Her legs didn’t give out until she crossed the threshold of the front doors. She felt herself collapse then, but she didn’t hit the ground. Her mother wrapped her arms around her and dragged her from the blaze.
Through watering eyes, she saw dark hair streaked with gray hanging down in front of her, a curtain across her face. It was drawn back, and Peyton saw her mother staring down, tears in her eyes. She ripped the mesh Kevlar from Peyton’s mouth, turned her head, and held her ear to Peyton’s mouth. Lin let out a cry of joy when she realized her daughter was breathing. She pulled her closer into her lap. “It’s going to be okay, honey.”
Slowly, Peyton’s senses focused. Automatic gunfire rang out in the distance. They’re fighting for the harbor. The Marines must have landed.
Engines roared. High-caliber artillery guns pounded. Overhead, she saw more missile strikes. A few exploded in the air, but many found their targets, churning earth and trees and bodies in massive eruptions of fire and smoke. The entire island seemed to be erupting.
She brought a shaking hand to her collarbone, activated her comm, and spoke with a scratchy, strained voice. “Overwatch, Artemis. Cease fire at my location. We have friendlies in the adjacent building. Confirm.”
“Artemis, Overwatch, confirmed, ceasing air strikes at your location.”
A second later, the CIC operator opened the comm line again. “Artemis, Overwatch. Be advised, there are hostiles inbound to your twenty. Estimate a force of twelve, heavily armed. Reinforcements are two clicks out. Advise you take cover or retreat.”
Chapter 129
In her peripheral vision, Peyton saw the soldiers closing on them.
Carefully, Lin Shaw placed Peyton’s head on the ground and stood tall, her posture rigid, facing the oncoming troops like a proud mother ready to defend her child with her own life. Peyton desperately wanted to stand with her, but she couldn’t. She didn’t have the strength. Every breath burned.
The soldiers halted their sprint when they saw Lin.
The nearly eighty-year-old woman’s voice was strong as it called into the smoke-filled night. “Major, we have friendlies in this building. They are mission-critical to our cause. Rescue them. Do it now.”
The man hesitated, then touched his collarbone. “Dr. Pachenko, Major Reeves.”
The man paused, listening.
Peyton was shocked. Yuri Pachenko is here. The man had taken so much from her. Her hatred boiled as the mercenary activated his comm again.
“Dr. Pachenko?”
Lin took a step toward him. “Send your men in, Major. Do it now or there will be consequences.”
Reeves motioned for four of his men to enter the building.
To the soldiers entering, Lin said, “Basement level four. A man and a woman. They’ll be together.”
Major Reeves scowled at Lin. “My last orders were to secure the Rapture Control program.”
“The situation has changed, Major. And so have your orders.”
“Dr. Pachenko—”
“Is no longer in charge here. I am. Tell your men at the harbor and elsewhere to stand down.”
Reeves was shocked. “Ma’am?”
“Those are your orders. We face an overwhelming force. The battle here can’t be won. We must surrender for the greater good. We are prepared for this contingency, I assure you, Major.”
The soldier nodded slowly, activated his comm, and ordered a full surrender.
Peyton sat up, seeing her mother with a whole new appreciation. She did it. This was an entirely new side of the mild-mannered woman who had raised her.
Peyton activated her own comm. “Overwatch, Artemis, be advised, hostiles have been ordered to stand down.”
The gunfire in the distance stopped. Seconds later, so did the missile fire coming in from the sea.
For a moment, the dense island jungle was quiet. The towering palm trees swayed in the wind, bristling with each gust. The fire blazing behind her crackled. Here and there, pieces of the building collapsed.
With each passing second, Peyton was able to catch her breath.
“Artemis, Overwatch, cease-fire confirmed. Commencing search and rescue operations. First wave of helos inbound. ETA thirty minutes.”
“Copy, Overwatch.”
“Ground teams are en route to your location.”
“Copy that. Thank you.”
Peyton sat up and stared at the building. Andrew was in there, trapped beyond the fire. In the years after she was told he’d died in a fire, she’d dreamt about it a thousand times. Nightmares, with Andrew trapped, and her unable to help. But this time it was real. The building was collapsing in on itself.
She lay on her back again. She couldn’t bear to watch. She wanted to go back in the building, but she was too weak.
She activated her comm again. “Dad. Desmond. Avery.” She had forgotten their call signs, but it didn’t matter now. She just wanted to hear their voices. But no one responded. She called again. And a third time. Nothing.
She closed her eyes, willing it not to be true. Desmond. Her father. Andrew. In the past four days, all three had been returned to her. Now they might be taken away again. And somewhere deep inside her, she knew she would never recover this time.
Chapter 130
It had been ten minutes since the soldiers entered the burning lab complex. Peyton was on her feet now, able to breathe better, but not one hundred percent. She peered into the flames, looking for any signs of figures emerging. The pulsing heat warmed her face and body. A breeze pushed the blaze back every few seconds.
A gruff voice came over Peyton’s comm. “Artemis, Zulu leader, we’ve got a live one. Request medical assistance. We’re at the admin building.”
Major Reeves had been coordinating his troops’ surrender, which was finally complete.
Peyton interrupted a string of orders he was calling out. “Can one of your men take me to the admin building?”