25. Frey

TWENTY-FIVE

FREY

We make it into the building itself with no trouble, and it's a surprisingly uneventful climb to the third floor. In fact, with its open floor plan and modern design, it's a rather refreshing change of scenery from the small cabin by the lake. It's only when we emerge from the stairwell that the first sign of trouble rears its head.

Namely, in the form of an armed guard standing near a doorway.

"We need to get into that room," Jamie explains. "The longer we can keep from drawing notice of the backup outside, the easier it will be. If I can get access to the security mainframe, I can at least lock the doors and trigger a shutdown. That will slow them down for an hour at least."

"What about getting these people out?" I ask.

Daze smiles in a beautifully dangerous way. "Leave it to me."

I feel my stomach twist, fearing that he intends to do so through violent means. Then I shake myself and remember that Daze isn't like Silas. A fact that he proves in one fell swoop by reaching for a fire alarm button that I didn't even notice.

Just like that, the building erupts into motion as everyone starts to file outside, grumbling in annoyance.

"That was almost too easy," Jamie remarks from our position in a maintenance closet. "But it looks like our friend might need some convincing to play along."

The guard hasn't budged, and he speaks into a walkie-talkie as if coordinating with the officers outside.

"I'll handle this," Daze says. "You two, go do what you need to broadcast."

"This way." Jamie takes my arm and leads me from the room while Daze heads directly toward the guard. All I hear is the sound of flesh connecting with flesh and a startled grunt.

When I look back, Daze is dragging the unconscious guard to a corner of the hallway.

"He'll be fine," he says, meeting my gaze. "Now get in there and make your father's fantasy come crashing down."

Inside the room is a set that dominates most of the open space. Beyond it is a room filled with computers. Jamie races toward one and unloads several items from his bag.

"I can access the security from here, but it will take a while. Maybe you should think about what you want to say?"

It's a question that is surprisingly more complex than I realized before now. I could go on an emotional tirade about my father and what he did to Hale, or the poor people who came to our program for help. I could go on and on about the violence he subjected me to, and how his deceit led to Colton's death. I could even name Silas as his accomplice and go into gory detail about their long reign of terror.

I could tell the horrible truth.

But as Jamie rushes to secure the room and ready the cameras, a new line of conversation comes to mind. I want to talk about this city and why, ridden with crime or not, it doesn't deserve to be destroyed.

It is possible to find beauty even in the most sinful, corrupted things.