Kill the Truth

Chapter 4: Praetorian

The bullet hit the concrete where Damian's head had been.

He did not think about it he just moved.

His body rolled across the floor.

The rifle round went through the space where he was hitting the server rack behind him.

It made a big explosion and the aluminum casing broke apart.

Blue sparks flew into the air.

Damian yelled at Marcus to get down.

He did not wait to see if Marcus listened.

He crawled on his hands and knees pulling his canvas bag behind a heavy steel frame.

The room was very loud.

The four Praetorian guards were shooting their guns.

They moved together like they were one person.

Monitors broke into pieces.

Keyboards were smashed.

The red emergency lights were flashing.

The smoke was getting thicker.

Damian pressed his back against the metal frame.

His heart was beating fast.

He checked his pistol.

He had eight rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber.

He was up against four guards with armor.

He needed to find a spot.

Marcus was crawling through the debris.

He was scared. His clothes were torn.

He found a submachine gun in a broken desk drawer.

They are going to kill us Marcus said.

The Architect is not going to let us live.

Damian told Marcus to be quiet and get ready.

He looked at the ceiling.

He saw the conduits.

There was a pipe with liquid coolant.

Damian told Marcus to shoot the pipe.

Marcus did not hesitate.

He shot the pipe. The liquid spilled out.

The floor was flooded.

The lead Praetorian guard stepped into the water.

Damian shot at the junction box.

The wires. The electricity went into the water.

The two guards were shocked. They fell.

The other two guards were on a raised walkway.

They did not stop shooting.

Damian slid through the water to avoid the bullets.

He hid behind a pillar with Marcus.

We have to go Marcus said.

The backup generators will. The vault doors will close.

We will be trapped Marcus said.

Where is the exit Damian asked.

Marcus said it was behind the guards under the floor plate.

It connects to the subway lines.

We have to move Damian said.

We cannot shoot through their armor Marcus said.

I do not need to shoot their armor Damian said.

I need to shoot their glass.

Give me covering fire Damian said.

Marcus shot at the guards.

Damian stepped out. He shot at the guard's visor.

The guard fell.

The last guard. He shot at Damian.

One of the bullets hit Marcus in the stomach.

Damian did not look at Marcus.

He shot at the guard's visor.

The guard fell.

The room was quiet.

Damian kept his gun raised.

He looked around. There was no one else.

Marcus was, on the floor bleeding.

Damian walked over to him.

Marcus was curled up holding his stomach.

Damian stood above him.

His face did not show any emotion.

This was the man who had hurt him.

The man who had used him.

It would be easy to leave him

Damian wanted to know the truth.

Marcus was the one who knew.

The vault doors are closing Marcus said.

Leave me kid.

I am going to die

Save yourself.

Damian knelt.

He grabbed Marcus's vest. He pulled him up.

Marcus screamed in pain.

Damian took Marcus's weight. He dragged him across the floor.

You are not going to die Damian said.

You are going to tell me what you did.

They reached the walkway.

Damian found the maintenance hatch.

He opened it. He helped Marcus inside.

Get down Damian said.

Marcus groaned as he climbed down into the dark. The rungs were wet and slippery. Damian was behind him. He slammed the iron hatch shut just as the power went out.

The bunker was dead. The emergency doors closed with a boom that shook the whole place.

They were trapped in the dark. Damian pulled out a light stick and cracked it open. He held it in his teeth. The light made shadows on the walls.

They were in a brick tunnel. Water was rushing past their boots.

Marcus leaned against the wall. He was breathing hard. Damian sat down beside him. He pulled out a bandage and pressed it to Marcuss stomach.

Marcus screamed. His body jerked back and forth. Then he went limp.

Hold on Damian shouted. Press down on the bandage. Do not let go.

Marcus put his hands on the bandage. Why are you saving me he asked. I did things to you.

Because you owe me Damian said. You told me you did not kill my father. You said the Architect did it. Tell me who the Architect is.

Marcus closed his eyes. He was coughing up blood. He did not have time.

You think my father was a man Damian Marcus said.. He was not. He helped build the machine.

That is not true Damian said. My father was a man.

He wrote the code Marcus said. He helped the bad guys control the money.

No Damian said. That is a lie.

Marcus said. My father was a man. He made a mistake. He tried to fix it.. It was too late.

The Architect killed him Damian said. Who is the Architect?

Marcus looked at him. He was dying. The Architect is someone you know he said.

Look in the mirror kid Marcus whispered.

Then a big explosion rocked the tunnel.

The blast knocked Damian down. The ceiling was falling apart.

They are trying to kill us Damian said. We have to get out of here.

Damian grabbed Marcus.. He was dead.

Damian ran through the water. He had to get out.

He ran for a time. The water was getting deeper.

Finally he saw a way out. It was an iron grate.

It was locked.

Damian shot the lock. He kicked the grate open.

He climbed out of the water. He was freezing.

He made it to the street. He was in an alley.

The city was covered in fog.

Damian lay on the ground. He was shivering.

He got up after a while. He was covered in blood and dirt.

He stole a jacket from a truck. He put it on.

He walked through the streets. He avoided the roads.

He saw a newsstand. There was a picture of him on the page.

He was wanted for murder.

The police were looking for him.

Damian kept moving. He went to a building.

He went downstairs. Sophia and Elara were there.

They were surprised to see him. He looked like he had been through a war.

You look terrible Sophia said.

I almost died Damian said.

Did you find Marcus Elara asked.

He is dead Damian said. The Directorate killed him.

We are, in trouble Sophia said. The police are looking for you.

We can still win Damian said. Marcus told me about the algorithm.

What is that Sophia asked.

It is the heart of the Directorate Damian said. If we can stop it we can bring them down.

But who wrote it Elara asked.

My father Damian said. He helped build the machine.

The room was quiet. Everyone was shocked.

Then a computer started beeping.

Elara spun around her fingers moving fast on the keys. The main decryption thing on the screen turned green. The third folder she said loudly. It just opened up.

Damian told her to open it even though he was hurting a lot. He stood next, to her. My father would have left a way out he said. A way to stop everything. That is why they really wanted this drive.

Elara clicked on the file. A lot of information came up on the screen. There were building plans, maps of how the data was connected and records of what the servers were doing. Her eyes were scanning all of it.