Shattered World (Shattered #3)

Chapter Sixteen

M urphy came hurdling into the bedroom later in the evening, a wild grin on his face. We all lazed around the room, waiting for good news. Mina, Sasha, and I cuddled on one of the beds, Warner sprawling across the other.

Aiden and Rainer whispered in the corner amongst themselves, probably talking through plans on how to keep us all safe in case this meeting came to fruition.

“He responded,” Murphy said, plopping onto the other bed, shoving Warner’s feet out of the way.

Rainer immediately went into plan mode, standing in front of Murphy. “What did he say? When is the meeting? Where?” He tossed a look over his shoulder. “You three aren’t coming.”

Immediately, the three of us complained our disagreement, refusing to be left behind, but Murphy shushed us, needing to get his words out.

“Meeting this evening at seven o’clock. Dupree Plaza. I made sure Caroline would be in attendance.” He shot a glare at his best friend. “We are all going. No discussion.”

Rainer grumbled under his breath, but to his credit, didn’t disagree any further.

“How did the message sound? Threatening?” Aiden asked and Murphy shrugged his shoulders.

“I have no clue. He literally just responded with the time and place and when I asked for Caroline to be there, he said yes. I couldn’t get a read off of it if I tried.”

That wasn’t helpful in the situation. For the hundredth time, we were going to walk into a situation completely unprepared. Although, as Rainer started discussing what we were to bring and wear, even where to stand once we arrived, I knew he would do everything possible to prepare us.

Later that evening, when we exited the hotel, bundled up in our coats, the winter chill bit at our exposed skin. The sky was dark above our heads, clouds heavy with precipitation that had yet to fall.

“Do you think it will snow?” Mina asked softly as we passed a crowd of people hurrying toward warmth.

“I hope not. We do not have the proper attire,” Sasha responded, looking at the battered tennis shoes on her feet.

My toes were already frozen a few steps out into this weather and what I wouldn’t give for my fleece lined boots I used to have for Montana winters.

Mina sighed sadly. “I hope we see snow one more time before we’re stuck under ground the rest of our lives.”

Sasha and I smiled at her simple dream, looping our arms through hers as we continued to walk. The walk to the Dupree Plaza was a short one, only a few blocks away from the hotel. I didn’t know if Chandler had chosen the location for that reason or for another we weren’t privy to.

When we entered the building, hot air skimmed over me, my teeth still chattering. A short woman with platinum hair stood at the entrance, not bothering to ask who we were before leading us down a hallway and toward two large doors.

Pushing one open, we were led into a large meeting room. A table spread the length of the room, at least twenty chairs scattered around the perimeter. Six of the chairs on the opposite end of the room were taken, Caroline’s stoic posture in one of them.

Although her expression gave nothing away, her appearance did. She still wore the same outfit as the last time we had seen her, her hair falling in straight strands to her shoulders. Dark circles sat under her eyes, her lips dry and cracked.

Whatever had happened to her over the past month, it was clear she was no longer in the government’s good graces.

A stocky, tall man stood at the front of the conference room, his hands clasped neatly in front of him, a jovial smile on his face.

“Please, take a seat.” He gestured toward the empty chairs, his smile never letting up.

Following Rainer’s plan from earlier, we took our seats. Warner sat closest to the door, his hand sliding under the table to palm his gun. Rainer and Aiden sat on opposite ends, closest to the others.

Mina sat beside Aiden, Sasha at her side. I placed myself between Murphy and her, directly across from the standing man, who I easily assumed was Chandler. The men may have been our brute force, but I had been labeled as the speaker.

Caroline had trusted me once before. Maybe this man would do the same.

“According to your message, you have some information for me,” Chandler began, leaning forward slightly in interest. Before I could respond with a lie, his head canted toward Caroline. “But she has made it clear you do not.”

Swallowing hard, I realized we had been sold out before we ever stepped foot inside. Chandler knew exactly what information we had. More importantly, he knew exactly what information we lacked. Namely, a way to get inside the bunker.

Deciding to shoot from the hip, words spilled from my lips. “That was before we gained access to her office. The information in there was quite extensive.”

Caroline’s eyes widened and she began shaking her head. “They couldn’t get in. There’s no way.”

By her frantic words, I knew she was trying to save herself. But what she didn’t realize was that she gave me exactly what I needed. If we made it out of this building, I would find that battering ram and get into her office. Everything we needed to survive was in there.

“Hm. An interesting development,” Chandler muttered, meeting the gaze of the woman to his right.

The single look sent a shiver up my spine, an omen of what was to come. Briefly, I glanced at Warner, his eyes widening slightly, trying to share a message with me. But I wasn’t Rainer. I couldn’t decipher what he meant, not in enough time.

“Alas,” Chandler continued, “it seems that none of you are any use to us. If anything, you’re simply a nuisance, only in our way. Not for much longer.”

The woman at his side stood, a hidden gun revealing itself, the sight like an abstract painting. I couldn’t quite piece together the image of her in her pencil skirt and neat blouse, aiming a gun directly at Caroline’s head.

