Decoding Darkness

by Marissa Farrar

  At the front of the building, the others must have realized something was going on. I heard a shout, then someone fired a gun, the crack of the gunshot louder than the helicopter blades.

  “We’re running out of time,” I yelled, taking a step forward, keeping my gun trained on Hollan, just in case he tried to do something stupid. “Release Clay, and I’ll come with you instead. I’ll unlock the damned memory stick, and we’ll bring this thing to an end, once and for all.”

  I’d never seen Hollan look more uncomfortable, his gaze flicking back and forth between me and the direction of the helicopter, hesitating, unsure what to do. I didn’t like this side of him, preferring the man who had it together. This man had the appearance of a trapped, injured animal. Unpredictable. I had no idea if he was going to run or attack.

  Hollan tensed, but then took a step backward, toward the door. I realized he was going to retreat into the building.

  “No, wait!” I shouted, throwing down the gun I’d been brandishing. I didn’t want Clay to be taken back into the building alone, even if it meant taking me prisoner again as well. I couldn’t leave Clay like that. Seeing the blood, and the way he didn’t seem to be able to open his eyes properly, broke my heart. He’d done this for me, and now I’d sacrifice myself for him if I had to.

  This was madness. Hollan was giving up his chance of escape, and I was giving up my freedom, but I didn’t care. I ran toward the building, ignoring Lorcan shouting behind me. Maybe Hollan figured the helicopter would come back for him as soon as he had the code, or they would wait long enough for him to retrieve it. Perhaps that was exactly what would happen. I didn’t know. All I knew was I needed to be with Clay, and I needed to reach the door before Hollan pulled it shut and locked us all out again.

  Hollan vanished back inside the building, but he didn’t close the door. I reached the entrance and threw myself inside. I turned back for a moment to find Lorcan right behind me. He didn’t say a word, but spoke to me with his dark, hazel eyes, a pleading look that said, don’t do this.

  I grabbed the handle of the big metal door and mouthed I’m sorry, right before slamming it shut, encasing me inside the building.

  Chapter Twenty

  I knew the guys would be furious with me. Isaac, in particular, would be mad as hell when he learned what I’d done, but I didn’t feel I had any choice. I couldn’t let Clay be used as a human shield and risk him getting killed. And I couldn’t allow Hollan to retreat inside the building with Clay either. Clay wasn’t in any fit state to protect himself against Hollan, and I wasn’t going to let him be at the other man’s mercy. At least in here, I felt there was something I could do to try to protect him.

  Hollan was already partway down the corridor, half dragging Clay with him. He turned right, vanishing down the small corridor where the vault-like room was located. With my heart pounding, I chased after them. Rounding the corner, I discovered the metal wall that had been lowered in order to seal Hollan inside the panic room, was no longer down. It meant the guys could storm the building from the front now, though they had armed men and a helicopter to get past.

  “Hurry up,” Hollan yelled, twisting his face to me, while he continued to move toward the metal room. “If we’re going to do this, we do this now, or I’ll shoot your friend in the fucking head, I swear I will.”

  I believed him.

  I hurried after them. I didn’t want to risk Hollan losing it completely and killing Clay. If Isaac and the others were able to deal with the men in the helicopter, then it would be us against Hollan, which was a match he was bound to lose. I just had to keep Clay alive long enough for Isaac and the others to take down the men in the chopper. I hoped that was a fight they’d win, because if they didn’t, we’d be royally fucked. I’d have given the code to Hollan, and most likely Clay and I would end up dead anyway.

  Mentally, I reassured myself that I was doing the right thing. If Hollan had taken him out in the open, I was sure Clay would have been shot, if not by Hollan himself, then by being caught in the crossfire. At least in here there was only one gun to be afraid of.

  The door to the metal room stood open. That told me there was nothing inside left to protect, which meant Hollan had the memory stick on him. I wondered why we were going back if the memory stick wasn’t there, but then I realized that was where the nearest computer was located.

  I was right.

