Daiyu half turned to glance back, and a rush of conflicted feelings surged through me when our eyes locked: chagrin that she had fooled me so completely, relief that she at last knew the truth, but most of all, fear. Fear that neither of us would make it out of this building alive. I had signed up for this from the start. She hadn’t.
A moment later, a thunderous roar shook Jin Corp, a different sound than the explosives that had gone off. The ground rocked, and I closed the short distance between us. She grabbed my arm and we both dropped to our knees as the building heaved and shuddered. “The floors are collapsing above us,” Daiyu shouted.
I stood when the building stilled and pulled Daiyu to her feet.
“This way,” she said.
She stayed by my side now, as if afraid we’d lose each other somehow in the empty corridor. The dimmed golden lights flickered overhead, then cut out entirely, leaving only emergency lighting. Dust particles blasted out from the vents, carrying the scent of fire and electrical smoke. Tears streamed from my eyes, the smoke was so strong, and I coughed uncontrollably.
Daiyu pressed her fingers against my palm, and I let her guide me as gray tendrils began to fill the hall too fast, turning the air darker around us. We ran through the wide corridor, past the sleek gold sliding doors leading into the foyer. Another loud boom knocked us off our feet, and the entire building shook, as violent as an earthquake, followed by the sound of concrete collapsing. Another powerful thud, and we fell again; this time, Daiyu pulled me to my feet.
“We’re almost there,” she shouted, but in a moment of sudden silence, it sounded like a gunshot through the empty hallway.
Our world shuddered around us as we ran, and the smoke grew so thick, the air became almost opaque. I had taken off my shirt and pressed the fabric against my mouth and nose but knew it wouldn’t be too long before I gave in to smoke inhalation. The visibility was so poor, I nearly careened into someone. Both Daiyu and I shouted in surprise, but the other person uttered nothing. Catching a glimpse of platinum-blond hair, I choked out, “Iris?”
“Zhou!” she exclaimed when she realized it was me. “Thank gods, Arun couldn’t find you—”
“Daiyu got me,” I shouted over the noise. “She knows the way out.”
Iris gave a curt nod, her distrust of Daiyu clear in her dark eyes. “Zhou’s here. We’re headed out.” She was reporting to Lingyi.
We stumbled forward together. I was grasping Daiyu’s hand, and Iris gripped me by the shoulder so we wouldn’t lose each other. “Vic’s already out?” I asked.
Iris didn’t reply, and I stopped, thinking I hadn’t heard her in the commotion, but one look at her stricken face, and I knew. I jerked away from both girls. “We have to go back!”
I turned and lunged toward where we had come. The corridor was black with smoke and dust. A strong hand clenched my arm, stopping me. I charged forward; Iris might be strong, but I outweighed her.
“Zhou,” she screamed. “Stop. Zhou!” She broke into a fit of coughing.
Victor. No.
“It’s too late!” Iris screamed. “We lost connection with him after his second bomb detonated. He was having trouble setting the timer. . . .” Her voice broke. “Lingyi told him to go, but he didn’t listen.”
Someone else grasped my other hand. “Please, Jason.” Daiyu. “We’ll all die. Please come with us.” I could see the tears streaking down her face, despite her filth-smudged helmet.
Somehow, I knew Daiyu wouldn’t let me go without following. And although I was content to run toward my own death, I couldn’t let hers be on my conscience, too. I nodded and let Daiyu lead us again to the exit. Iris brought up the rear, as if she didn’t trust me not to break away again.
Maybe she understood me better than I realized.
We swayed on our feet as the building rocked, crashing to our knees over and over again. This must be what hell is like, I thought, unable to breathe, unable to see, surrounded by the rumbling of earth and stone and gulping death with each inhalation. I ran after Daiyu in a haze, only aware of our fingers twined together, my other hand clutching Iris’s.
My mind kept riffling through memories of my friend, offering stark images, snapshots in time.
Victor tying the bow tie for my tuxedo with care. I’m nothing without you, Victor, I joked. I know, he replied with that devilish grin.
Victor leaning over me, his dark eyes filled with concern. After he basically shoved me out of a high-rise window. You all right, kid?
Victor, the pain-in-the-ass older brother I’d never had. No, I wasn’t all right. Nothing will be right again.
I was supposed to be the dispensable one. I was supposed to take the majority of the risks. Not Victor, who had doubts about all of this from the start. Not Victor, who could charm his way out of anything.
But not this time.
Daiyu finally stopped at a steel door that required a brain wave scan. Her face was flushed and pallid in alternating beats as the red lights flickered around us. She began tugging at her helmet, then pulling at her collar, but her fishbowl wouldn’t budge. “Could you get the helmet off me?” she asked. “My suit is dead.”
The purple neon lights of her suit had dimmed. I pulled out my knife and wiped my eyes, still coughing. But I held my breath and lay a hand on Daiyu’s shoulder. “Don’t move,” I said.
I was the unsteady one, but I forced myself to focus, then carefully slipped the tip of the blade under her suit collar and cut the material. Her chest rose up and down too fast, making me nervous I’d nick her by accident. She was hyperventilating. “All the suits are useless now,” she said between rushed breaths. “My father wanted to be sure that if Jin Corp didn’t exist, the suits wouldn’t function.”
Finally, I had carefully slashed through the circumference of her collar and lifted the helmet off her head. She drew a long breath then coughed uncontrollably. Wisps of black hair stuck to her forehead and cheeks.
She stood underneath the curved glass dome by the door, as blue lasers enveloped the top of her head, sliced across her temples and forehead. The door slid open, and we fell out, gasping for air.
Iris shoved the door closed; it sealed with a snick. We were in an alleyway behind Jin Corp, safe . . . for now. As if reading my thoughts, Daiyu said, “My father built the exterior of the building to withstand bombings, so it cannot collapse.”
Even as she spoke, the octagonal structure shook violently. “I don’t think we should test that theory,” I said. We ran away from Jin Corp, winding our way through dark alleyways, Daiyu’s Palm the only light illuminating our path. Finally, after we had put distance between us and the building, I stopped, lungs aching.
“Let’s disappear, Zhou,” Iris said. It was the first time I had ever seen her look so winded, ready to collapse like I was. “The cops will be here soon.”
I paused for a long moment, my mind unable to focus, still reeling from losing Victor.
Daiyu’s fingertips grazed my hand.
I glanced toward her, surprised.
Iris lifted an eyebrow. “We’ve gotta get out of here.”