Chapter 77
The silence beneath the platform was absolute. Cole and Vincent stared at the detonator in Silas’s hand, the horrifying reality of the trap locking them in place.
"He's not bluffing, Cole," Sarah’s voice crackled frantically in his ear. "I just detected a massive pressure spike in the lower geothermal vents! If that switch disengages, the mountain implodes!"
"You think you can hold us hostage, Silas?" Vincent growled, his jaw locking tight.
"I don't want to hold you hostage, Vincent," Silas gasped, struggling to sit up. "I want a trade. You give me your secure extraction route, you order your men to stand down, and I walk out of this mountain. Once I am safe, I will disable the switch."
"And if we refuse?" Cole asked softly, his tactical mind spinning rapidly, searching for the impossible geometry of the engagement.
"If you refuse, I let go," Silas smiled. "And the legacy of Task Force 9 and the King of Chicago ends under a mile of rock."
Vincent looked at Cole. A silent, profound communication passed between the two apex predators. They had faced down cartels, syndicates, and rogue governments. They did not negotiate with terrorists.
"Sarah," Cole whispered into his comms, his voice barely audible. "Can you vent the pressure manually from the external access nodes?"
"It will take three minutes to bypass the automated safety locks, Cole!" Sarah panicked. "If he releases the button before then, it's over!"
"I’ll buy you three minutes," Cole promised.
He looked back at Silas. "You want an extraction route? Fine. But you need to stand up and walk to the elevator. I am not carrying you."
Silas sneered, leaning heavily against the concrete pillar. "You think I am an idiot, Bennett? The moment I stand, you will shoot me in the head."
"If I shoot you, the switch engages," Cole reasoned coldly, holding his hands up. "You have the leverage, Silas. But you have to move."
Silas hesitated, the paranoia warring with his desperate desire to survive. Slowly, agonizingly, he pushed himself up, keeping his thumb clamped rigidly on the detonator.
"Order your men to fall back," Silas demanded, limping toward the open area of the server hub.
"Ghost Legion, stand down. Fall back to the perimeter," Vincent commanded loudly.
The operatives lowered their weapons, stepping back into the shadows, allowing Silas to limp past them toward the heavy blast doors leading to the elevator shaft.
Cole and Vincent followed closely behind him, maintaining a tense, ten-foot distance.
"Two minutes, Cole," Sarah whispered in his ear.
"You are making a wise decision, gentlemen," Silas mocked, gaining confidence as he neared the exit. "The new world requires survivors."
"The new world doesn't need architects," Vincent murmured.
They reached the heavy steel blast doors. Silas paused, looking back at them with a triumphant grin.
"I will leave the detonator on the elevator floor once I reach the surface," Silas promised. "Do not follow me."
"One minute, Cole! I'm almost through the firewall!" Sarah yelled.
Silas reached out to press the call button for the elevator.
Cole didn't hesitate. He didn't wait for the confirmation. He trusted his sister with his life.
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Cole moved with blinding, explosive speed. He didn't draw his gun. He drew his heavy ceramic combat knife and threw it violently across the room.
The blade didn't strike Silas in the chest. It struck him perfectly in the wrist, pinning his hand and the detonator brutally to the heavy steel doorframe.
