The Integers slip out the door to enact my orders. The rest turn their eyes to me.
“The rest of you will be following 13's orders.” I look them over. “Go gear up and prepare yourselves for a tough fight.”
13 and I watch them leave the room, and when the last one shuts the door, he turns to me. “What do you want me to do, 80?”
“Use your instincts.” I step down from the bed and place my hand on his shoulder. “Right before the start of the attack, I want you to storm as many of the drones’ quarters as you can to stop them before they can join the fight. The fewer we have to fight, the better chance we have to succeed. After you've done what you can there, join the fight at the ramp.”
“What about you?” he asks.
I smile. 13 is the only person I feel I could call a friend. “First, I'm going to warn Paz so that she can take herself and Pocket to safety. Then I'm going to try to join the fight in five different ways.”
13 laughs, and I join in. It's nice to have this light moment before the darkness that will accompany the next few hours.
Before I can do anything more, 13 pulls me into a hug. “Thank you.”
“For what?” I pat his back.
“For giving me life.” He lets me go and heads out through the door.
I look around at my empty room and take a deep breath.
It's time.
CHAPTER XVIII
I grab a rifle from the corner and leave my room. Then I head around the back, past the fenced-in hangar, to the exterior parts of the scientists' quarters. There is a calm wind tonight, and the stars speckle the dark sky. I place my hand on the scanner by the door and enter the hallway next to Paz's room.
The door opens right after I knock, and Paz smiles when she sees me. I look around her, and under a pile of blankets is a sleeping Pocket. I place my rifle by the door, step in, and close the door behind me.
“I heard about the game.” Paz takes a seat on her bed.
I sit next to her and take her hand, keeping my voice down so as not to wake Pocket. “Paz, listen. The attack on the compound is going to start in a few hours, in the early morning.”
She grimaces, bows her head, and nods. “I knew it was coming soon.”
“Promise me that you will do whatever you can to keep yourself and Pocket safe.” I look around at the room, taking note of its location. “You might be safe here since most of the fighting will be happening by the ramp and barracks.”
“Are you going after the escape Flyz for the Genesys?” she asks.
“We are.” I'm surprised that she knew what our target was.
“That's an ingenious plan.” She smiles.
I smile back. “Do your best to stay safe. At the first sign of trouble, seek shelter.”
“We will.” She looks at Pocket and back at me, then squeezes my hand. “If things go south, you come and find us.”
“I promise.” I stand.
Paz stands next to me and pulls me into her warm and comforting arms. She sniffles, and I can feel her tears hit my shoulder.
She pulls away. “Be safe.”
I smile at her and walk over to Pocket. The girl is sound asleep, her face gentle and innocent. Waking her would be too hard—I wouldn't know how to explain what is happening. I lean down and kiss her forehead, knowing that I will do anything in my power to save her.
When I turn, I see that Paz has sat back down on her bed and is crying into her hands. I squeeze her shoulder, kiss the top of her head, and then walk out of the door. I take two steps down the hallway and collapse to the ground, leaning my back against the wall.
I'm overwhelmed by everything that has happened and the pressure of needing to succeed. My body shakes, and my breathing speeds up. Sweat and tears roll down my face. So many people are counting on me. What if I fail? I've already failed KJ. I've failed her mother and sister. I've failed the girl from the dungeon. 93. If I fail now, I will fail them all.
A commotion down the hall pulls me out of my panic attack. Two women are arguing around the corner, right by Brianna's room.
I grab my rifle and move with stealth to the cross-section of corridors. I stop when a figure turns the corner and walks away from me to a room halfway down the hallway. It's Dr. Kivuli.
Once she's in her room, I hustle to Brianna's room and knock.
Brianna answers, ready for a fight. She eases up when she sees me but pushes me back down the hallway. “It's her. Dr. Kivuli is the mole. You need to stop her before she tells anyone.”
“What does she know?” I ask as I turn the corner to go to Dr. Kivuli's room.
“Everything,” Brianna yells after me.
I head down the hallway to the door I saw Dr. Kivuli enter and knock.
The door flies open, and Dr. Kivuli stands in the frame. “I don't care, Brianna, I'm telling… 80?”
The surprise of seeing me at her door causes her to let down her guard, so I enter her room before she's able to close me out.
“What are you doing here?” she asks.
“I'm sorry.” I raise my rifle.
The pain and fear in her eyes nearly get me to lower the weapon. “You're with them?”
“I want to live. I want to have a life,” I plead my case.
Before I can pull the trigger, she runs out the open door, down the hallway to the exit door with the scanner. She must think that I don't have access to those doors. I
