No Way Back

The heat from the fire pressed against Selene's skin, thick and suffocating as she ran with every breath tasting like smoke, burning through her throat with each inhale. The hallways of the facility were falling apart, the structures were groaning under the weight of the destruction surrounding them, the walls were cracked, the ceilings trembling, and the air was filled with the relentless sound of metal twisting under pressure. Caleb was just ahead, his grip was firm on Axel's arm as they moved while Selene's injured shoulder throbbed and blood was soaking through the fabric of her shirt. The bullet wound was slowing her down making every one of her steps a battle against the pain threatening to pull her under but she couldn't stop. They burst into an open passageway, the exit was just visible beyond the smoke and they could feel the cool night air seeping through the cracks like a distant promise of escape but the moment of relief was fleeting as a new sound of footsteps filled the air. Selene's pulse spiked as she glanced back to see Lucian's men closing in. A dozen shadows moved through the collapsing corridors with their guns raised and their movements precise like they were hunting. Caleb's jaw tightened as he shoved Axel against the wall for support, his injuries were weighing on him while his breaths labored, then he turned to Selene, his eyes were sharp despite the exhaustion written across his face. 'We don't have time for this." Selene gritted her teeth, raising her stolen gun. 'Then we make time." Then she fired. The first shot rang out, cutting through the haze of smoke, the bullet struck one of Lucian's men, sending him crashing against the debris. The rest reacted instantly by returning the fire without hesitation filling the air with the deafening roar of gunfire with bullets slicing through the crumbling walls. Selene ducked low, dragging Axel with her as Caleb fired back. Sparks flew as bullets ricochet off metal beams, the floor was littered with shattered glass and broken pieces of ceiling and they were trapped in a battle they couldn't win because they were outnumbered, outgunned, and running out of space. Caleb cursed under his breath, glancing at the exit ahead. 'We need a distraction." Selene's eyes scanned around and her mind raced because the facility was already unstable. From the look on her face, one well-placed shot at the right structure could bring down a section of the building, blocking the path behind them but it was a risk and if they weren't fast enough, they could be buried under the collapse as well. She inhaled sharply, adjusting her grip on the gun. 'Cover me." Caleb didn't argue, he fired another round, keeping Lucian's men pinned down as Selene scanned the wreckage until her eyes landed on a weakened support beam, barely holding up what remained of the ceiling, of course, one shot would be enough. Without hesitation she aimed, steadying her trembling hands, and pulled the trigger. The bullet struck the beam with a sharp crack and for a second, nothing happened then, with a deep groan, the structure gave way and the ceiling above them collapsed in a cascade of debris, metal, and concrete crashing down between them and their pursuers. The dust cloud swallowed everything and Selene coughed, gripping Axel's arm as she staggered backward, Caleb appeared beside her with his face streaked with dirt and his eyes scanning the destruction. The way behind them was completely blocked, and they had bought themselves a few seconds but not more. 'Move!" Caleb shouted they didn't hesitate, and with Axel barely conscious between them, they stumbled toward the exit. The doors were warped from the explosions and they were barely holding onto their hinges but Selene braced herself and slammed her weight against them, forcing the rusted metal to open. The night cold, fresh, real air hit her like a slap, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, she could breathe without the stench of smoke choking her lungs but they weren't free yet. The facility grounds stretched before them and there was a vast open space leading to the treeline, beyond that was the unknown, a chance at disappearing but between them and that freedom was one last obstacle. Lucian. He stood near a black SUV, surrounded by more of his men, his suit was dusted with debris and his expression was very unreadable but his eyes burned with something cold and lethal, he had expected them to make it this far and so, he had waited. Lucian stepped forward, his movements slow and deliberate. 'You've put on quite the show," he said. Caleb's grip on his gun tightened but his stance was shifting. 'Back off." Lucian tilted his head slightly. 'And then what?" His gaze flicked to Axel, then back to Selene. 'You're barely standing and he's barely alive, do you think you're walking away from this?" Selene's fingers curled into a fist but she didn't answer. Lucian took another step forward, his men shifting behind him. 'I told you before, Selene, that there's no escaping this, and no matter how far you run, you'll always belong to me." The weight of his words wrapped around her like chains, but something inside her rebelled like the courage that she wasn't the same person who had been dragged into this nightmare and that she had fought, bled, survived and she wasn't his. Then she met his gaze, steady and unyielding. 'I don't belong to anyone." Lucian's smirk returned, slow and knowing. 'Then prove it." And with a flick of his fingers, his men raised their guns. Selene barely had time to react before the first shot was fired. She shoved Axel toward Caleb, throwing herself sideways as the ground exploded in a burst of dust and shattered pavement. Caleb fired back, dragging Axel with him as they dove behind a pile of abandoned crates. The night erupted into chaos as bullets whistled through the air, splintering the crates into sharp fragments with Selene pressing her back against the cover and her pulse hammering against her, they were pinned down. Lucian's voice rang out over the gunfire. 'You don't have to die here, Selene." She clenched her jaw. 'Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you." Caleb was reloading already, his breath coming in short bursts. 'We can't hold this position."Selene's mind raced. They needed a way out but they were backed against the facility's perimeter fence, and beyond that was open terrain so running in a straight line meant getting picked off. Another bullet struck the crates, sending wood splinters into her skin and there was no time to think. She exhaled sharply, then turned to Caleb. 'Cover me." Before he could argue, she moved sprinting low, weaving through the scattered wreckage. Gunfire followed her and the sharp cracks chased her heels. Still, she wasn't running blindly, she had spotted a fuel container, half-buried beneath the rubble and she just had to reach it but a bullet grazed her arm before she could, the pain flared, but she gritted her teeth, diving forward with her fingers closing around the fuel canister. Lucian's men had seen her aim but it was too late. She pulled the pin from a discarded smoke grenade, shoved it against the fuel container, and threw it. The explosion ripped through the air and the flames erupted, consuming the space between them and Lucian's men, the sudden blast sent them stumbling, breaking their formation as smoke billowed across the open lot. Caleb grabbed Axel and ran, Selene didn't need to be told, she followed, her legs burning and the fire reflecting in her vision as they disappeared into the treeline. Lucian's voice chased after them, cold and certain. 'Run while you can, Selene but I will find you." They kept running until the forest swallowed them whole.