Page 46 of The Hollowed

“And I always keep them,” she replied firmly, ruffling his hair with a shaky hand before guiding him towards the door.

He took her hand. His grip felt weak but warm against her palm. She raised her other hand to her lips and signaled for him to stay quiet before guiding them both out of the room and into the stairwell. The door clicked shut behind them before they made their way down the narrow concrete steps that would lead them straight to the basement.

She moved slower now to match Jace’s pace but a quick glance at her watch told her they only had two minutes left.

When they finally reached the last step, she pushed the door open and let Jace slip through first. The hallway stretched ahead of them, eerie and filled with the kind of silence that promised trouble. But still, just had a few more turns and freedom would be theirs. Myra’s chest swelled with the kind of hope she hadn’t felt in years.

They’d made it this far.

For the briefest moment she let herself believe that was the truth.

She should have known better.

Cipher wasn’t waiting for them like she’d expected.

He was backed against the wall, his hands halfway raised, the barrel of a rifle pressed to his chest. Gage, a guard Myra instantly recognized by the scar along his jaw, stood rigidly in front of Cipher. He was the kind of loyalist who’d rather die than betray Prometheus.

Myra reacted on instinct, shoving Jace behind her and reaching for her own gun. “Don’t do this,” she pleaded. “Let him go.”

The guard’s lips curled into something between a sneer and a smile. “You think I don’t know what you’re doing? You think you can just escape without anyone noticing?” His finger twitched near the trigger. “You’re not getting past me.”

“Listen,” Myra tried, forcing her tone to sound calm as her watch pulsed against her wrist, reminding her of how little time they had left. “We don’t have to do this. You can lower your weapon. We can all walk away and no one gets hurt.”

Gage barked a short, humorless laugh. “No one walks away, not from Prometheus.”

Before she could fire, Cipher moved. He grabbed for the rifle, shoving it upward with both hands. The two men struggled, and the gun swung wildly between them. Myra circled, tryingdesperately to find an opening, but the fight was too fast and too close.

“Cipher!” she hissed as she placed her finger on the trigger.

Bang.

The gunshot rang through the room, deafening everyone in the confined space. Jace screamed from behind her making her stomach drop. She couldn’t tell who’d been hit.

For one breathless moment, time stopped.

Then Cipher shoved the guard away and staggered back. He was standing, wide eyed and shaken, but alive.

Myra let out a strangled breath, but relief only lasted for so long.

Gage lunged for the rifle, aiming for Cipher once more.

Myra didn’t think. She let her training take over as her finger pulled the trigger.

The shot felt louder this time, and she was sure it had echoed through the entire floor. The guard’s head snapped back down, and he crumpled instantly.

Myra’s chest rose and fell as she lowered the gun in her grip. She could feel Jace’s eyes

burning into her from behind. Cipher turned to look at her — he was still alive.

That was all that mattered.

Gage’s body laid between them as a grim reminder of what she had just done.

Myra swallowed hard and forced herself to steady before she glanced over her shoulder at Jace.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, though she wasn’t sure if she was reassuring him or herself. “It’s over.”

Cipher bent down and pried the rifle from Gage’s hands before pulling himself upright again. His eyes locked with hers, softernow. “Thank you.”