  Hollan dumped a semi-conscious Clay into one of the chairs then hit the key to bring the computer to life. He reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out the small, black, oblong device. The memory stick. My breath caught. That was it—the thing everyone was after, right in front of me. I suppressed the urge to lunge forward and snatch it out of his fingers.

  Hollan jammed the device into the USB port of the computer, all the while keeping his gun trained on Clay’s head. I willed the guys to get here, but they couldn’t arrive yet. If they did, Hollan was sure to kill Clay.

  A screen flashed up on the computer asking for a password. Flashing lines waited for me to enter the numbers that were now dancing in front of my face. The code.

  Hollan jammed the gun back against Clay’s head, and Clay gave a moan of distress. His blond hair, matted pink with blood, fell across his face. I was terrified to think Hollan might have caused him brain damage or something else permanent. It pained me to see him like this when he was normally so filled with life.

  “Tell me the code, bitch,” Hollan snarled, “and no goddamned games, or I’ll shoot him in the fucking head. Is that what you want?”

  I didn’t like the look in Hollan’s eyes—desperation—as though he’d been pushed one step too far. Could I risk it? If I gave him the code, and the guys got into the building, they’d be able to kill him. Then Hollan knowing the location of the other bases wouldn’t be a problem for anyone.

  With shaking hands, my fingers rested on the keyboard.

  Sudden panic that I’d remembered the code wrong and was about to wipe the memory stick flashed through me. Cold sweat slicked my palms. Perhaps that would be the best thing to happen? But no, if I did, Hollan was sure to kill us both. My nerves made me lightheaded and dizzy. I had to concentrate.

  The numbers for the code flashed up around me in order, and as I saw each one, I hit the corresponding key.

  Four, nine, two, zero, six, three, seven, one, eight, five.

  I entered the final number, and the screen changed. In front of me appeared six sets of coordinates, each one correlating to a different base. I knew one of them would match the base I’d been to, the same place Devlin and my aunt were at now, but I had no idea which one. I stared at each of the figures, trying to imprint them onto my brain. As I saw each set, they appeared around me, circling me like planets around a sun. I needed to be able to pick them out of the air the first moment it was required.

  “Download them,” Hollan commanded. He leaned past me and pushed a brand new memory stick into the computer’s second USB drive. What he planned on doing dawned on me. He wanted to be able to access the coordinates whenever he could, and, unlike me, couldn’t visualize numbers at will. So to prevent him needing to enter the code each time, he was simply creating a new memory stick that didn’t have the same coding my father had installed on the original.

  I glanced over at Clay, hoping he was coming around, and would be able to do something to help, but he still looked out of it. Hollan was also staying alert, keeping the gun pointed at Clay, while he glanced between Clay and the computer screen. He was keeping me busy at the computer, making sure both hands were occupied, while staying far away enough from me that I wouldn’t be able to try to throw something at him and go for the gun.

  Shit. I was running out of time.

  “Now, upload the coordinates to the new memory stick,” he instructed.

  I debated telling him I didn’t know how, but I knew he’d call out my bullshit. No one got to my age these days without knowing how to do something so simple on a computer.

  M
y fingers ran across the keyboard, bringing up the files and folders I needed. I clicked the mouse, and hit save.

  Dread had lodged like a stone in my gut. I couldn’t let him get away with the new memory stick, but I didn’t know what to do. The guys were all still outside, I assumed, so Hollan still needed to get past all of them in order to make it to the chopper and escape. Would he try to use Clay as a shield again, or could I at least hope that he’d leave Clay alone now that he had me?

  “There.” I straightened from the computer. “I’ve done it.”

  “Show me.”

  I clicked into the folder for the new memory stick, and opened up the file for the coordinates, proving I’d done everything correctly.

  He nodded. “Good. Now shut it down properly, and hand me them both.”

  Though I hated myself for it, I did as he instructed, and removed first the new flash drive, and then the old one. Hollan held out his hand, and I dropped them both into his palm. My gaze darted to his gun, but he saw me and shook his head.

