Vagabonds

Chapter Forty-Two: End of the Line

"Move!"

Aquila's voice broke through everyone's shock and suddenly all the Vagabonds were in motion. Tero spinning back to the screen. Ian bent over his shoulder. Moose disappearing into the cavern. Otto putting a hand on Tori's sweater.

"What do we do?" Eliza asked as Aquila grabbed her hand.

"We need to get out of here."

"How —?"

But her question was cut off by a deep, bone-chilling rumble. She twisted to look over her shoulder, watching two pairs of headlights slice through the inky darkness of the tunnel, announcing the arrival of military-grade jeeps.

"The elevator!" Aquila bellowed as soldiers spilled into the cavern, all of them armed and wearing helmets that made them look coldly inhuman.

Aquila tugged her away, but Eliza ripped free, lunging for Joe. He hadn't moved since she'd taken his phone, his mouth still open in that frozen realization of what he'd done.

"Come on!"

Her scream seemed to break through whatever the virus was doing to his mind. Joe shook himself and popped to his feet, following as Aquila yanked her toward the elevator shaft.

"W-w-we'll be t-trapped," Tero said in panic, but his voice was lost beneath the growl of more cars coming in, more soldiers shouting.

And then they started firing.

"DUCK!"

Eckelson's voice boomed through the tunnel as the hail of bullets rained down on them.

But no, they weren't bullets.

They were darts.

Eliza shoved Joe behind a plushy upturned couch before Aquila spun her out of range, curling them both into the protection of a bookshelf. She leaned out just in time to see Moose darting through the nearest cluster of soldiers, knocking aside the dart rifles and tearing off helmets with gleeful, cackling laughter.

"I gotcha there, haha, oh now you see me now you don't. I wouldn't do that, but I don't expect you to —"

He was silenced by a dart hitting him squarely in the neck.

"NO!" Eliza screamed.

"Feels... like a bee sting..." Moose muttered, stumbling into the no-man's-land between them and the soldiers.

And then he collapsed.

"Go," Aquila said, shoving her toward the elevator, but she grabbed his arm.

"You can't go out there alone. They'll get you."

"I can't let them take Moose."

But it was too late for that. Moose was already being dragged behind enemy lines, his long limbs dangling limply as two thick shadows bundled him into the back of a jeep.

"We have to save him," Aquila said, pushing against Eliza's arm.

"You can't help him if you're unconscious," she growled back. "We have to get to that elevator shaft."

But even as she spoke, the elevator's grate burst open. Six new uniformed figures came spilling into the cavern, draped in climbing gear.

Tero was right.

They were trapped.

Casting about for a way to help, Eliza spotted Tori crouched behind an upended table, Otto peering out from the other side.