Without a warning word, the bullet flew through the air, meeting its intended target. Caroline’s body slumped in her seat, her head hitting the table, blood spattering on the immaculate surface.

I held in my horrified gasp, biting my tongue until I tasted blood. I urged my body to move, knowing that gun’s next target, especially as the other men and women on Chandler’s side stood in unison.

Finally, I stood on shaky legs, backing toward the door, Mina and Sasha at my side. Murphy stepped in front of us, Aiden and Rainer standing their ground. I wanted to yell at Aiden to get out of the way; he didn’t have a weapon as Rainer did.

“Now don’t do anything stupid. You are clearly outnumbered. And even if you weren’t, you’ve given away your location.”

I was stupid. An absolute idiot for thinking this would go any other way. It wasn’t the time, but my mind settled on Elizabeth’s words, wondering if this was the moment she had feared. The moment our luck was finally up.

No one on our side spoke, a silent standoff between the five weapons on their side and the two on ours. Sasha inched closer to the door, pushing Mina and me along. But the blonde woman from before stood at the exit, a gun in her hand as well.

We were trapped on all sides. Warner and Rainer may have been a good shot, but not good enough for this.

“Drop!” Rainer called out and quickly, Sasha, Mina and I dropped to our hands and knees, ducking beneath the table.

A cacophony of shots rang through the room, a yelp spilling from my lips when a hand grabbed me.

“It’s just me,” Aiden breathed, crawling along the floor and pushing us toward the door.

I wanted to tell him there was no use, but then I spotted the open eyes of the blonde woman, staring blankly into the distance. The blood dribbling down her forehead told me that our exit was clear.

Crawling as fast as we could, we made our way toward the door. We were almost there when suddenly Mina turned directions.

“Mina! Stop!” Sasha whispered harshly, but Mina didn’t hesitate.

I had no clue what she was doing, only that she was purposely moving into danger. Looking up, I noticed Murphy ducking beneath the table, moving toward us, Rainer and Warner backing up in our direction.

None of the others dared to come on our side, not willing to be caught in the crossfire of their own companions' shots. But I couldn’t think about any of that, not when Mina still shuffled across the floor.

Somehow, she maneuvered without notice, her features shuttering as she reached Caroline’s slumped body. As she dug her hand into a pocket, I realized what was happening.

“Oh my god, the key. She’s trying to grab the key,” I whispered to Sasha.

Caroline was wearing the same outfit. The outfit we had seen her slip the key to her office inside of. The odds of it still being there were slim, but when Mina clasped something in her palm, my heart skipped a beat.

Chandler, two men, and one woman still stood, the others fallen as Warner and Rainer bracketed around the door, shoving the rest of us over the threshold. The shots had paused for a moment, Chandler’s hand raised.

“Where will you go? The moment you leave, my people will be at the hotel.”

Rainer shrugged nonchalantly, but there was no denying the tension in his shoulders. “And we won’t be there.”

As Warner stepped through the door, I stood up, pressing my chest against his back.

“Mina, where is she?” I whispered into his ear, not able to see around his body and too scared to dare look.

“She’s almost here,” Warner mumbled so low I could barely make out the words.

That’s why they were continuing this conversation. They were trying to give her time. Breathing roughly against Warner’s back, his muscles tensed beneath my touch.

“Go, Alessia. Grab Sasha’s hand and go.”

I shook my head but he shoved me backwards, Murphy’s wide eyes filled with horror as he grabbed my arm and dragged me back. Aiden wore a similar expression, folding Sasha into his arms as he pulled her back.

“What’s this?” Chandler asked with a sinister tone.

“No,” I mumbled, not needing to see to know he had found Mina.

Sasha fought against Aiden’s hold, craning her neck, tears filling her eyes. Her mouth opened on a scream, but Aiden slapped a palm over her lips, muffling the shout.

“You’ll really leave her behind?” Chandler asked on a taunt, Warner shifting further out of the door, leaving Rainer standing alone, his gun poised and ready.

Silence passed and I knew Rainer was staring at Mina, an impossible decision facing him down. It was her or all of us. But how did that make the decision easier when he had done everything since day one to protect her?

“Rainer.” I heard Mina’s soft voice, filled with so much strength that the tears falling from my eyes couldn’t be stemmed. “Catch.”

Rainer’s hand slid into the air, grabbing something small, his fingers clasping over the metal as the gunshot rang out. My body fell limp into Murphy’s arms, Sasha’s scream finally filling the air.

Rainer and Warner both let out several more shots as they raced from the room, slamming the door shut behind them. Murphy and Aiden had to carry Sasha and me as they sprinted out of the building, sliding onto the sidewalk, running faster than ever before.

My body shook with the movement, my brain trying to register where we were going. We had the key, but we couldn’t go back to the hotel. Not without risking our lives.

Ignoring thoughts of everything that waited before us, I blinked up at the sky, something wet falling against my cheek.

It was snowing.

And Mina was dead.