Keegan squats, roughly lifts the guard’s torso, and takes his extra ammunition. Slamming a new magazine into place, we move forward. Popping sounds echo from farther in the residence.
I creep around the corner and see another long hallway ahead. This place seems to be made of nothing but hallways. In the distance is a small staircase leading to another floor. A guard peeks out from the entrance, and fires off three shots at us. Keegan yanks me into a room off the hall and fires back. More bullets reverberate off the walls with loud bangs. I fire back while reaching around the door with my small handgun until the magazine is empty. Keegan shakes his head, leans out again, and lets his gun loose, spraying everything in front of us. Bullets riddle the passage, atomizing anything within the hall, from bodies to splinters of furniture. Next time I glance, the guard’s body splays at the foot of the stairs, punctured from head to foot, his entrails hanging out.
I want to throw up, but intuition pulls me to the staircase. Keegan puts his hand on my shoulder, and I nod my head, motioning to move forward. I step over the corpse, and lead Keegan up the dark, steep stairs.
An unnatural light filters out of the room at the top. I motion for Keegan to halt, and we stand on the top step, outside the doorway. He wraps his hand around the handle and slowly cracks it open. His eyes lock with mine, and I nod, allowing him to go in first. My nerves dance as I follow him closely. The dark marble flooring is covered with chunks of drywall and leads into another room. Carefully planting my feet around more bodies, we stop at the next closed door. Keegan pushes it open, and I crawl in, hearing others. On his elbows, Keegan follows.
A heated conversation takes place between two men, both voices I recognize. Chills run down my spine as I lean in to get a better view.
“Brother, what a pleasant surprise! I’m so glad you could join me.”
“Oh, cut the crap!”
“You know, I must say I’ve never given you enough credit. It never occurred to me that my own blood would betray me. You’re such a waste of life. It’s disgusting actually,” he says. “I should’ve known you’d side with that idiot.”
This must be the commander’s control room. Four large screens, various computers, and maps decorate the room. The screens cast a fuzzy light, but there’s no image, just white noise. A large, formidable character stands against the brightness. I see his silhouette, but I can’t make out his features. His voice rattles me to the core, the familiar taste of bile rising in the back of my throat. He waves a gun through the air as he yells.
Keegan and I make eye contact. In that glance, we both understand we’re witnessing something important—something the others obviously missed.
“You’ve abused the system enough. You’re consumed by the power of your position. You’re not the brother I grew up with. You’re not the person I used to know,” Sutton replies. “Hamilton saw that before I did. He was right.”
I peek under a table and see Sutton standing before the dark silhouette. Confusion rocks me. I crawl farther in under the cover of large desks and computers. The blank, blaring noise is just enough to cover our movement but not loud enough to hinder the exchange of words. I duck my head down and struggle to keep my composure.
Sutton has a brother?
“So I’d like to know… how exactly do you plan on taking over?” The silhouette says in a condescending manner. “I’m suddenly curious how you think your little so-called army could manage to take mine out?” He clears his throat.
His army?
“Tell me, please. Enlighten me,” the other man says. “Do you honestly think by killing me that you’ll save the world? You’re pathetic.” He laughs.
Oh my gosh, that must mean…
“You do realize another leader will just take over where I’ve left off?”
The commander is Sutton’s brother.
“Yes. But I’ve also figured out that behind every genius mind somewhere hides a fault. Yours just happens to be pride.” Sutton pauses. “I remember even as kids, you always overlooked small details because all you could focus on was the big picture. And you’re right, getting rid of you might not solve the problem, but it’s a step in the right direction.”
My father wasn’t just murdered—he was betrayed and murdered by Sutton’s own brother.
I glance over my shoulder to see Keegan ten feet behind me, peering through cracks between the desks. The bloodlust in his eyes tells me he’s ready for action.
He and I move in an arc, closing in on them as they speak.
In an abrupt movement, the commander levels the gun at Sutton’s head. “You have lost your mind,” he says with a spiteful voice. His finger tightens on the trigger. “Over a stupid decision to follow a dead man’s dream. I don’t know if I’m surprised.”
