Chapter 39

39

Alex couldn’t even see her hand in front of her face. She froze, ears straining for any sign of an attack.

“Jason?” Alex reached out, finding nothing but empty air.

What just happened?

Before she could formulate a plan, the lights blazed back to life.

All of them.

Her retinas burned. She squinted, blinking rapidly as her vision swam with afterimages. As the world came back into focus, her jaw dropped.

Seven-Five operatives materialized like ghosts. Where there had been darkness, now stood an army.

Not ghosts. Clones. Four and five and six replicas of each man. All indistinguishable from the real agents.

They were using Gabe’s holographic imagery against them.

At least eight different operatives, each replicated multiple times, filled the space around them. Some crouched behind illusory cover, others trained assault rifles on their team, their expressions a mix of determination and cold efficiency. The effect was dizzying, like being trapped in a hall of murderous mirrors.

Where had they come from?

Tai looked like he was going to throw up. “You hijacked my drone feeds. That’s impossible.”

Munsinger eyed Tai as if the big man were an underperforming student. “Clearly not, Mr. Kaholo.” His face hardened again. “Weapons on the ground. All of them,” he ordered.

Everyone instantly complied. Munsinger gestured at his men, who quickly scooped up the weapons before roughly patting down the entire team one by one.

Gaze fixed on Tai again, Munsinger pointed at his closest operative. “You. Get that controller.”

One of the original security men lunged forward, his meaty hands closing around Tai’s drone controller. Tai yanked back, but the operative to Tai’s left slammed the butt of his rifle into Tai’s midsection.

Jason started to leap forward, but before Alex could even put a hand on his arm, he stopped himself, watching stoically, his eyes blazing with fury.

Tai doubled over, gasping for air.

“Sir,” the guard presented the stolen tech to Munsinger like a trophy.

The general snatched the controller away and let it drop. The corner of the device shattered, sending shards of black plastic skittering across the concrete. Munsinger raised his foot, stomping hard across the center of the console. The crunch of plastic and circuitry under his boot echoed in the sudden silence.

The man’s transformation was as swift as it was chilling. His voice, when he spoke, dripped with satisfaction. “For once, the squints in the lab were right. Our electronic tech beats yours.”

Now it all made sense. Tai’s drones showed no one in the vicinity, only they’d been seeing exactly what their opponents wanted them to see.

Jason caught Alex’s eye. “Sorry,” he mouthed silently.

She shook her head. He had nothing to apologize for. He couldn’t have known about this new tech.

The general grinned. “I was hoping you’d fall for the set up, but I had my doubts. Shouldn’t have. You jumped in with both feet, in your usual style.”

“You wanted me to call the major.” Gravy was clearly putting a few things together. “You practically ordered me to ask for his help. Did you even care about me getting somewhere safe?”

His father flicked him a look, barely acknowledging his own son. The lack of response rang more loudly than a slap to the face.

And suddenly, it all fell into place for Alex. “You’re here for Jason.” Her gaze flicked to Cody, standing rigid nearby. “And Cody.”

Munsinger’s smile was shark-like. “An extra prize.”

Gravy’s voice cracked as he addressed his father. “What about the rest of us?”

The temperature dropped ten degrees as the old soldier studied them, his eyes devoid of warmth or mercy. “Collateral damage.”

They’d walked right into it, step by careful step.

The general’s voice cut through the air like the crack of a whip. “Move out. Into the far corner. Now.”

Alex was herded along with the others, the muzzles of rifles, both real and holographic, prodding them forward. Gabe moved slowly, as if in a dream-state. She eyed her teammates, and Jason’s, searching for any sign of hope. Mac and Liv stared straight ahead, but she caught Tai, Fenn, and Kate exchanging looks with Jason, their expressions hard as granite, igniting a small flame of hope.

These people were steel wrapped in skin. If anyone could turn this nightmare around, they’d do it.

As they stumbled down the darkened path towards the far corner of the space, she drifted closer to Jason. Their hands brushed, sending an electric current up her arm despite the dire circumstances.

Their eyes met, and for a heartbeat, the world around them faded away. The fear, the danger, all of it receded in the face of the connection crackling between them. Alex felt a surge of longing, of possibilities left unexplored. But as quickly as it came, reality crashed back in, cold and unforgiving.

The general’s mocking voice cut through the air. “Keep moving.”

As they were roughly pushed forward, Alex’s stomach twisted with a grim realization. The weight of their predicament settled on her shoulders like a lead blanket. She glanced at Jason, her throat tight with unspoken words.

Would they even have a future to explore?