37 #2
Serene cried, her head buried in Khalani’s shoulder, unable to look, but Khalani watched the whole thing. Her toes clenched and she shifted her weight, ready to run and help the second they met trouble.
With relentless speed, Takeshi grabbed Adan’s legs while Brock lifted him under his armpits. Shots rang around them as they carried his injured body into the alley.
The Aces made room, still firing at the guards as Takeshi and Brock gently placed him on the floor. Sweat lined Adan’s face, his breath shallow and uneven, blood leaking through his shirt.
“Where was he shot?” Serene asked, crouching beside her brother, grasping his hand.
“Ribs.” Takeshi inspected the wound, and when he prodded the skin, Adan cried out.
“Just leave me,” he groaned.
Serene slapped her brother across the face.
“Shut up, Adan. I’m not leaving you. And if you see some heavenly light, tell it to fuck off. Do you understand me?” Serene squeezed his hand tighter. Brock had already taken off his cloak and pressed it against the wound.
“Agh. That hurts.” Adan’s head rolled back as he pushed against the wall to get away, but Brock increased the pressure.
“He’s going to be okay, right?” Khalani asked, threading her fingers through Adan’s other hand.
“I need to get the bleeding stopped,” Brock growled, glancing at her. “You two have to go without us.”
“But we can’t leave you—”
“It doesn’t matter!” he snapped. “If you don’t stop Alan, this will all be for nothing. You need to go now.”
Khalani opened her mouth to argue, but Takeshi gripped her chin, pulling her attention to him.
His gaze held too much pain.
He was tired.
Just like her.
And when he said, “He’s right, Kanes. It’s time to end this,” she knew he meant it.
Khalani inhaled a ragged breath and kissed Adan’s cheek. “I’ll see you soon,” she whispered.
She turned to Serene, hugging her with all her might. And when she let go, a shocked noise escaped her when Brock briefly embraced Takeshi and her.
He didn’t offer words of affirmation or say good luck. His eyes were glossy, the first time she’d ever seen Brock with such emotion.
He handed her his pistol with a nod.
“Go,” he whispered.
Takeshi grabbed Khalani’s hand and pulled her down the alley, away from the gunfire. When they emerged at the other end, Takeshi peered down both streets, weapon ready. But no one stood on the cobblestone path except them.
They continued running, hand-in-hand, racing toward their ending.
Her pulse hammered as they reached the green hedges. No guards were posted at the gates. Everyone available was fighting in the city.
They raced past the towering greenery, and at the end of the path, the White House stood untouched to the horrors that surrounded it. The grand pillars were as immaculate as the day Khalani had first entered Genesis.
When they approached the front entrance, Takeshi squeezed Khalani’s palm before letting go, clutching his pistol as he slowly turned the knob.
The door ominously creaked open, and Khalani jerked back at the dead body on the floor.
She recognized him. It was the Governor’s butler. His bald head was disfigured by the bullet hole going straight between his brows. She swallowed as they carefully moved farther into the lobby, maneuvering around multiple dead bodies scattered on the floor.
In the back of the room, the Mona Lisa painting hung on the wall, her eerie grin sending shivers down Khalani’s spine.
“He’s killing everyone,” she whispered, the gun trembling in her hand.
A chilling expression crossed Takeshi’s face as he glanced up the stairs, violence coiling through his limbs.
That’s when she heard it. Voices.
“Stay behind me,” he ordered.
They made their way up the marble stairs, keeping their feet as light as possible. When they reached the top, the voices grew louder.
“The men keep radioing for backup,” a man grumbled.
“But the Governor said we have to stay here and guard the house,” another replied.
“Nothing’s happening here! We need to go out there and help them kill—” The man appeared at the top of the stairs.
Takeshi kicked him in the chest, sending him hurtling over the railing. He yelled, crashing to the bottom level, his neck bent in the wrong direction.
“The fuck!” One of the men grabbed his gun, but Takeshi was faster, punching him in the face, grappling with him. A third guard heard the noise and bounded around the corner, charging at Takeshi.
Khalani raised her gun and didn’t hesitate. She shot him in the leg. The guard yelped, rearing back. But he was large, shrugging off the wound as he set his sights on her.
From his angle, he probably only saw a small girl who couldn’t do much harm. But he had no idea where she’d grown up or what she’d learned in the dark.
Khalani lifted the pistol higher, and shot him in the heart.
The proof of his life sprayed across the walls.
The other guard screamed as Takeshi shot him in the gut and landed a knockout punch to his face.
They breathed heavily, bodies sprawled around them.
Khalani was operating on fumes, her eyes wide as she stared at the man she’d just killed.
“Did he hurt you?” Takeshi rushed to her side, his frantic gaze searching for injury.
“I’m fine,” she said, unable to cry any longer. She just wanted the bloodshed to be over. “We need to keep looking. Alan has to be here somewhere.”
His jaw tightened, like he knew she wasn’t fine. But time wasn’t on their side. She’d already started moving through the blue carpeted hallway, passing the white walls at lightning speed.
The hallway was long, but they kept searching.
She thought Alan might’ve fled somewhere else. But when they got to the final room, Takeshi kicked open the door.
And there he was.
The Governor sat in a chair, facing dozens of computer screens covered in lines of code. Khalani had no idea what they meant, but a black clock hung on the wall, counting down the time in bright-red numbers.
5:00
4:59
4:58
“Stop this, Alan! Call everyone off!” she yelled, raising her gun.
Alan calmly swiveled in his chair, his irritated glare centering on Takeshi before shifting to her with a placated smile.
“My failed experiments. I knew the two of you couldn’t miss the end. Even if one of you continues to malfunction and refuses to follow orders.” His glare cut back to Takeshi, igniting a volcanic anger inside her.