The helicopter's lights disappeared into the clouds, swallowed by the darkness. Stone stood on the helipad, his pistol still raised, his heart pounding against his ribs. Claire was gone. She'd escaped into the night, leaving behind a world that was already beginning to burn.
The first signs came within minutes. The facility's emergency lights flickered and died, plunging the corridor into darkness. The hum of the generators sputtered and stopped. Somewhere in the distance, Stone heard the sound of explosions—distant, muted, but unmistakable.
He moved through the darkness, his hand tracing the wall, his senses on high alert. The facility was a tomb, its corridors filled with the echoes of his footsteps.
He found Elena and Wrench in the main control room, their faces illuminated by the gl