Without thinking, I leap over a desk and pounce on him, knocking the gun sideways as he pulls the trigger. It goes off with a resounding bang and Sutton falls, but I’m so wrapped up with the commander that I can’t help him.
We wrestle on the ground, each of us grasping for the gun that skidded a foot away. He elbows me in the face, and I blink with teary eyes while hitting him.
I break free and reach for it, but he wraps his arms around my waist, dragging me back. I fold my fingers around the stock, but soon his large hands wrench it from my sweaty palms.
Keegan springs in to help, but as we tussle, the gun goes off again. Keegan crumples, holding his abdomen—his eyes shocked. Blood seeps through his fingers, flowing over his hands like the trickle of a stream, and I know it’s bad.
Anger and fear rage through me. I shove the gun aside and use my free hand to gouge out the eye of the commander. He howls with agony, dropping the gun as his hands cover the gaping hole. I pull away from him, focusing on his face for the first time.
It’s my stepfather.
Dark memories resurface as I stand, grabbing the gun and slowly pointing it at him. His expression, smirking and arrogant, hasn’t changed. Even as he stares death in the face, he smiles. He raises his hands in front of him.
“Now, this—just became very interesting.”
I glare at him, tightly clenching the gun. A battle wages in my mind—kill him or let someone else take care of him. Every muscle in my body wants to be the one to punish him. Thoughts of the revolution flee as I focus on the pain he inflicted upon me and my family.
“You’re sick.” My hands and voice quiver with rage as I stare down the monster. “I get it. I get all of it. The Hole is just your life-sized closet that you think you can control.” In the moment of decision, I teeter on uncertainty for a second too long.
He turns, hopping over a desk and toppling some equipment. He almost makes it out but slams into Cole in the doorway. Both of them recoil into heaps on the floor.
“Get him!” I scream.
Cole, unfazed, punches him several times. My stepfather returns the favor, and I run, tripping to where they wrestle.
Holding the gun, I aim for my stepfather, but they roll back and forth, trading positions of dominance. I don’t want to hurt Cole, but as they exchange punches, a flicker of light catches my eye. My stepfather pulls a knife out of his boot, giving me no other option.
I pull the stiff trigger, hitting him in the shoulder, and his blade clatters across the floor. Cole grabs it, stands, and kicks him in the stomach.
“Again! Now! Lexi, shoot him, damn it!” he shouts.
Still holding my gun, I shake my head.
“Shoot him!” Cole yells at the top of his lungs.
The commander backs himself into the wall, looking defeated and holding his gushing shoulder.
I’ve waited years to see him like this. He took everything away from me. He’s taken so much away from so many others. But I won’t sink to his level.
I glare into his eyes. “You’ll get what you deserve. I’ve had enough of your filth on me and I don’t want your blood on my hands,” I say. “My father was twice the man you’ll ever be, but one day justice will be served and
the lethal liquid will run through your veins. The best part? You won’t see my father because you’re going to hell.”
His breaths are raspy, his hands stained crimson.
I see fear in his eyes for the first time. And it satisfies me.
Just then, Bruno and his team bound into the room. Their faces are clouded with dust, smelling like sweat and lead. Half of them attend to Sutton and Keegan, promptly evacuating Sutton, and the rest surround my stepfather, the commander.
“Lexi, get out of here. We’ll take it from here,” Bruno says.
But I stayed glued in place as Cole lowers my gun for me. “That bastard. He’s mine.” He pries the gun from my fingers and holds it steady, aiming it directly at my stepfather’s head. “I’ve waited a long time for this moment and now it’s finally here. Now tell me. What’s it feel like knowing you’re about to die?”
My stepfather arches his eyebrow, giving Cole a look of disgust and scorn. “I’m not sure we’ve ever met, but it seems as if you’ve forgotten your duty.”
