Page 86 of Hollow State

Zadie glanced over her shoulder. "Finch and his team are on the second floor in a conference room. Time to go."

"Comms out." Coulter opened the door. "Let's move."

Darwin took out his earpiece and handed it to Wynn. Gideon did the same. Everyone else had already removed theirs.

Neve and Scout were the first ones to disappear into the night.

Gideon slung a compact bag over one shoulder. Darwin rested a hand on the weapon at his hip. It was strange to carry it, even stranger to check that it was there. He knew he'd be giving this one up the second Finch entered the data center. Darwin just hoped Finch didn't search him. If that happened, he'd lose the weapon attached to his ankle. The thought was that Finch wouldn't expect Darwin or Gideon to carry a backup.

It wasn't in their nature to do so. And in reality, that was true. They weren't fighters or soldiers anymore. They were way out of their comfort zone, and Finch was banking on them not understanding the rules.

He followed Gideon out of the shed, and for the first time in a long while, Darwin wasn't afraid of what Finch might do, but of what Darwin was capable of doing.

The night air slapped against his face, cool and crisp. VKR-1 changed the way his body processed sensation. It was more information than a potential problem.

The data center sat twenty paces away, and there was nothing pretty about the building. It was just concrete, steel, cameras, and climate control built to protect the digital brain of the company.

Coulter opened the door. "Neve, Scout, and I will head back to the core."

"You know what you're looking for?" Gideon asked.

"I got pictures." Coulter held up his cell. "And a secure way to text with Zadie. We'll be fine."

Darwin glanced at his watch. "I'm guessing we've got only minutes before Finch storms through the door, so you’d better haul ass."

"We've got your back," Neve said before she turned and ran off between the racks, Scout and Coulter right behind her.

"Let's start walking," Gideon said.

They crossed into the main server hall. "I don't think I've ever been in this place," Darwin said.

Rows of black racks stretched in long, perfect lines. Blue and green status lights blinked by the thousands. Cables ran overhead in color-coded trays, each bundle disappearing into another cabinet, another aisle, another sealed compartment. The air vibrated with fans and chilled circulation.

Finch had turned the data center into a marketplace, and Gideon's invention was the main product for sale.

Gideon stopped beside a maintenance console and checked his watch.

Darwin flexed his fingers once, then let his hand settle near the weapon at his hip.

He’d spent his life learning how to keep people alive.

Tonight, that skill felt too small.

The lights overhead blinked twice. That was Zadie's signal.

"Game time," Gideon said.

Darwin had no idea whether Zadie had managed to patch Quinn and his commander into the room. No idea if Coulter, Neve, and Scout had reached the core or if they were pinned behind a rack with their phones dark and no way to ask for help.

No idea if Wynn was still sitting in that shed, trying to be useful while her body asked him questions he couldn’t answer.

He had nothing.

No numbers. No screens. No comms.

Just the plan.

The door at the far end opened, and four guards entered.