Chapter 27 - The Signal
"Are you sure, Amanda?" Arthur asked, his finger poised over the "Upload" command. "Once this goes out, there is no going back. We become the most hunted people on the planet."
"We already are," I reminded him. "The only difference is that now, we have the leverage. Send it."
Arthur hit the key. The screens flickered as the data began to disseminate across the dark web and into the servers of every major news outlet in the world.
Outside, the wind howled through the mountain pass. Inside, the silence was heavy, expectant.
"It’s done," Elias said, leaning back. "In ten minutes, the Serpent’s Keepers are going to find out they’ve lost their invisibility."
"And in twenty minutes," I added, "they’re going to come for us."
"Let them come," Arthur said, checking his rifle. "We have the high ground and a locked door."
Suddenly, the cabin's exterior sensors began to wail. A flurry of red dots appeared on the perimeter monitors.
"They’re here," Elias said calmly, as if discussing the weather. "Four, no, six teams. They tracked the signal."
"They're fast," I said, moving to the weapon locker.
May you like
"They’re desperate," Arthur countered. "This is their entire operation. If the world sees this data, their influence evaporates. They have to kill us to silence the leak."
I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the pistol in my hand. For the first time in my life, I wasn't running from the monster. I was standing in its path.
