Chapter Hawk
Hawk
The circuit bundle finally gave, a cascade of sparks spilling down my sleeve. The lights above flickered, alarms stumbling in their rhythm. For a second I thought it worked—then a new alarm screamed to life, louder, closer.
“Miles?”
“That was a partial bypass. The system’s splitting—two cores. You stopped one; the other’s still climbing. You’ll need a secondary kill switch—north junction.”
Julia was already moving before I said it. “I’ve got it.”
“Julia—no.”
She didn’t stop. Her silhouette sliced through the red haze, determined, brave, and foolish in the way only someone you love can be. I chased after her, firing at another drone that dropped down to intercept. My chest burned, lungs pulling in air that smelled like ozone and heat.
She reached the junction, ripped the casing open, and glanced over her shoulder at me. “How long?”
“Two minutes!”
She grinned, wild and perfect. “Plenty of time.”
Her hands were quick but sure, working the bundle of wires Miles guided her through. I saw the sweat drip down her temple, the small tremor she fought to hide. When the countdown hit thirty seconds, she cut the final line.
The lights blinked. Then—silence.
The red glow faded to pale blue. Systems are powering down. Containment cancelled.
Mile’s voice returned, shaky with relief. “You did it. Core temperature’s dropping. You’re clear.”
I turned toward her, but she was already walking back, breathless, hair stuck to her cheek, eyes bright. I caught her before she could say anything, one hand at her waist, the other at the back of her neck.
For a second, we didn’t speak. The air smelled of smoke and cold metal. Her heartbeat pounded against my palm.
“You always have to be the hero,” I said.
“Funny,” she whispered. “I was about to say the same thing.”
I kissed her—quick, rough, just enough to remind myself we were still here.
Aaron’s voice cracked over comms, perfectly timed. “If you two are done celebrating, we’ve got movement outside. Markham didn’t lock you in to kill you—he wanted to keep you here. He’s heading for the surface with a data drive.”
Julia stepped back, breath still unsteady. “He’s leading us to Reese.”
“Or to something worse,” I said. “Either way, we’re not done.”
We grabbed our rifles, moving toward the exit as the last of the alarms died. The door seals released with a hiss, cool morning air pouring in.
I looked at her once more before we stepped through. “Ready?”
She nodded, that same fierce smile back in place. “Always.”
And just like that, we were running again—out of the smoke and into whatever waited next. Logan and Boone stood on the other side.