When Desmond said nothing, Conner’s voice hardened. “You promised me, brother. You swore we’d finish this together.”

Desmond exhaled. The smoke was slowly filling the room, clouding his vision, the wind losing the battle to suck it away completely. On the way to the island, he had thought he saw things so clearly. He hesitated now.

In Dadaab, he had seen the evil the Citium had unleashed upon the world: hordes of helpless people dying, bodies being tossed upon bonfires, orphans who would grow up never knowing love—just like him. Even if the Looking Glass offered a panacea for humanity’s problems, Desmond would never ask the world’s people to pay that price, much less force it on them against their will.

He looked Conner in the eye. “I’m going to help you, brother. I mean that. Do you believe me?”

Conner nodded. “Yes. Good.”

Desmond turned his head quickly and whispered to Avery. “Go. Do it now.”

She didn’t need to be told twice. She spun on her heel, crouched to make herself a smaller target, and dove out the window as the room erupted in gunfire.

Chapter 125

Chapter 125

The thick brush below the building broke Avery’s fall, but the landing from the fifteen-foot drop was still agonizing. She groaned, rolled, and fought to catch her breath. Bullets ripped through the tree canopy and raked across the ground just inches from her.

She pushed up and ran. Her left leg screamed in pain, but she didn’t stop. She activated her mic.

“Overwatch, Medusa, our cover is blown. Request immediate backup, air support, and exfil. Bravo, Zulu, Medusa. Any hell you could unleash would be greatly appreciated.”

Seconds later, explosions rocked the island. A fire rose from the harbor.

In a thick clump of trees, Avery slumped to the ground, got the satphone out, connected it to the tablet, and began the upload. After only a moment, the screen flashed:

Upload Complete

She activated the North Star app, which initialized a voice-over-IP phone connection. David Ward’s voice came on the line.

“We just saw the upload.”

Avery was still breathing hard. “What happens now?”

“Leave that to us. Just get out of there in one piece.”

Bullets ripped into the tree trunk at her back and across the dense ferns around her. She rolled, pulled the handgun from her holster, and emptied the magazine. She saw three soldiers fall. There were at least ten more behind them. She slid her last magazine in and began limping away. They were gaining on her, moving slower now, taking their time, hiding behind the palm trees that swayed in the wind. The smoke issuing from the window descended into the jungle and streaked across the glowing moon above. The darkness aided her retreat, but it wasn’t enough. Her time was short.