Valkyrie looked at me. The look in her eyes probably matched mine.
“Move fast,” Blackjack said. “Snake Eyes, Priest—you stay there and babysit the ops room. Keep Miami’s feed running. Spade, Turnpike, keep moving up and clear the rest of the building. We don’t want any surprises coming down on our heads just in case.”
“Copy,” Snake Eyes said.
“Got it,” Spade echoed.
Priest just grunted. He’d already started poking through the dead Serpent’s pockets.
My pulse kicked harder.
Two of us. Lobby. Vlad, four armed, and however many more floating around down there.
Miami must’ve felt the weight of it through the line.
“Elevator just passed eleven,” he said. “If you want to meet them when the doors open, you better move your asses now. I’ll guide you. Turn right outside the office. Elevator is just two doors down on the left. It should end up spitting you out at the other end of the service corridor downstairs.”
“On it,” I said.
Valkyrie was already moving.
We cut across the hall, boots sliding slightly on dust. I yanked the door open and peered in. The elevatorsat right in front of us. Work lights hanging on cables above us spilled harsh illuminations.
“Miami,” I said. Don’t fail us now or I’m cutting your other leg off,” I muttered, starting forward.
He laughed. “Love you too, sweetheart.”
We ran to it. The doors opened quickly. My fingers pressed the close door and ground floor button even faster. A second passed before the doors responded, closed, the elevator shifted, and we started down.
Eleven.
Ten,
Nine.
Eight.
Seven.
Six.
Five.
“Their elevator’s about to pass two,” Miami said. You’ve got one advantage—they don’t know you’re right on their tail.”
We hit three.
“They’re at ground.”
“Son of a bitch,” I breathed.
My heart pounded. Sweat slicked the back of my neck.
My eyes were focused on the doors. As soon as the chime rang out and I saw them begin to open, we burst out.
The hallway was narrower here, walls already covered in drywall and primer, parts ofthe ceiling still open. Rolls of carpet leaned in clusters. A stack of boxed light fixtures sat near a corner. Nobody else was in sight. I remembered us clearing this earlier.
“There,” Valkyrie said, spotting a door that had to lead back to the lobby.