  “Don’t even think about it, young lady. Try anything, and I’ll kill your friend in an instant.”

  I was lucky he hadn’t killed Clay already. I figured the only reason he’d kept him alive was to get my corporation. I wouldn’t have cared if Hollan had been pointing that gun at me, but when he was pointing it at someone I cared about, that was a whole different story.

  He slipped the new stick he’d created inside his pocket, then held out the one my father had died to protect. He dropped the original to the floor, and lifted his foot and crushed it beneath his shoe. The stick fractured into a hundred tiny pieces of plastic and metal.

  Hollan gave a smile, victorious. “Not much point in keeping you alive now that I have this, huh?”

  I stared at him in horror, trying to think of something I could do ... anything ... that would save our lives.

  From out of nowhere, something crashed into Hollan.

  At first I thought it was one of the guys finally here to help, but then I caught the flash of white blond hair, tan skin, a bandage taped across his face. Otto! The two men crashed to the floor, grappling for the weapon—Otto on top of Hollan. I was terrified the gun would go off, and though I should have tried to help Otto, my instincts caused me to cower away, out of the line of fire.

  I hesitated, unsure what to do next. My mind was going three ways. Gun. Clay. Memory stick. Which one should I go for first? Still, the two men fought for the weapon. Otto was younger than Hollan, but didn’t pack the bulk of muscle that Hollan did.

  A gunshot went off, so loud it hurt my ears. I let out a scream and ducked, fear filling my soul. The last I’d seen, Hollan still had the gun, and I was certain I’d feel a bullet punching through my flesh at any moment. When none came, I risked glancing back to where I’d last seen Hollan. He was scrambling to his feet still holding the gun, while Otto was on the ground. Otto was still alive, his hand pressed against the spot right below his collarbone. He’d grown ashen beneath his tan, and his fair blue eyes had filled with pain and fear. They darted to me, and then back toward where Hollan was making a run for the door.

  Shit.

  Surely, my time was up. Hollan would turn and put a bullet in both me and Clay, and then do his best to get out of here.

  Hollan hesitated at the open doorway, perhaps wondering if it was worth taking the time to finish the job on Otto, and then kill me and Clay, or if something else would be thrown in his way. I was certain I was going to get shot. Instead of shooting, he continued into the corridor beyond. I watched him pull a phone out of his pocket, and caught the words ‘roof’ and ‘out of here’ as he spoke into the cell.

  My breath caught.

  That was where he was going. He was heading to the roof. I didn’t know what to do. I had two injured men here, and I was unarmed, but Hollan had the new memory stick. He was going to get away. Outside, I heard further gunfire. Isaac and the others were fighting a battle of their own. Had Lorcan managed to tell Isaac what I’d done yet? Did they even know I was inside here with Hollan? The people in the helicopter would be trying to take off, and as soon as they did, they’d have an advantage over the guys again. But it would take time to hover across the roof and pick Hollan up. Maybe that would be a weak point where the guys could bring the chopper down?

  I paused, kneeling beside Otto. The amount of blood spreading out across the white of his shirt worried me. “I’ll be back,” I told him. “Keep your hand pressed to the wound.”

  Otto nodded. “Just go.”

  At least he was still able to speak—that was something. I didn’t know what had brought about Otto’s change of heart. After what I’d done to him, I wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d let Hollan kill me. Hell, if someone had sliced open my face, I’d have probably helped. Had he been hiding out in the building this whole time, or had he somehow gotten past Isaac and the others and sneaked back inside? Either way, I was thankful. If he hadn’t interrupted, both Clay and I would most likely be dead right now.

  I glanced back to where Clay was slumped in the chair. His eyes were still shut, his chin on his chest, but his breathing appeared to be slow and even, and there was no sign of any more bleeding. I wanted to go to him, to touch his face and put my nose in his hair, and let him know I was there, but I didn’t have time.

  From outside, I heard more gunfire, and my stomach twisted. It didn’t sound as though the guys were getting here any time soon.

