The da Vinci Project:

Chapter 6

"Eighteen...what's happening?" Sophia was doing her best to sound calm, but as she watched the chaos happening outside the limo she was barely able to keep from screaming.

Outside the sidewalk was madness. People ran and screamed. Bystanders ducked behind cars and dumpsters. People pushed and shoved their way into stores. In the chaos Sophia was certain that she heard someone say a single word. Shooter.

For his part in things Eighteen remained mostly silent. He sat across from her with his head down and his eyes trained on the screen of his phone. This time he made no efforts to hide it. It was upside down, but when new text popped up in the screen she was able to clearly make it out. 'It's done.'

"What's done?" She asked firmly this time.

Eighteen sighed and tucked away his phone. "The threat. It's been eliminated."

"Eliminated?! The waitress? Oh my god Eighteen!" Sophia was barely holding on by a thread. Her heart was racing and her face and hands felt clammy.

Had she just witnessed a murder? Was she in the car with a killer? What was her father really doing at the institute?

Sophia's mind was racing, so much so that she didn't realize that she was hyperventilating, not until the first series of black spots danced across her vision. A second later her ears began to ring and, as she tried to speak she became aware of the tightness in her chest.

As much as she hated the idea of passing out again in Eighteens presence, Sophia felt herself slipping. She felt herself fall forward, and the strength in Eighteens arms as he caught her. Then...darkness.

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"My daughter could have been hurt! Do you understand that?"

Sophia awoke to the sound of her father's voice booming from the other room. It had been years since she'd heard him raise his voice. In fact, her father tended to only yell when he was afraid. That set an uneasiness in her chest she could not really explain. She strained her ears, expecting to hear Eighteens low voice, but instead the sound of Dr. Browns sounded.

"Yes, of course I understand....but Lucian, there's no way to guarantee that level of safety. She was with Apex. Isn't that the asset you personally selected for her? He did his job. She's home safe."

"Yes but she should have never known. She was never supposed to know about them, or this place."

"She's a teenage girl, not a pet! You can't keep them caged up below ground any more than you can keep her locked away in her room. Deep down you always knew that.  If you truly wanted her in the dark you would have left her at her old school."

"You know she wasn't safe there...."

"Yes, I know. And Lucian, she's safer knowing. You know that."

Her father's voice didn't fire back.  Instead silence followed the doctor's words. 

In her mind Sophia could see her father standing there before the doctor, his head down as his fingers rubbing lazy circles at this temples. He always did that when he was worried. Her father was a brilliant man, but he sucked at handling stress. 

Sitting up, Sophia finally opened her eyes.   As her vision struggled to focus, she became aware of the brightness around her. This was familiar. The bright glare of lights. The cold, sterile feel of the air...was she?

She was.

She was in the underground compound from her dreams. But how?

Lowering her eyes Sophia found that she was still dressed, though a white blanket had been tucked protectively around her.  In the room machines beeped and buzzed, their little lights flashing in a rhythm heard only by them. Her head ached and she shivered. It was cold down here.