“Oh I know my duty all right.” Cole’s eyes flash with dark fury. “My duty is to protect those who can’t protect themselves. Something you know nothing about.” Cole moves closer to him. “See, your form of torture—it’s all about control and trying to break people of their sanity. All the while, you’re the one who’s insane. I know what you did to her, and I’m going to make sure you can never hurt Lexi again. Ever. I made a promise to her—I promised I would kill the sick bastard who did those things to her. And it just so happens… it’s you.”
My stepfather’s face blanches with the loss of blood. He cackles at Cole as he leans against the wall and holds his shoulder where the red liquid flows from his wound down to his forearm and drip, drip, drips onto the floor.
“Go ahead. Shoot me. Just make sure you watch your back. My men will avenge me. And that’s a promise.” His breaths sound ragged between words and yet he still manages to scoff at Cole. At me.
“Don’t,” I say, putting my hand on Cole’s tensed arm. “He’s not worth it. He can’t hurt me anymore.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” my stepfather says with his wicked smile. “I’ll always be in your nightmares.”
With those words, Cole fires the gun.
My stepfather’s body jerks with the dull thud of the bullet entering his forehead. Blood and brain spatter the wall behind him, immediately making me feel nauseous. His heavy body crumples to the floor, lifeless at our feet. Everyone stares in shock, unable to tear their eyes away from the once great commander who now lies in a pitiful lump, bleeding out like an animal.
Cole hands the gun to Bruno and holds out his wrists for him. “Want to arrest me?”
“Dude.” Bruno shakes his head, looking amused. “You should’ve shot him in the balls first.”
The others break from their trance and tiptoe around the body. The blood pools around his head in a puddle. Even in his death, they’re afraid to touch him. Afraid he’ll pop up and execute them on the spot for their insurrection.
Cole’s eyes meet mine and I crumble inside. When we embrace, I feel his body shaking.
“How’d you know it was him?” I ask in a quieter voice.
“Babe, all it took was one look at your face and I knew. I saw the pain in your eyes. I felt the hatred.” His hand cups my chin and he kisses my forehead. “I couldn’t bear the thought of him ever hurting you again. Ever.”
“Thank you!”
He squeezes me tightly, almost crushing my ribcage with his strength. I stand with my arms limp, so overwhelmed that nothing comes out—just relishing the comfort of his arms. My legs ache from the bruises and cuts. My hands shake.
I can’t cry, but I can’t rejoice either. I’ve lost so much. Too much.
The man who haunted my every dream lies dead on a filthy floor. I’ll never see his face again but in my dreams. Never have to fear the sound of his voice or the way his eyes could throw daggers into my heart. I can breathe again without fear of him shutting me in a closet or terrorizing everyone I love. But the high price paid for his death reminds me of Keegan.
“Tell me Keegan’s alive.”
Cole puts his hands on his head, averting his eyes, and says, “I don’t know.”
I push against him and run to where I last saw Keegan. Bruno’s men surround him. His blood washes over their fingers as they put pressure on his wound. His ashen face is drawn tight and his lips are almost white, yet his eyes are aware and full of uncertainty. He gasps for air as I kneel next to him.
“Oh my God, Keegan.” I clasp his hand and lean over his face, meeting his blue eyes. “Just hang in there. Help will be here soon.”
“Stay with me,” he manages to choke out before blood fills his mouth. He begins coughing uncontrollably and gasps for breath.
“Why aren’t you doing anything?” I scream. “Help him!” I grab the closest man’s shirt and plead. “Please.”
Cole wraps his arm around my shoulder, and with tears in his eyes, he says, “Just talk to him, Lexi. There’s nothing they can do. Be strong for him.”
I compose myself, even as tears stream over my cheekbones and my body shakes. I put his head in my lap as his eyes rest on mine. “I’m so sorry.”
He gurgles, shifts uncomfortably, and gathers his strength. “Live for me… I love you.” His chest falls, and he coughs violently. The crimson blood drips from the corners of his mouth.
My insides panic, and my heart feels like it’s collapsing in on itself. “I promise. I love you too, Keegan. I’ll keep fighting for the both of us.”