  I knew which direction Hollan had gone—toward the roof. He had the new memory stick on him, the one that was no longer encrypted. He could access the information anytime he wanted. The coordinates I’d seen flashed up in front of my vision, a series of numbers winking in and out of life like digits on a computer screen.

  Hollan might have the coordinates, but I knew what they were, too.

  Feeling wretched for abandoning both Clay and Hollan, I made up my mind and ran for the door. My feet skidded on the polished concrete floor as I raced for the stairs to the roof, wondering what the hell I was going to do when I got there. Unlike me, Hollan was still armed, but I needed to do something. I couldn’t let him get away.

  I reached the bottom of the stairs. The door stood open, but there was no sign of Hollan.

  Taking the stairs two at a time, I reached the top and pushed open the door which led onto the roof. The helicopter had already managed to take off, and now hovered above us. The wind from the blade whipped the hair from my face. The noise was deafening. I spotted Hollan standing in the middle of the roof, looking up as something was lowered down to him. It was a rope with plastic straps at the bottom for Hollan to secure himself into while he was winched back up. He still held the gun in his hand, and I didn’t dare try to approach him for fear of being shot. Only the noise and distraction of the helicopter had prevented him from noticing me so far.

  Where were the others? I didn’t know what had happened on the ground, if anyone had been hurt. I’d heard enough gunshots, and there were bound to be casualties.

  The bottom of the rope reached Hollan, and he grabbed hold of it, lifting his legs to cling into the plastic part meant for seating.

  “Stop!” I yelled in desperation. But it didn’t mean a thing. I had no way of making him halt.

  My shout had caused him to notice me, however. As he hung onto the rope with one hand, he aimed his weapon with the other and squeezed off a couple more shots, forcing me to dart back inside the small building that housed the staircase.

  Impotent anger filled me. The son of a bitch was getting away, and there was nothing I could do about it. Further shots came from the ground, and I realized Isaac and the others were firing from below, trying to take him out and shoot at the helicopter out from the ground. Hollan was in a precarious position, dangling from a rope at the bottom of the helicopter, but even before he had managed to get into the aircraft, it was already lifting and taking Hollan out of range.

  I stood, staring, as the helicopter rose higher and higher. I caught a glimp
se of hands reaching down, helping pull Hollan him into the body of the aircraft, before the door was pulled shut behind him. They were too high up now to make out any faces or details that could be used later.

  Feeling useless, I slumped to the roof of the building.

  Fuck. I’d failed. Hollan had gotten away, and not only that, he had the locations of each of the bases where the guys were trained. I was furious with myself. I should have done more, made different choices, but then I remembered the reason I’d made those choices—Clay was downstairs, hurt but alive—and Otto was there, too, also badly injured, perhaps even dying.

  I didn’t have time to sit around feeling sorry for myself.

  Not while people’s lives hung in the balance.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  I forced myself back to my feet.

  My entire body trembled, and I felt lightheaded, but I had to go and help the guys downstairs. I needed to explain to Isaac what had happened, and we’d need to tell Devlin. I dreaded that moment, but at least one good thing had come from this. Yes, Hollan might know where the bases were now, or at least he had the coordinates for them, but so did we. We weren’t completely helpless, and we could warn the other bases that Hollan might be coming to try to take them down.

  As I started down the stairs, my legs weak beneath me, a male voice came from the bottom. “Fucking hell, Darcy. Are you okay?”

  It was Kingsley—I’d recognize that deep tone anywhere.

  He came into view, and I spotted Alex close behind them. Guarding from the rear were Lorcan and Isaac. They must have seen Hollan leave, but didn’t want to let their guard down in case more of his men remained in the building.

  I nodded, trying not to cry. “He got away. I’m so sorry.”

  Alex’s lips pinched as he looked at me, his gaze scanning my body. I knew he was looking for any further signs of injury. “It’s okay. It doesn’t matter. You’re alive, and that’s what counts.”