Project HALO

10

"We have to leave! Please, Charles, we can do this later," Regina's arms shake as she reaches them for me.

I click the bullet into place as an answer.

"No, don't. Don't do this."

"Call off the bombs." I sound surprisingly calm for someone who is about to kill himself. No matter what Regina does, I don't want to live like this. I'd rather die on my feet than live the rest of my life on my knees. And that will be our new reality if Regina gets her hands on the files. I can't let that happen.

"I can't!" Regina's eyes flicker over to Malcolm. "Stop him, Malcolm. He's going to destroy your creation! Everything we have done, you have done... Project HALO would've been for nothing."

Malcolm frowns, and something hardens his features, straining the muscles in his jaw. "If this is what it takes to stop you, he has to do it."

The words are so serious, so final, that I have to lean my back against the wall to keep my balance. He's right. I have to do this.

Regina's mouth opens and closes. I can see the indecision on her face.

"You don't understand," she manages to press out. "The bombs can't be deactivated. There's nothing I can do!"

A stab of irritation goes through me. I sigh and lift my gun to the ceiling.

"Deactivate them," I say and pull the trigger.

The bullet shoots through the ceiling, punctuating my order like an exclamation mark.