He takes one last breath before his whole body goes limp and his eyes give a blank stare. I feel his spirit, once lively and determined, drift away. I begin sobbing. “Damn it, why him? Why now? I wasn’t ready to lose him.”
The other men step back a moment, giving me some privacy. I feel like a piece of myself was ripped out of my chest. Another part of me is dead.
“Cole, we gotta go.” A voice interrupts the moment and I glance at Cole’s face. He gives me a look of regret and stands, holding out his arms for me.
I close Keegan’s eyes and kiss his forehead one last time as my tears drip onto his pale face. Then I reach up and fall into Cole’s arms.
Bruno and the others heft Keegan’s body up and I watch, feeling numb, as they carry him out.
Cole rests his chin on my head. “We have to leave. The revolt failed to liberate the Hole.”
CHAPTER 22
My hopes crash violently to the floor. We failed. I’m suddenly exhausted, and my knees give way. Cole catches me under the arms and lifts me up, carrying me out of the control room. My last view is of my stepfather’s lifeless form, bleeding out next to the doorway.
Cole breathes hard as he carries me down the steep staircase and back into the hall where Keegan and I walked only minutes ago. I see bodies stretched out everywhere, lying in unnatural positions. Heat rushes up my back and straight to my head, making me woozy. I press my face to his chest and close my eyes. I feel him lifting his legs as he steps over the bodies, and I hear his boots squeal on the floor, slick from blood.
“We’re almost out. Just a little farther, okay?” he says.
I can’t bring myself to respond. My head lies against his chest and my hands cling to him like a life preserver. All strength has been sapped from my body. I’m leaving without Keegan. But at least I didn’t let my stepfather get the best of me. At least I wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger.
“Crap, they’re coming.” Cole runs with me in his arms like he has so many times before. His jaw clenches and unclenches, but his grip on me never fails. We move farther down with each staircase and hallway that we take. Cole slams us through the last doorway into the blinding sun.
The evidence of war is all over—chunks of walls missing, bodies and parts strewn across our path, damaged valuables, and the mass exodus of people the closer we get to the gate. Their hurried strides and panicked voices bring me back to myself.
I look around. Everyone runs in one direction.
Out.
The heavy gate of the Hole appears to the right. To my astonishment, it’s blown open. Crowds run, shove, and trip their way into freedom. But no one rejoices. Families with children and branded sinners shove their way through into the blast of sunlight and hot air. The constant exchange of gunfire in the distance reminds me that some teams are still fighting. Thick black smoke forms a mushroom cloud that hovers somewhere near the hospital.
Cole fights against the tide of traffic, his head on a swivel like he’s looking for something. He steps over the high-speed railroad tracks. No one is going to work today.
A black SUV halts with a screech in front of us and startles me. The door swings open and Bruno sits in the driver’s seat, screaming at us.
“Quick! Get in! Get in!”
Cole opens the back door, shoves me inside, and then jumps in the front. Zeus meets me in the back seat, licking my face with delight and whipping me with his tail. I hug him close and begin to cry.
“Zeus! Oh my goodness, Zeus! You’re alive!”
Our reunion isn’t sweet for long though as people try to jump onto the vehicle. Their fists pound on the windows, their faces laced with fear and anger. They beg for a ride, but Bruno doesn’t stop.
“Sutton—what about Sutton?” I ask.
“He’s in another vehicle,” Bruno says.
“What the hell happened out there?” Cole says.
“I don’t know, man. I’ve never seen so much blood. A lot of people died today. Only a few of us got out,”
“I know,” Cole says.
“Wilson was slaughtering left and right, and when we got within shooting range, all of a sudden—he vanished. Just completely disappeared!”
“How could he just disappear?”
“We think he’s at the lab, but we don’t have the time or the manpower to go after him,” Bruno says as he makes another turn. His hands grip the wheel and his knuckles bleed from combat.
Cole slams his head back against the headrest. “Damn it, you’re right.”