Page 51 of When You're Gone

The darkness of the CrowmyreFactory seemed to swallow Finn as he moved, a shadow amongst shadows. Hisbreath came in controlled bursts, steeling his nerves against the chill thatseeped into his bones. Every echo in the cavernous space was a warning; everydrip of water from the decaying rafters was a countdown.

He followed the sound of his name,the syllables stretched and distorted by the ancient brick. The weight of theknives against his thigh was a comfort — a reminder that he was not defenselessagainst whatever madness awaited him.

"Amelia!" he called out,his voice low, hoping for a response that didn't come.

Then, there she was — Amelia, boundto a chair, her determined eyes meeting his with an unspoken plea. Next to herstood Vilne, a grotesque giant silhouetted against the feeble light, hisfeatures twisted into a deranged semblance of joy. Finn's heart clenched at thesight; his partner, his confidant, in the hands of a madman.

"Vilne," Finn spat thename like a curse, feeling the cold air wrap around his tongue.

The large man turned, his smilewidening, displaying a row of teeth that gleamed unnaturally in the dimness."Special Agent," Vilne greeted, a mock formality in his tone. “Orshould I say, consulting detective?”

Finn's gaze flickered to the side,noting the soft hum of a generator. It powered a single computer, its screencasting an eerie glow that danced across the walls. The machine looked out ofplace amidst the decay, a piece of modernity intruding upon the time-ravagedfactory.

"Quite the setup you havehere," Finn remarked, buying time as his eyes searched for any advantage.

"Efficiency is key,"Vilne said, but Finn heard the undercurrent of pride in his voice.

"Let her go, Vilne," Finndemanded, his hand inching toward the hilt of one knife, ready to act on theslightest provocation.

"Ah, but then we'd miss allthe fun," Vilne chuckled darkly, his gaze never leaving Finn's.

Finn took a measured step forward,keeping his movements deliberate. "You don't want to do this."

"Contrary to what you mightthink, detective," Vilne said, stepping closer to the humming computer,"I very much want to do this."

"Your quarrel is withme," Finn countered, locking eyes with Amelia for a brief second, tryingto convey a silent message of hope.

"Everything in due time,"Vilne replied, his hand hovering over the keyboard. "Every great changebegins with a single action."

Finn's mind raced. Whatever planVilne had involving that computer, it couldn't be good. He had to find a way toend this before—

"Focus on me, Finn,"Vilne commanded, drawing Finn's attention back to him. "Your littlesidekick can wait."

“What interest do you have incomputer viruses?” Finn asked. “And all of Chronos’s Tempus Machine nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense,” Vilne snapped.“I initially conceived of this as a game to taunt you, but over time I haverealized that it can, and should be, much bigger than that.”

"Vilne," Finn growled."What is it that you really want?"

With a mad glint in his eye, Vilnepressed the cold steel of a large knife against Amelia's neck. "To makeyou watch," he hissed.

"Watch what?" Finndemanded, his voice steady despite the panic clawing at his insides.

"Her die," Vilne saidsimply. "But not before I share my vision."

Finn's gaze snapped to the computerby Vilne's side, the soft blue glow casting sinister shadows across his face."What madness are you planning?"

"Madness?" Vilnechuckled, a disturbing sound devoid of humor. "No, Detective. It'sambition. A virus, partly my creation, partly Chronos’s, partly a few othersalong the way, ready to send this modern world back to the stone age. Imagine,Finn, all technology rendered useless in an instant."

"You're insane, but you're notthat far gone," Finn spat out, barely keeping himself in check. “I don'tdoubt there is a virus, but what's it really for?

"Insanity is the mother ofinnovation," Vilne retorted, his eyes alight with fervor. "I will beremembered as the harbinger of a new era. And you, Finn... you'll fail. Notjust in saving her," he nodded towards Amelia with a cruel smile,"but in saving your precious modern world, with your influencers and yourprisons…"

"I don't believe you...There's more to this..." Finn whispered, every muscle coiled tight, readyto spring.

“Is there?,” Vilne said, removingthe knife momentarily from Amelia’s throat. “Sometimes I think I do things justfor the pleasure.”

Amelia's eyes remained wide. Finncould see the defiance in them. She wanted Finn to do what he needed to do,regardless of what happened to her. That he knew.

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