In the dimly lit corridor, Hans and Julian froze. Standing just a few paces behind them was Operative 064, dressed in a white hazmat suit. He was one of Alexia''s most loyal henchmen.
Hans kept his eyes lowered, but a lethal, icy fury began to bleed into his gaze.
He stood with his back turned to the man, his right hand slipping seamlessly under his jacket, his fingers wrapping around the cold, hard grip of his pistol.
"064. Do you need something?" Julian asked, forcing a tone of mild annoyance.
064 eyed them suspiciously. "Who''s on the gurney?"
"Just a failed specimen," Julian replied. "Taking it out for disposal."
"This hallway leads to the emergency escape tunnel. The incinerator isn''t in this direction."
064 smelled a rat, his voice dropping into a menacing snarl. "Who exactly is under that sheet? Who are you trying to smuggle out?! Tell me right now, or I''m dragging Ms. Alexia down here to deal with you herself!"
Hans stood rigidly with his back to him, his expressionpletely unreadable.
Julian ground his teeth together. Sweat dripped silently down the side of his face, vanishing into the cor of his shirt.
"Fine. You won''t talk? I''ll get a team down here to search it! Hey—!"
064 barely got a syble out before Hans''s brow darkened. Killing intent surged through him. He spun around, drawing his weapon in a blur of motion.
Bang!
A gunshot echoed off the concrete walls.
But the bullet hadn''te from Hans''s gun.
Julian stood there, drenched in sweat and gasping for air, both hands gripping his pistol tightly. Across from him, a bloody hole was bored dead center in 064''s forehead.
064''s eyes bulged in shock as his rigid body tipped backward, hitting the floor with a heavy thud.
Hans stared at him, utterly stunned!
He had given Julian the gun strictly for self-defense in case things went south.
He never expected theb tech to actually pull the trigger, let alone with such lethal precision!
"I... I... I killed someone?!"
Julian began to shake uncontrobly. "Hans... I just killed a man... How did I just kill a man?!"
"Don''t panic. You didn''t kill him. I did."
Hans quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him close, his sharp gaze locking onto Julian''s pale face.
anyone asks, it''s on me. I''ve set
enough blood on my hands after all these years one more body won''t make a difference."
"Hans..." Julian was overwhelmed with emotion, on the verge of tears.
At that exact moment, the facility''s rm system shrieked to life, the deafening sirens vibrating against their skulls!
"No time! Move!"
Together, they shoved the gurney the rest of the way to the heavy steel st doors. Hans punched in his administrative override code and scanned his iris.
The massive doors groaned open, weing them with the freezing, biting wind of the nocturnal mountain air.
It carried the exhrating, intoxicating scent of freedom.
"The police are on their way, and the extraction team should already be waiting at the base of the mountain."
Hans wrapped Elsie''s emaciated
frame tightly in the sheet, lifted her
into his arms, and carefully
transferred her to
Julian Carry He
her
Run straight down the mountain and
don''t look back. I''ll handle things here." .
Julian shook his head, tears spilling down his cheeks. "Hans! I can''t just leave you here alone! It''s suicide! We have to go together!"
"Guards are going to pour out of this exit any second. If I hold them off here, I can guarantee you make it down the mountain safely without anyone stopping you."
Hans offered a faint smile and
pped him firmly on the shoulder. "The people waiting foryou are this,
the
aead of the Abernathy
group, Thaddeus Abernathy...
Oh, wait. He''s not the CEO anymore. Whatever. Just go with them, and you''ll be
safe."
Hearing Thaddeus''s name, Julian''s eyes widened in sheer awe!
The legendary exploits of Evadne and Thaddeus were famous across the city. How
could he not have heard of their story!