Inside Fourteen — Elijah Greyhawk
The alarms screamed overhead, red strobes flashing across the chamber as Elijah tightened his grip around Chet and lifted him fully off the floor. Chet’s head lolled against his shoulder, breath shallow, skin clammy.
“I’ve got you,” Elijah whispered, voice shaking. “Stay with me.”
Chet’s fingers twitched weakly against Elijah’s chest. Behind them, the machinery sparked again, a shower of blue‑white arcs dancing across the console. The hum that had filled the chamber for so long sputtered, then surged, then sputtered again.
Torres moved beside Elijah, one hand on Chet’s back, the other checking his pulse. “He’s fading. We need to get him out of this field now.”
Elijah nodded, already moving toward the door. Hayes covered their retreat. “Move! Move!”
###
Lower Corridors — Hayes’ Team
The corridor outside the chamber was dim, lit only by emergency strips along the floor. The air smelled of ozone and burning circuitry.
Rourke pulled Kline forward, the cuffs biting into the man’s wrists. Kline stumbled but stayed upright, his eyes fixed on Chet, and something sharp and furious burned behind them.
“You don’t understand,” Kline said, voice strained. “If you remove him now, you’ll destabilize—”
Hayes cut him off. “You’re done talking.”
Kline’s jaw tightened. “You’re condemning him.”
Hayes didn’t look back. “We’re saving him.”
Marianne swept ahead, checking corners. “Corridor clear. Move!”
Evan took the rear, weapon raised. “We need to pick up the pace. The grid’s failing behind us.”
As if on cue, the lights flickered violently, plunging the corridor into darkness for a heartbeat before the emergency strips flickered back on. Torres glanced up. “That’s not just the chamber. The whole level’s losing power.”
Hayes nodded. “Then we don’t stop.”
###
Command Room — Leah Gagnon
Leah watched the facility’s power map collapse in real time — sections blinking out one by one like dying stars. She rerouted what she could, but the system was failing faster than she could compensate.
“Carter,” she said into the mic, “you need to take the east maintenance corridor. The main stairwell just lost structural integrity.”
Hayes’ voice came back, breathless. “Copy. Redirecting.”
Leah zoomed in on the east corridor. The sensors were weak, but still functional. “Keep left at the junction,” she said. “There’s a bypass tunnel that’ll take you straight to the service lift.”
“Is the lift operational?” Hayes asked.
Leah hesitated. “For now.”
Static crackled across the line. “Carter,” she said, voice tightening, “you need to move faster.”
###
Inside Fourteen — Elijah Greyhawk
Elijah adjusted his grip on Chet as they moved, feeling the tremors running through him. Chet’s breath hitched, a soft, broken sound.
“Hey,” Elijah whispered, leaning close. “Stay with me. I’m right here.”
Chet’s eyes fluttered open for a moment — unfocused, glassy. “Elijah…” he breathed.
“I’ve got you,” Elijah said again, voice cracking. “I’m not letting go.”
Torres checked Chet’s pulse again. “He’s crashing. We need to get him out of this building.”
“We’re trying,” Elijah said, pushing forward.
Behind them, Kline twisted in Rourke’s grip, voice rising. “You’re killing him!” Kline shouted. “He needs the chamber—”
Hayes spun, eyes blazing. “One more word and I put you on the floor.”
Kline fell silent. But the fury in his eyes didn’t fade.
###
Lower Corridors — Hayes’ Team
They reached the junction. The overhead lights flickered again, then died completely. Only the emergency strips remained, casting the corridor in a dim, reddish glow. Marianne pointed left. “This way!”
Hayes nodded. “Move!”
They turned into the maintenance corridor — narrower, colder, lined with exposed pipes and conduits. The hum of the failing grid echoed through the walls. Evan glanced back. “We’ve got maybe a minute before the whole level goes dark.”
Hayes keyed his mic. “Leah, status on the lift?”
Leah’s voice came through, tight. “It’s still online, but the power feed is unstable. You need to reach it before the next surge.”
Hayes looked at his team. “Double time!”
They ran.
###
Command Room — Leah Gagnon
Leah watched the power grid spike again — a violent surge that rippled through the lower levels. “Carter,” she said sharply, “you’ve got thirty seconds before the lift loses power.”
Hayes’ voice came back, breathless. “We’re almost there.”
Leah’s fingers tightened around the console. “Hurry.”
###
Inside Fourteen — Elijah Greyhawk
Elijah’s lungs burned as he ran, Chet’s weight heavy in his arms. Torres stayed close, monitoring Chet’s breathing, her expression growing more urgent by the second.
“He’s slipping,” she said. “We need to get him out of this building now.”
Elijah pushed harder.
Ahead, the maintenance corridor opened into a wider space — the service lift alcove.
Hayes reached it first, slamming the call button. The lift doors shuddered, then opened.
“Inside!” Hayes shouted.
Elijah rushed in with Chet, Torres right behind him. Marianne and Evan followed, weapons raised. Rourke shoved Kline inside last. Hayes hit the close button. The doors slid shut.
The lift lurched. Then rose.
###
Command Room — Leah Gagnon
Leah watched the lift’s power feed flicker, then stabilize — barely. “Carter,” she said, exhaling shakily, “you’re clear of the collapse zone.”
Hayes’ voice came through, softer now. “Copy.”
Leah leaned back in her chair, heart pounding. “Get them out,” she whispered.