CHAPTER 24 #2
“Unknown hostiles, maybe a hundred of them,” Derek rattles off the information. “They’ve broken into the club. Well-armed, organized, disciplined.”
“How many men are in the compound?” We stride toward the armory. Men are passing out automatic rifles as we scrutinize the security footage.
“Maybe fifteen including you two,” Derek sighs. “Oliver took a bunch to go do shakedowns and audits. Worst fucking timing.”
“How far away are they?” I crunch the numbers in my head. Fifteen versus a hundred is not great, even with Astrid and me here.
“Maybe forty minutes away,” Derek estimates. “Other on-call staff can maybe be here in thirty.”
The security feed is disheartening. Masked individuals all carry automatic weapons. They nearly fill the club upstairs. Some of them are working on the elevator shaft. If they have any skill, they can be down in minutes.
“Astrid, go grab Licorice,” I order. “She has a crate in my closet. Derek, prep the evacuation route. We need to retreat. Set up a rendezvous point with Oliver and whoever you can rally with promises of overtime.”
Derek nods, his lips set in a thin line. He drew the same conclusion as me, just didn’t want to be the one to say it. On the feed, we see the aggressors pry open the doors to the elevator shaft. We’re already out of time. One man pulls out a bullhorn. He seems to be the leader.
“We are only here for the two girls.” His voice echoes down the shaft. “Turn them over and we will leave peacefully. You have five minutes.”
The man holds a stopwatch up to a security camera and dramatically clicks the button. Astrid glares at the screens while Licorice meows in a crate next to her.
“They will never stop.” There’s no fear in Astrid’s voice, just a quiet acceptance. “It doesn’t matter where we run or hide, we will always be looking over our shoulders.”
“I know.” I’ve been running for nine years. It doesn’t end. “But there’s nothing else we can do. I won’t lead my men into a massacre.”
“Just us then.” Her faint whispers are loud enough only for me to hear amidst the bustle of the evacuation preparation behind us. Her hand slides into mind. “I don’t want to run anymore.”
“We can’t beat them.” I squeeze her hand tightly, tears pricking my eyes.
“From now until forever?” Her eyes look into mine, a silent proposal lingers in the air.
“From now until forever.”
I draw her in close, crashing my lips into hers. My hands shake as I pull away, wiping the single tear off her cheek. Deep breath in, deep breath out.
“We’re ready to evacuate.” Derek jogs up to us. “Let’s get moving.”
“Derek, can you hold onto Licorice?” I ask. “She likes you more.”
“Whatever, just come on.”
All of the men funnel into the escape route single-file.
Their rifles are held at the ready, just in case the hostiles know of this tunnel.
Derek is the last one to walk through the door before I slam it closed.
Astrid slides down the metal bar lock, securing the passage from the outside.
It won’t keep the intruders from following them, but they’re only interested in us. The bar is for Derek.
He whirls around, hearing the metal door latch into place.
Rage and hurt dominate his expression. Derek pounds on the door, shouting obscenities through the glass pane.
The rest of the men turn, realizing their cherished leader is on the wrong side of the barrier.
They try to break through the hatch, using their fists and the butts of their guns.
It doesn’t matter, they can’t break through.
Derek made sure of that when he designed the passage. I place my hand on the glass.
“Take care of my men, Derek,” I order, keeping my tone firm. “They need you now.”
Astrid and I turn away, Derek’s pleas falling on deaf ears. At least, I wish they were deaf. I hear every word like a knife through the heart. He keeps screaming, even as my – no, his – men drag him away.
Astrid pulls the fire alarm, flooding the common area. I turn over the tables, setting up some meager cover.
“I love you,” I say, hoping it isn’t the last time I’ll say those words to her.
“I love you, too,” she replies.
And as the bullhorn sounds, our five minutes are up.
“We are coming down,” the man shouts. “Surrender and no harm will come to you.”
Yeah, right.
Ropes fall down the elevator shaft, and men decked in full riot gear descend. Immediately, they raise their guns, firing off several shots for cover. I duck behind a table, but a lucky bullet nails my shoulder.
“Motherfucker!” I curse. The bullet was rubber, but a nasty bruise is already starting to form.
“Don’t touch her!” Astrid is feral, flinging razor-sharp discs of water at their heads.
Some of the improvised frisbees lodge in their helmets, others go through. The decapitated men collapse in a pile of limbs.
“Fuck yeah, baby!” I cheer, flinging webs of electricity toward the survivors. More fall down the shaft, their screams stopping suddenly as they hit the bottom.
But the men keep coming. For every one that falls, three take their place.
Rubber bullets keep flying, a few bouncing just right and catching Astrid or me.
One hits my temple, and my head is rocked back.
My eyesight blurs and I stumble to the ground.
I blink rapidly, trying to clear my vision.
Keep going, you have to keep fighting. But my arms are growing heavy, and they just keep coming.
Astrid dives behind the kitchen counter, her position compromised by the ever-growing horde.
Her eyes meet mine for just a moment, and we both know we can’t hold on forever.
Desperate, Astrid surges a tidal wave, hoping to push the mass back. I electrify her current, and those in the splash zone clutch their chests as they are electrocuted. We can take them, I tell myself. Maybe together, we can be enough.
The megaphone sounds again. All at once, the men pull down their hoods revealing hidden gas masks.
Before we can worry about what that means for us, the room goes black.
They cut the electricity to the building.
I grasp at the retreating power frantically, flinging the last of my reserves into the lights above, hoping Astrid can see just enough to do something.
But the flickering lights only add to our horror as canisters fly through the air, spreading a hazy fog in their path.
The air burns my lungs. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe!
Astrid’s voice cries my name. No, don’t get taken alive! Keep fighting! But I know it’s no use as four hands grab onto my arms and drag me toward the elevator.