Chapter 10 - I had twelve seconds.Maybe less.
There are moments when time stops.
This wasn't one of them.
Time accelerated.
Daniel dragged me toward the tunnel.
I grabbed Rex.
Kane disappeared through a side door.
Elena followed.
Coward.
Traitor.
Ghost.
Whatever she was, she had chosen her side.
The bomb detonated.
The blast lifted me off the floor.
I slammed into a concrete wall.
For several seconds, there was nothing.
No sound.
No light.
Then pain.
I opened my eyes.
Smoke filled the corridor.
Daniel was lying ten feet away.
Rex was gone.
I crawled toward him.
“Daniel.”
He opened his eyes.
“Did we live?”
“Unfortunately.”
He laughed.
Then coughed blood.
“Good.”
I helped him stand.
“We need to move.”
“You always say that.”
“Because people keep trying to kill us.”
We reached the tunnel.
The building shook.
Parts of the ceiling collapsed behind us.
I called for Rex.
Nothing.
Then I heard him.
Scratching.
I followed the sound.
A broken service door.
I ripped it open.
Rex was trapped beneath a metal beam.
His eyes met mine.
I dropped beside him.
“Easy.”
I tried to lift the beam.
It didn't move.
Daniel joined me.
Together we pushed.
Nothing.
Rex whimpered.
I stopped.
He looked at me.
His eyes were strangely calm.
Like he understood.
He always understood.
I pressed my forehead against his.
“Not today.”
Daniel looked at the beam.
“Wait.”
He pulled a hydraulic tool from the emergency cabinet.
Minutes later, we freed Rex.
He stood.
Shaking.
Bleeding.
But standing.
I checked his legs.
No fractures.
Then he walked past me.
Straight toward a wall.
He scratched once.
Twice.
Then again.
Daniel stared.
“That's a marker.”
“What?”
“Echo dogs were trained to identify hidden compartments.”
I touched the wall.
Nothing.
Rex scratched harder.
I found a seam.
We opened it.
Inside was a steel case.
Daniel went pale.
“What?”
He pointed.
“My handwriting.”
Inside the case was a notebook.
Written eleven years ago.
By me.
I opened the first page.
IF YOU ARE READING THIS, I HAVE FAILED.
I turned the page.
THE FOUR SUBJECTS ARE NOT SOLDIERS.
THEY ARE KEYS.
Another page.
EACH KEY OPENS A DIFFERENT LAYER OF THE NETWORK.
Another.
SUBJECT 04 OPENS THE COMMAND LAYER.
I stopped.
Daniel read over my shoulder.
“That's you.”
I turned the page.
There was only one sentence.
AND REX OPENS THE FINAL DOOR.
A sound came from behind us.
Footsteps.
Someone was coming.
I raised my weapon.
Three men appeared.
Not Vipers.
Not soldiers.
Police.
The first officer aimed at me.
“Drop your weapon!”
Daniel whispered:
“They've been compromised.”
I stared at the badge.
Sheriff's department.
The same department that would have responded to the Rusty Spur.
The officer shouted again.
“Hands where I can see them!”
Then he looked at Rex.
His expression changed.
And he smiled.
“Subject Five located.”
I raised my rifle.
The officer shouted:
May you like
“Fire!”
And the tunnel exploded into gunfire.
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