Page 118 of Irreversible

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

All I can do is breathe and breathe…and breathe.

There are more shouts. Gunshots. Resistance. My ears ring.

Barely able to keep my head up, I look around for the man himself, hoping someone secured him first.

Where is he?

Tanner is in the fray, handcuffing a man on his stomach, who is being held at gunpoint by a member of the SWAT team.

He makes eye contact for the briefest second. I shake my head, glancing around the room. That’s when I see it… Maybe I’m hallucinating, but I swear I catch a glimpse of silver hair. A flash of bright color. But then I blink, and it’s gone.

Fuck.

The thought of his escape is like a shot of adrenaline to the heart, and though every movement is excruciating, I bury it and lurch out of the chair. My name rings out as Tanner yells for me to wait, as he calls for backup, but he’s occupied. Everyone is, and I will be damned to hell if that bastard walks away from this.

It’s sheer will that powers my stiff legs. That keeps me upright despite numerous injuries and a dangerous lack of blood sugar, as I stumble in the only direction he could have gone—through the basement, passing room after room of cages and equipment without stopping to search them. He wouldn’t have risked hiding in the building, not with an entire team of law enforcement agents here. There’s got to be a way out.

After being tased, prodded, and bound for three days with no food, I’m anything but fast. But Iamstubborn as fuck, and if I see that asshole, I won’t hesitate.

The end of the sprawling building comes into view when I see it: a slightly cracked door near the end of the hall. Nothingmore than a supply closet, by all appearances, but I’m drawn there like a magnet. When I look inside, I notice the shelving unit along the back wall—it’s pulled aside at an odd angle, enough for someone to squeeze behind. So, I do, and there’s another door in the back wall of a closet, hidden by a shelf of supplies.

Not fishy at all.

When I pushthatdoor open, I’m met by a set of concrete stairs leading up to a trapdoor.

Fuck. Yes.

I hurl myself up those stairs, barreling at the door like a wrecking ball. Then, I’m out into the night, the door slamming closed behind me. A wave of lightheadedness hits me, but I fight it with a clenched jaw, breathing deeply through my nose. I only allow a second to orient myself. To figure out my next move.

If I’d been thinking clearly, I would have taken the time to grab a weapon off one of the rescue team, but all I could see was the man behind this murderousbusinessescaping. Freedom means nothing until I’ve wiped this bastard off the face of the earth, and I’ll be damned if I let the lack of a weapon stop me.

I still have my hands.

A quick scan of the area tells me I’m on a different side of the building than the other day. For such a large complex, the outside is devoid of lighting. Since escaping the first time, I’ve developed some suspicions about what this building was once used for, and if I’m right, it relied on isolation to avoid attracting unwanted attention. The rest of the world either never knew it existed or forgot about it altogether.

The perfect squatting place for a black-market operation.

It’s surprisingly quiet back here, considering the takedown happening inside. But the darkness and nearby tree line explain how Tanner’s team was able to get close enough to catch thoseon security duty off guard, while everyone inside remained distracted by the arriving clients.

Now the bastard intends to use that cover of darkness to slip away…

But tonight, someone up there is on my side, moving the cloud cover just enough to allow a swath of moonlight to fall over the field.

I choose to believe it’s Sara, throwing a spotlight on her murderer, as he runs toward the trees.

Pausing only briefly, he throws a glance over his shoulder.

And when he seesmestanding there, he takes off like a rabbit.

Oh, no you don’t.

I may be in terrible condition, but the power of vengeance should never be underestimated, and now it carries me faster than I’ve ever run before.

For a minute, I forget the pain and exhaustion in my body.

I forget that I once relied on the system to provide justice; now it’s just me.

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