As soon as the blaring alarms echoed through the facility, the three of us froze for half a second, caught in the wave of adrenaline that hit like a punch to the chest. Red emergency lights flashed along the walls, bathing the sterile corridors in a sinister glow.

Liam was the first to react. "Go!" he hissed, grabbing my arm and pulling me forward.

Theo was right behind us, his breathing harsh and fast. “What tripped it? I thought you disabled everything!”

“I did!” Liam snapped, his voice tight with panic. “They must’ve had a failsafe I didn’t see. Just run!”

The hallway seemed to stretch on forever as we sprinted toward the exit. The duffel bag bounced against my back with every step, the weight of the remaining equipment slowing me down. My legs burned, my chest ached, but I pushed forward.

Footsteps pounded behind us, echoing over the shriek of the alarm. I didn’t dare look back, but the sound of shouts and heavy boots was enough to confirm what I feared—security was on us.

Theo skidded to a stop at the next intersection, his eyes darting to a stairwell on our right. “Upstairs!” he shouted, shoving the door open.

“Why upstairs? We need to get out!” Liam argued, but Theo was already moving.

“Trust me!”

We had no choice but to follow. The stairwell smelled faintly of grease and dust, the metal steps rattling beneath our feet. My hands gripped the railing tightly as I climbed, the duffel bag threatening to tip me off balance.

“Where are we going?” I asked, panting.

“There’s a maintenance hatch on the roof,” Theo said without turning. “It’s risky, but it’s our best shot at getting out without running straight into more guards.”

More guards. The words hit like a slap. Chronos had planned for this; they knew someone might try to shut them down, and they were ready. The thought made my blood run cold.

As we reached the top floor, Theo burst through the stairwell door and into a narrow corridor. The alarms were even louder here, reverberating off the walls.

Liam was the first to spot the security cameras swiveling toward us. “Shit!” he shouted, pulling Theo and me toward the nearest room.

We barreled inside, slamming the door behind us. The room was dark except for the glow of a dozen monitors lining the walls, each displaying live feeds from different parts of the facility. My stomach churned as I realized we were in the security control room.

“They’re tracking us,” Theo said, his voice grim as he stared at the screens.

“No kidding,” Liam shot back, pacing. “We need to disable the cameras or they’ll corner us before we even make it to the roof.”

Theo grabbed a chair and slid it in front of the main console. “I’ll take care of it. You two watch the door.”

Liam and I exchanged a glance before positioning ourselves on either side of the door, listening for the inevitable sound of boots heading our way.

Theo’s fingers flew over the keyboard, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Come on… come on…”

The seconds stretched into what felt like hours. Every beep of the console made me flinch, every shout in the hallway tightening the knot of fear in my chest.

Finally, Theo let out a triumphant grunt. “Got it. Cameras down.”

Liam didn’t waste time celebrating. “Good. Now let’s get the hell out of here.”

We moved as one, slipping back into the corridor. The flashing red lights disoriented me, making it hard to tell which direction we were heading, but Theo led the way with unshakable confidence.

It wasn’t until we reached the next corner that we heard them—the guards.

“Freeze!” one of them shouted, his voice harsh and commanding.

We didn’t.

Theo grabbed my hand, pulling me forward as Liam yanked the duffel bag off my shoulder and swung it at the nearest guard. The man stumbled, but his partner lunged for us, his hand grazing my arm.

I twisted away, my heart racing as Liam delivered a swift kick to the guard’s stomach. “Go! I’ve got this!”

“No!” I shouted, but Theo dragged me down the hall before I could argue.

Liam stayed behind, his shouts and grunts of effort echoing behind us as we raced toward the roof access hatch. My chest tightened with every step, guilt clawing at me for leaving him behind, but Theo didn’t stop.

When we reached the hatch, Theo hoisted himself up first, pushing the heavy cover aside. He turned back to me, his hand outstretched. “Come on!”

I grabbed his hand, my arms straining as he pulled me up onto the roof. The cool night air hit me like a slap, the sudden openness disorienting after the claustrophobic hallways.

“What now?” I asked, glancing around wildly.

Theo pointed to the edge of the roof, where a narrow maintenance ladder led down the side of the building. “There!”

We hurried to the ladder, my hands shaking as I gripped the cold metal rungs. As I started to climb down, the sound of a door slamming open made me look up.

Guards poured onto the roof, their flashlights slicing through the darkness. I froze, panic gripping me as they shouted orders and moved toward Theo.

Theo didn’t hesitate. He shoved the hatch cover back into place, blocking their path as he started down the ladder after me.

“Hurry!” he urged, his voice tight with fear.

I descended as fast as I could, my feet slipping on the slick metal as my arms screamed in protest. When I finally reached the ground, Theo was right behind me, his face pale but determined.

“This way,” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the trees that lined the edge of the lot.

The moment we reached the cover of the trees, I collapsed to my knees, my chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath. Theo crouched beside me, his hand on my shoulder.

“We have to keep moving,” he said gently.

I nodded, pushing myself to my feet despite the tremors in my legs.

Just as we turned to leave, a figure emerged from the shadows. My heart stopped when I realized who it was.

Liam.

His face was bruised, his shirt torn, but he was alive. He staggered toward us, his breath ragged. “They’ll be looking for us. We need to go.”

Relief flooded through me, followed quickly by a renewed sense of purpose. We weren’t done yet—not even close.

Chronos Labs might still stand for now, but we’d made it out. And as I looked at Theo and Liam, both battered but alive, I knew one thing for sure.

We were going to finish what we started.

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Can y'all ☆, and comment your opinions on my book please? I'm nearly 16 and I don't mind criticism <3