Chapter 9 - The Core
"I'll handle the servers," Vance said, handing me his secondary weapon. "Get him to the extraction point."
"Negative," my father coughed, leaning heavily against me. "The servers are rigged. If they are tampered with, the rig initiates a self-destruct. We blow it all."
Suddenly, the heavy blast doors at the end of the corridor hissed open.
Standing there was a man in a pristine white suit, surrounded by elite guards. He was the man pulling the strings. The Director of Vanguard.
"Marcus," the Director smiled, a chillingly calm expression. "I see your daughter has inherited your stubbornness."
"Kill them," the Director ordered his men.
A massive firefight erupted in the narrow corridor. Sparks flew as bullets ricocheted off the steel walls. I dragged my father behind a reinforced pillar, returning fire while Vance laid down suppressive bursts.
"Sarah," my father shouted over the gunfire, pressing a detonator into my hand. "I wired the core manually before they caught me. The signal is blocked down here. You have to get to the upper deck to trigger it."
"Not without you!" I screamed.
"I'm slowing you down!" he fired back, picking up a fallen mercenary's rifle. "I'll cover you! Go!"
I looked at the man who had lied to me my entire life, just to protect me. I saw the absolute love and sacrifice in his eyes.
"I love you, Dad," I whispered.
May you like
"Make them pay, Commander," he smiled.
Vance and I broke cover, sprinting up the emergency stairwell while my father held the line, his rifle roaring in the confined space. I didn't look back. I couldn't.
