeared.
00:09:58
Ten minutes.
Sarah stared.
“What happens at zero?”
Voss walked toward the exit.
“You'll find out.”
I raised my weapon.
“Stop.”
He turned.
“You have nine minutes to choose which child leaves the building.”
“Why only one?”
“Because only one of them knows the complete truth.”
He looked at Maya.
“She does.”
The countdown reached nine minutes.
Then the door locked.
The children screamed.
May you like
A siren began.
And somewhere beneath our feet, enormous machinery started moving.
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