Chapter 39
KAIRO
The first gunshot is a thundercrack.
The wall behind me sizzles and cracks open like a lightning strike just barely missed its mark. The second shot chews into the metal frame above the cell door. Sparks rain down.
Jav’s already moving.
“Down!” he shouts.
I grab Ben and hit the floor hard, shielding him with my body. The door bursts open with a roar, and Jav storms in like a ghost set on fire—armor streaked with soot, blade in one hand, blaster in the other.
He kicks the door closed behind him, crouches low, and fires two rounds. Sharp screams follow.
Ben whimpers. “I’m scared, Mommy.”
“I know, baby,” I whisper, brushing his hair back. “But we’re getting out. You trust me?”
He nods, tears glinting in his lashes.
Jav tosses me a blaster. “Safety’s off. Hold low, squeeze smooth. Aim for the kneecaps unless you’ve got the shot.”
I catch it without thinking. It’s heavier than I expect—warm, like it’s already been used.
“Where’s the exit?” I ask, already standing, Ben clutched tight against me.
“South tunnel. Fastest shot to the ridge. Garkin’s got a rendezvous ship hovering low.”
More shots rattle through the compound. Red strobes pulse across the walls, bathing the hall in panic light.
Jav glances at me, and something passes between us. This isn’t a rescue. It’s a warzone. And we’re in it together now.
“Stay on my six,” he growls.
I nod once. “Lead the way.”
The halls outside are fire and screaming metal.
I see two League grunts barreling around a corner just as Jav hurls something—a flash charge.
It pops white-hot, and the corridor goes blinding.
I blink, half-blind, but Jav doesn’t pause.
He’s already there, disarming one, flooring the other with a bone-crunching kick.
He doesn’t kill them. Not yet.
He knows we’re on borrowed time.
Ben buries his face in my shoulder. “It’s loud,” he cries. “I don’t like this!”
“I know, baby. Hold on. Just hold on.”
We push forward, feet pounding over grated walkways. The sirens wail louder, shriller, like the whole place is screaming with us. Jav slices a security panel with his blade, hotwires it in seconds, and the door groans open into a tunnel so dark I can’t see the end.
He turns back, eyes scanning me. “You good?”
“No,” I pant. “But I’m here.”
He gives a grim nod. “That’s enough.”
Inside the tunnel, the silence is almost worse. Our footfalls echo like gunshots. The walls drip with condensation, and the air smells of rust and old breath. Pipes rattle overhead.
Ben’s breathing gets faster. “It’s like a cave,” he says.
“It’s okay,” I whisper. “We’re almost there.”
I hear Jav’s voice ahead of me. Low. Grounding. “There’s a ladder up three levels. Emergency shaft. Once we’re topside, it’s a straight sprint to the edge. You’ll see the drop beacon—Garkin’s running nav lights under cloak.”
“Are you sure?”
He glances over his shoulder. “I don’t deal in ‘sure.’ But I deal in promises. And I promised you both I’d get you out.”
The ladder’s slippery. My arms shake from carrying Ben, but I don’t let go. Jav reaches down from above and pulls me up by the forearm in one clean yank. His strength feels endless—like it’s pulled from somewhere deeper than muscle.
As soon as I clear the top, the wind hits.
We’re outside.
The cliff edge is jagged rock and sweeping night. Storm clouds churn above, dark against a greenish-black sky. Rain starts falling in fine misty sheets.
“Ship’s just past that ridge,” Jav shouts over the wind. “Go!”
We run.
The wind howls like a creature. The ground tilts and slides under my feet. My lungs burn. Ben is so quiet now, wrapped tight in my arms like he knows this is the part where we don’t stop, not even to scream.
Then I hear the roar behind us.
Engines.
Not friendly.
“Go, go!” Jav barks, pivoting on his heel, plasma pistol drawn.
He fires behind us—three bursts. One ship veers off. The other drops closer.
A spotlight slams down.
I shield Ben.
“We’re outta time!” I cry.
“Almost there!” Jav yells.
And then—just ahead—Garkin’s ship appears.
Like it tears itself out of the dark.
The ramp lowers.
“Get them inside!” Jav shouts, skidding to a stop, turning to face the oncoming ship.
I hesitate.
“Now, Kairo!”
I don’t argue.
I run, legs screaming, lungs on fire. I leap onto the ramp, cradling Ben close.
Inside, Garkin grabs my arm, pulls me in. “Where the hell is Jav?!”
I turn just in time to see him shoot out one of the enemy ship’s side vents, causing it to spiral, sparks flying.
Then he runs.
Jumps.
Lands hard on the ramp as Garkin lifts us off.
I drop to my knees, Ben still wrapped in my arms, and watch the League compound burn behind us.
The flames are bright.
Ugly.
Too familiar.
Jav slams the ramp closed and drops beside me. He’s panting, blood streaking his temple, armor scorched.
I grab his face.
“I told you—never again. You hear me?”
His hand covers mine. “Yeah,” he breathes. “Loud and clear.”