Chapter 5 - Echoes of the Reserve
Elara dodged the wicked swipe of the combat knife by a millimeter.
The blade sliced through the fabric of her numbered uniform.
She grabbed Julian's wrist, using his own momentum to slam him into the steel handrail.
"Alexis burned our parents alive, Julian!" she screamed, pinning his arm.
"Our parents sold us out!" Julian roared back, fighting to free his hand.
Elara froze in shock.
Julian twisted his wrist, breaking her grip, and slashed the knife across her shoulder.
Pain flared through her arm, but she ignored it, fueled by adrenaline.
"What are you talking about?" she demanded, backing away.
"Alexis didn't steal the land, Elara, our father sold it to him to pay off massive gambling debts," Julian spat.
The words shattered the perfect memory she had held onto for fifteen years.
Candidate 03 suddenly grabbed a heavy brass fire extinguisher from the elevator wall.
She swung it with all her might, hitting Julian squarely in the back of the head.
Julian collapsed to the floor of the elevator, completely unconscious.
Elara stared at her brother's still body, her mind spinning with this devastating new truth.
The elevator chimed pleasantly as it reached the top floor penthouse.
The doors slid open to reveal a sprawling, luxurious living room overlooking the city.
The room was entirely empty.
Elara stepped out cautiously, clutching her bleeding shoulder.
She walked toward a massive mahogany desk sitting in the center of the room.
A laptop was open on the desk, displaying a live security feed of the elevator they had just exited.
Alexis Vernet's voice suddenly crackled through the room's surround sound system.
"Did you really think I would wait here for you to kill me, Elara?"
Elara looked up at a security camera mounted in the corner of the ceiling.
"Where are you, Alexis?" she demanded fiercely.
"I am exactly where I need to be," his voice echoed smoothly.
Thick steel shutters suddenly slammed down over the penthouse windows.
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The elevator doors locked shut, completely sealing the room.
A loud hissing sound began to emanate from the air vents above them.
