Page 87 of Hollow State

They wore dark tactical gear and moved fast. Right behind them was Finch. He strolled into the data center like he hadn't a care in the world.

Arrogant bastard.

For years, Darwin had seen that confidence as leadership.

Now, he saw that confidence for what it was—the arrogance of a man who'd never expected the consequences of his actions to ever be challenged.

“Well, well, well,” Finch said. “Why am I not surprised to see the two of you, back here, together?" He widened his stance and made a tsking noise. "The only real surprise is the death and destruction you’re leaving behind."

Darwin's pulse ticked in his neck at a rate unfamiliar to him. “I'm holding you responsible for that."

“I don't see how you can.” Finch folded his arms across his chest. “I'm not the one who broke in. Besides, I've got it all on my security cameras.”

“Not all of it,” Gideon said.

“Are you admitting to fucking with my system?” Finch asked. "Not a good look."

"I'm not admitting anything." Gideon shrugged.

"Hand over your weapons," Finch said.

"I don't think we're going to do that." Gideon pulled his from its holster, but he didn't raise it.

All the guards aimed theirs at Darwin and Gideon.

"You're both going to drop them to the ground and kick them in this direction, or we shoot you and it won't be to kill you. At least, not yet."

Darwin glanced at Gideon, who nodded. Darwin unclipped his gun, dropped it to the ground, and kicked it toward Finch. Gideon did the same thing. One of the guards picked them both up.

"Where's the rest of your group?" Finch asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Darwin's pulse spiked, and he couldn't help but wonder what that looked like on the screen.

“Don't play dumb," Finch said. “The men who survived the attack in the office building said there were women with you.” Finch lifted two fingers and pointed into the center.

Two of the guards disappeared between racks, sweeping the rows. One of the other guards shifted toward the side aisle and stood near the exit. The last guard stayed with Finch.

“If they told you that,” Darwin said, “they also told you that Gideon and I weren’t in the office building.”

“That's true.” Finch let out a small laugh. "Still, you aren’t alone.”

“The team is gone,” Gideon said. “They got us here. We don’t need them anymore.”

“You're full of shit," Finch said. "And if you're not, you're dumber than I thought you were."

"We're not stupid." Darwin leaned against a piece of equipment. He understood this drug—his drug—told him that he was invincible. That he had nothing to fear. And that feeling was addictive. It surged through his veins like wildfire. If he wasn't fully aware of the pitfalls, he'd be in big trouble. And he knew it. "We just needed to get in, get what we came for, and get out."

"You're not leaving," Finch said. "And I don't believe you. So, before I kill you, tell me where they are."

“They’re headed toward the east side of the property near the main gate,” Darwin said. "And if you're going to kill me, I want some answers. I'm sure Gideon does, too."

"I want all the answers." Gideon leaned against the same piece of equipment and crossed his arms. "I've got so many questions burning holes in my brain."

“Why does any of it matter?” Finch asked.

“I want to know why you did it.” Darwin pushed from the stack and inched closer. His anger intensified, and it took some control on his part to rein it in. He took off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt. “Why did Prewit have to die? What was Emma Pryce actually doing for you? I want to understand what the endgame was with my drugs. With Gideon's inventions."

"I shouldn't tell you anything." Finch took a step closer. “You nearly destroyed everything I’ve worked so hard to obtain.”