Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 312

Badass in Disguise

Chapter 312

89

Just as the clone lunged forward, something unexpected happened. Selene, who had been struggling to stand, suddenly launched herself between us. She caught the clone’s wrist, stopping the dart mere inches from my face.

“Selene! What are you doing?” QC’s voice was sharp with disbelief.

“Find a way out,” Selene said to me, her voice low and strained. Then she hurled herself at QC with the last of her strength.

QC’s face contorted with rage. “You ungrateful, worthless-”

I pressed my back against the wall, using it to support my weight as I stood. My shoulder was a mass of agony, and each breath sent shards of pain through my chest where my broken ribs had punctured something inside.

The clone recovered quickly, his emotionless face turning back toward me. He approached again, another dart ready in his hand.

I couldn’t beat him in this condition. Not with internal bleeding and a mangled shoulder.

Just as the clone prepared to strike, a tremendous explosion rocked the fortress. The stone walls trembled, dust and debris raining down from the ceiling. The explosion was followed by another, and then another, each closer than the last.

One of the massive wooden doors exploded inward, reduced to splinters and smoke. Through the haze, a small metallic figure appeared- Maxi, my little robot, standing in the doorway like an unlikely savior.

“Self–destruct sequence initiated,” Maxi announced, Ethan’s voice emerging from its speakers. “Ten pounds of TNT ready. Blast radius: five hundred meters. Countdown commencing: ten, nine, eight…”

QC fled immediately, diving through a hidden doorway to the underground lab. The clone hesitated then followed QC’s path. Selene dragged her injured body toward the exit, disappearing into the smoke.

“Three, two, one…” Maxi’s countdown echoed through the empty hall.

And then… nothing.

Two small canisters dropped from Maxi’s chassis, releasing thick clouds of smoke that quickly filled the hall.

By the time QC realized she’d been tricked and returned to the main hall, all she found was an empty room filled with smoke and the bodies of her fallen operatives.

I was already gone.

“Miss Morgan? How are you doing? Don’t scare me, please. If you die, I’m dead too.” Miguel’s voice came, tense with worry as he glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

I was sprawled across the back seat of the military–grade SUV, blood soaking through my clothes and onto the upholstery. Maxi sat beside me, its small mechanical head swiveling with concern.

“Emergency contact Ethan Haxton has been notified with our coordinates yesterday,” Maxi reported, its voice an uncanny replica of

1/2

9:54 Thu, Oct 2

Chapter 312

Ethan’s. “Master, please hold on.”

“Drive… smoother,” I managed to say. The internal bleeding would only worsen with each bump and jolt of the vehicle.

Miguel grimaced apologetically. “They’re following us,” he said, checking the mirror again.

Miguel’s phone showed no signal–we were too deep in the desert to contact anyone at Siwa Oasis for backup. Our only hope was that Ethan would send help, and soon.

“We have one tank of gas,” Miguel muttered, more to himself than to me. “Not enough to reach Siwa Oasis.”

“Medical kit,” I gasped, forcing the words out. “Where is it?”

Maxi immediately opened a compartment in its chassis. “Here, Master,” it said, producing a small black case.

With trembling hands, I opened the kit. There were painkillers and adrenaline shots that might keep me conscious long enough to formulate a plan.

As the desert night swallowed us, the headlights of our SUV cut two weak beams through the darkness.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify