Page 21 (1/2)

Karina cleared the room in a desperate sprint and dropped to her knees "Is she okay?"

"She’s fine," Henry said softly "She woke up a little when I had to help you, but now she’s sleeping again"

Karina hugged her, cradling Eainst the door and landed next to the, too, cousin" Henry smiled "Nice of you to join rowled

"I don’t know We were hit two minutes after you went into the vault It was a concentrated assault They came prepared The seventeenth floor fell within ten ot cut off I went into cloak almost immediately Our people may have evacuated"

"Without us?" Karina stared at them

"Arthur probably thought I fed," Lucas said "Your blood would give et Henry andus," Henry said "What’s the plan?"

"You and I go They stay," Lucas said

"Ah" Henry nodded "I thought itabout?" Karina gathered E to open that door," Lucas said "Henry and I will take off Henry will make sure they concentrate on us and I will make sure to keep them busy They will follow us You ait here for three o out into the hallway, and turn right You will coet you to the stairs Shoot anyone you see Then you get the hell out If you ht away, since I’ll be dead and he won’t need a donor immediately Don’t use credit cards, don’t stay twice in the same--"

"They will kill you!" No, that was not how this would go The spring of tension inside her shivered, co," Lucas said "I died e opened the vault"

"He’s right," Henry said

God, he pissed her off "No" She shook her head, trying to keep a lid on her anger "We go to the stairs together and fight our way down Together"

Lucas grabbed her, jerking her close "You will do as you’re told"

"No," she said into his snarl "I won’t We go together"

The pressure inside her built

"This isn’t a democracy!"

"Lucas, I can’t carry Emily and shoot at the saun with two hands Do you think I’m Rambo? It’s suicide for me, Emily, and you"

"She has a point," Henry said

"See? They will kill rand sacrifice will be wasted I don’t want you to die for nothing I don’t want you to die at all"

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I care if you live or die! My God, you are a ether We have a better chance that way"

He shook her "I’ this a long tio out there, we’ll all die"

"He also has a point," Henry said

Karina exhaled Eet her out of here"

"I would have to drain you dry I’m barely conscious!"

"Do it" Karina told hi out of here with Emily alive Drain me"

"No!" he snarled

"Do it, Lucas!"

"That’s nice," Henry said "But the Ordinators are coo to the stairs," Karina said

"No, we’ll do this my way"

"Your way, I die, you die, Emily dies!"

"There is no time," Henry said calmly "You missed your opportunity We are all about to die Don’t let theret it"

The back wall of the conference room shuddered Cracks crisscrossed the wood It shattered and rained down in a waterfall of tiny splinters People stood behind it, people with auto their faces In front of them a tall man with pale hair down to his waist slowly lowered his hand, s She looked into his face and saw her own death there

It hit her like a punch Emily, she, Lucas, and Henry--the four of the They would die for nothing