“Tigs!” she cried. Tigs looked up at her through the cage door. Annie opened it and the cat jumped up into her arms. “C’mon,” she said, “let’s go find dad.”
Samantha’s back was bleeding as she knelt hidden behind a tank. She pulled the pistol out of her waist band and clicked the safety off. She stayed crouched behind the tank as soldiers rushed past the front of it. The cell to Matt’s door flew open as he sat listening to the distant sound of the sirens going off. A guard stormed into the cell and grabbed him. Matt jolted up and was taken down the hallway into the data stations where he was given the thumb drive.
“How much time do I have?” Matt asked.
The guard shook his head. “I don’t know. Just find what you need fast,” he responded.
Matt plugged the drive into the computer and pulled up the files. His fingers were swift on the keyboard as the guard hovered over him. The encryption files pulled up and he began opening sources and typing in code. Hult stood on the corner of the building with Jim watching the door. Everyone was too preoccupied with the gunshots to worry about the data center now. Hult peaked around the corner as the sirens continued to wail. “God help the asshole that started shooting at them,” Hult said.
Coyle was in full sprint back to the truck and was practically tripping over the sand dunes. “I swear to God if I die I’m gonna be so pissed. I’m gonna come back and haunt the shit out of that stupid cat.” He took a glance back and saw jeeps heading in his direction. “Shit.”
Matt had multiple files up on the duel screen monitors. His eyes darted back and forth from different documents as lines of code filled the screen. The guard looked at them like they were a foreign language. “What is that?” he asked. Matt didn’t look away from the screen as he spoke. “These are the final orders that were trying to get sent before the attacks.” The guard walked over to the door to peak out the window with his back to Matt. “Well, just track whoever was going to send it,” the guard said.
Suddenly, a smashing blow collapsed the back of the guard’s skull. He fell to the ground instantly. Blood dripped from the corner of the monitor Matt had hit him with and stood over the guard’s body. “I’ll make sure they get to the right place,” Matt said as he smiled and tossed the monitor on the ground. He ripped off the man’s uniform as he collected his weapons and ammo.
Hult shook his head. “He’s taking too long. He should be out of there by now.” Hult peeled around the corner towards the door and Jim followed. Hult swung the door open and saw the guard on the floor and reached down to check his pulse. Jim entered as Hult sat crouched on the ground next to the soldier. Matt glanced up at the two men and pointed a pistol at him. “Drop it,” he said.
“You son of a bitch.” Hult reached for his pistol and Matt shot him through the head before the gun left his holster. The silencer on the gun muffled the shot as Hult dropped to the ground. Matt quickly turned the gun to Jim whose mouth hung open in shock.
“Matt…,” he said.
“Where are the girls, Jim?”
The sirens continued to wail outside the building. The collection of both Hult and the guard’s blood combined and pooled at Jim’s feet as he glanced down at the two lifeless bodies. “Jim,” said Matt. Jim looked up at the pistol pointed in his direction. Matt’s eyes were a wild calm. There was blood splattered on his shirt and arm. Matt glanced down at the screens in front of him that were downloading a program. It was at thirty percent and rising.
“Where are the girls?” Matt asked again.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jim asked.
“My job. Now drop the gun.” Matt motioned to the floor. “ Drop it!” he shouted. Jim lowered the rifle. He rested it gently on the ground and slowly rose with his hands in the air. “We’ve got less than,” Matt checked the status of the download, “ten minutes before this position gets uploaded and a missile strike is ordered that levels this entire camp, so I’ll ask one more time, where is my family?”
Annie ran along behind a line of trucks parked next to the fence and ducked under them when she heard someone coming. Footsteps thumped close to her. She crawled further under a jeep right next to the front tire. Tigs squirmed as the feet appeared in front of her face. Tigs let out a meow and the feet stopped. They slowly backtracked until they were right in front of her, causing Annie to cover her mouth. She started to shake as the legs bent down and the person’s knees came into view and they ducked their head under the jeep.
“Annie,” Samantha said. “Thank God.”
She reached for her daughter and pulled her out. She immediately wrapped her in her arms and kissed her forehead. Her joy soon gave way to anger as she gripped Annie’s arms tightly. “What were you thinking?” she yelled harshly. Annie’s face looked down. “I didn’t want them to forget Tigs when they came to get daddy.” The cat crawled out from beneath the jeep and meowed up at the two of them. Samantha’s face softened. “Come on,” she said.
Jim stood frozen at the door next to the two dead bodies at his feet. It just didn’t make any sense in his mind. Matt glanced down at his watch. “Eight minutes, Jim,” Matt said.
“Just turn it off, Matt. I don’t know who’s making you do this, but,” Matt cut him off.
“Making? Making me do this?” he asked laughing. “No one is making me do anything, Jim. This is my choice. This is what I was trained for.”
Matt sidestepped around the desk and slowly began to walk towards Jim while he spoke. “We were able to strike every major city in unison while leveling the biggest logistical military base on the West Coast.” He inched closer to Jim, tilting his head to the side. “We made the largest military force in the world look like fools. They couldn’t stop us. They can’t stop us.”
Jim’s breathing became sharper. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Matt was less than six feet away from him now. “People died, Matt. Innocent people,” said Jim.
Matt’s face became distorted with rage. Spit flew from his mouth as he spoke, “Innocent? I would kill a million innocent people if it meant keeping my family stayed.”
“You want your family safe? Shut the program down,” Jim said. Matt gripped the pistol tighter and walked closer. The gun was less than an inch from Jim’s forehead. Jim’s eyes didn’t leave Matt’s. Matt was shaking now. Jim shook his head slowly. “Don’t do this, Matt,” he said. Matt pushed the barrel into Jim’s forehead. His finger was on the trigger. His knuckles turned white against the gun’s black grip as he squeezed the gun hard.
The door flung open as Samantha walked in with Annie following behind with Tigs in her arms. Samantha’s eyes went straight to the gun in Matt’s hand. Annie started to cry as she looked at the men lying on the ground surrounded in a pool of blood.
“Samantha get behind me,” Matt ordered.
“Matt, what are you doing?” she gasped.
“Now, Samantha!” Matt shouted.
She stepped over the bodies and moved behind Matt with Annie close.
Matt gripped the pistol with both hands as he gritted his teeth. “Move, Jim,” Mat said.
Jim slid to the left as Annie peaked up from her mother’s arm at her uncle.
“Matt, what’s happening?” Samantha asked. “It’s fine, Sammy,” Jim said. “Just do what he tells you.” Jim looked to Annie. “Annie, you take care of Tigs for me okay?” he asked.
She nodded and held the cat close. “I’ll see you guys real soon,” Jim said.
“No, you won’t,” Matt said as he brought the handle of the pistol across Jim’s face, knocking him on the ground. Samantha screamed and, as a result, Annie began to cry while Tigs meowed incessantly. Matt peaked out of the door. Men were scattered around from the sound of the sirens still blazing in the background. He grabbed Samantha’s hand and rushed out the door.