Chapter 14 - Under the Flight-Control Annex
They moved through a service corridor so narrow Mercer's shoulders brushed the pipes. Ruiz stayed in the server room to relay the files to an outside oversight contact. Ward went ahead, using her rank to redirect a patrol away from the stairwell.
Avery and Mercer descended to sublevel two. The air smelled of cold concrete and cleaning chemicals. At the bottom stood a locked door with a small viewing panel. A woman on the other side was sitting on the floor, knees drawn close.
“Emma?” Avery said.
The woman raised her head. Same dark hair. Same stubborn chin. Same small crescent scar near her temple from a childhood bicycle accident.
“Ave?”
Avery pressed her palm against the glass. “I'm here.”
Emma stood too fast, swayed, then caught herself on the wall. “You shouldn't have come.”
“Everybody keeps telling me that.”
“Rourke is the reason they found me.”
The words landed like a punch. Avery asked for the full truth, but Emma looked toward the stairwell.
“Open the door first.”
Mercer worked the manual release using a maintenance wrench. The lock resisted, then gave with a heavy click. Emma threw herself into Avery's arms. For one breath, the entire conspiracy fell away. Avery smelled stale soap in her sister's hair and felt how thin she had become.
“I thought I'd never see you again,” Emma whispered.
“You're going to get sick of seeing me.”
A sharp voice interrupted from the corridor. “Step away from her.”
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Rourke stood at the foot of the stairs with his pistol pointed at Mercer. His expression was a stranger's now.
“Emma,” he said, “tell your sister why you asked me to bring her here.”
