KILLSHOT

The Countdown

The truck rumbled through the night.

Derek sat in the passenger seat, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still dark, heavy with clouds. The driver hadn't spoken since they'd climbed in. He just drove, his hands steady on the wheel.

Sloane was asleep in the back, her head resting against the window. Derek watched her for a moment, her face peaceful in the dim light. She'd been through hell, and she was still standing. That took something. Something he didn't have a name for.

The truck slowed. The driver glanced at him. "Airport's about ten klicks ahead. I can't take you all the way. There are checkpoints."

"Drop us here."

The truck pulled over. Derek woke Sloane. They climbed out, their feet hitting the wet asphalt.

The driver handed him a folded piece of paper. "There's a safehouse. About two klicks east. Old farmhouse. Nobody uses it anymore. You can regroup there."

"Why are you helping us?"

The driver shrugged. "Because I hate what they're doing. And because you look like you need it."

He drove away. Derek and Sloane stood alone on the empty road.

"Two klicks," Sloane said. "That's not far."

"Let's move."

They walked through the darkness, keeping to the edge of the road. The wind was cold, cutting through their wet clothes. Derek's body ached, every muscle screaming for rest. But he kept moving.

The farmhouse appeared through the trees. It was old, weather-beaten, the windows boarded up. But the roof was intact. The walls were solid.

Derek tried the door. It was locked. He kicked it open.

Inside, the house was empty. Dust covered the floors. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling. But it was dry. Sheltered.

He found a kerosene lamp in the kitchen. Lit it. The light flickered, casting shadows across the walls.

Sloane sat down on an old couch, wrapping her arms around herself.

"I'm going to check the perimeter," Derek said. "Stay here. Don't move."

He moved through the house, checking every room. Every window. Every door. The house was secure. No sign of recent occupancy.

He returned to the living room. Sloane was still on the couch, her eyes closed.

"We need to talk," he said.

She opened her eyes. "About what?"

"About Garrett. About what he's planning."

"He's planning to destroy everything. The network he's building—it's not just surveillance. It's control. Complete control over every system, every person, every decision."

"How do we stop it?"

Sloane was quiet for a moment. "There's only one way. We have to find the central hub. The core of the network. If we can access it, I can upload a virus that will destroy the entire system."

"Where is the central hub?"

"I don't know. Garrett never told me. But I have a theory."

"What theory?"

"He's building it in a place that's already connected to the global grid. A place with the infrastructure to support the network. A place like..."

She paused. Her eyes widened.

"Like where?"

"Like the server farm. But not the one we destroyed. A different one. A bigger one."

Derek's jaw tightened. "Where?"

"Deep underground. A facility that's been built over decades. I heard rumors about it when I was still working on the project. Something called the Vault."

"The Vault?"

"An underground bunker. Built during the Cold War. It was supposed to house the government's continuity of operations—the backup systems in case of a nuclear attack. It was decommissioned years ago. But Garrett bought it. He's been retrofitting it for years."

"Where is it?"

Sloane shook her head. "I don't know. The location was classified. But I know someone who might."

"Who?"

"An old colleague. A man named Dr. Elias Vance. He was the lead architect of the original project. He knows everything about the Vault."

"Vance? The same last name as mine."

"Coincidence. But he's the only one who can help us."

Derek stood up. "Where can we find him?"

"He's in hiding. Like I was. But I know how to reach him."

"Then reach him."

Sloane moved to the kitchen counter. She found an old phone, its wires frayed but functional. She plugged it in, dialed a number from memory.

It rang three times. Then a voice answered, tinny and distant.

"Sloane?"

"Elias. It's me."

"I know who it is. I've been waiting for your call."

"You know what's happening?"

"I know everything. Garrett's been building the Vault for years. He's almost finished. If he activates the network, there'll be no stopping him."

"Where is the Vault?"

Silence. Then: "You're not going to like this."

"Tell me."

"It's underneath the city. Veridian City. The entire network is built into the foundation of the city itself. The subway system, the power grid, the water supply—they've all been retrofitted to serve the Vault."

"Underneath the city?"

"The central hub is located in the old municipal bunker. Under the City Hall building. That's where he's based. That's where the network is controlled."

Derek felt his blood run cold. Veridian City. The place he'd left behind. The place where his brother was still recovering.

"Thank you, Elias," Sloane said.

"Be careful. Garrett's not going to give up without a fight."

The line went dead.

Derek turned to Sloane. "We're going back."

"Back to Veridian?"

"Back to the city. Back to the Vault. Back to Garrett."

"We don't even know if the information is reliable."

"It's the only lead we have."

Sloane nodded slowly. "Then we need to move fast. If Garrett is as close to finishing as Elias says, we don't have much time."

"How much time?"

Sloane looked at the old clock on the wall. It was broken, the hands frozen at 3:47. She pulled out her phone, checked the time.

"We have three days. Maybe less."

"Then we leave tonight."

Derek moved to the door. Sloane followed.

The sky was starting to lighten. The rain had stopped, leaving the air cold and clear.

"The airport is about ten klicks back," Derek said. "We can catch a flight. Be back in Veridian by nightfall."

"And then what? Walk into the Vault and confront Garrett?"

"Yes."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

She stared at him for a long moment. Then she nodded slowly.

"Alright," she said. "Let's go."

They walked. The road stretched ahead of them, empty and silent. The sun was rising, painting the sky in shades of orange and gold.

Derek thought about his brother. Jake would be awake by now, safe in the clinic. He'd be wondering where Derek had gone. He'd be worried.

But he'd understand.

He'd always understood.

The airport was busy when they arrived. Travelers moved through the terminals, carrying luggage, checking their phones. Derek and Sloane blended in, just two more faces in the crowd.

They bought tickets on the next flight to Veridian. The plane departed in two hours.

They sat in the terminal, waiting. Derek watched the people around him. Ordinary people. They had no idea what was happening. No idea that the city they lived in was built on top of a machine that could destroy them all.

He wanted to tell them. To warn them. But he knew it wouldn't matter. They wouldn't believe him. They'd think he was crazy.

Maybe he was crazy.

But he was also right.

The flight was called. They boarded. Derek took the window seat, staring out at the runway.

The plane lifted off, rising above the clouds.

He closed his eyes.

He thought about the Vault. About the network. About the machine that was waiting for him.

He thought about Garrett. The man who'd betrayed him. The man who'd built the machine that was going to destroy the world.

He thought about his brother. The only family he had left.

And he made a promise.

He was going to stop Garrett.

No matter what it cost.

The plane flew on. The hours passed.

And somewhere ahead, the Vault was waiting.