The Safe Zone - Ascension (Book 4)

Chapter 4: Escape from the Directive

Lena:

We were running out of time.

The pounding of boots echoed through the cold, metallic corridor, each step growing louder and more menacing by the second. Every beat of my heart seemed to fall in sync with the rhythm of the approaching soldiers. They were closing in, and we had nowhere left to hide.

Ethan's weight sagged against me, his body weak and barely responsive. I could feel the tremors in his limbs, the way his muscles strained to keep him upright. He was leaning on me heavily, his breath ragged and uneven, and I knew he was barely holding on. Every step was a battle, and we were losing ground fast.

"Lena," Carter's voice was tight, breathless, as he glanced over his shoulder. His rifle was still clutched tightly in his hands, his knuckles white from the strain. "They're right behind us. We need to move faster, or we won't make it."

"I know," I snapped, frustration and fear thick in my voice. "I'm doing the best I can."

But it wasn't enough. I could feel it in my bones. The weight of everything—the mission, Ethan's condition, the looming threat of the Directive—was pressing down on me, suffocating me with every passing second.

I had come all this way to save him, and now, with freedom just barely within reach, I could feel it slipping away.

Ethan stumbled, his foot catching on a loose cable that snaked across the floor, and I barely managed to keep him from collapsing. His head lolled to the side, his eyes half-closed, his skin pale and slick with sweat. He was fading fast, and there was no time to stop or rest.

"We're almost there," I lied, my voice barely above a whisper, hoping that it would be true if I said it enough.

But the truth was, I didn't know if we would make it, not with the soldiers closing in, not with Ethan in his state. My heart ached with the weight of it all, and for a brief, terrible moment, I wondered if I had made the right choice. Suppose I had brought him back to watch him disappear again.

No. I couldn't think like that. I couldn't afford to.

"Zara!" I shouted, my voice hoarse as I looked toward the end of the corridor where Zara was scouting ahead. She was crouched low, her rifle aimed down the dimly lit hallway, her sharp eyes scanning the path for any sign of danger.

She turned at the sound of my voice, her expression tight with tension. "Clear for now, but we need to move. This place is crawling with them."

"I know," I said, my voice trembling. "But Ethan—he's not—"

Zara's eyes flicked to Ethan, her gaze hardening momentarily before softening with understanding. She knew. We all knew. He couldn't be on his feet, much less running for his life. But there wasn't any other choice. If we stayed here, we were as good as dead.

"We'll make it," she said, her voice firm, though I wasn't sure if she was trying to convince me or herself. "Come on. We have to keep moving."

I nodded, tightening my grip around Ethan's waist and pulling him closer to me. He stirred slightly, his head rolling against my shoulder, his breath warm against my neck. His eyes fluttered open momentarily, and I caught a glimpse of something—maybe recognition? Or was it just another flicker of consciousness before he slipped back into the haze of whatever the Directive had done to him?

"Lena..." His voice was a weak rasp, barely audible, but it cut through the noise in my head like a knife.

"I'm here," I said softly, my voice trembling as I pressed my forehead against his. "I'm not going to leave you."