128 (Operation Armageddon: Book 1)

Chapter Sixteen: The Metro Station | Part 2

"Oh, darn it. Just get on the train," the operator said as he paved the way for the detectives to carry Gregory into the train.

And so, Matthew and Daniel moved him onto two adjacent seats in the train, placing him in a lying position. Daniel stayed by his side to make sure that everything was fine while Matthew moved out of the train towards the technician's room.

Just as he was about to turn the power switch back on, a familiar voice over what seemed to be a megaphone was relayed through the station. The voice seemed to be coming from a distance, but it wasn't that far.

Matthew paused for a moment while Megan decided that she should head towards the source of the sound to see what exactly she was hearing, which wasn't quite wise to do.

She moved up the stairs, back up to the underpass that linked to the other train line above. She made sure that her footsteps were quiet, such that the approaching person wouldn't hear her. She then peeped her head beside the turn in the underpass to get a glimpse of what was happening.

And she saw a cloaked woman speaking through a megaphone.

"I know you all are here," the familiar voice echoed. "Why don't you all show up so I can make you an offer?"

Megan hid her head back behind the wall, breathing heavily. "God, please save us all," she began muttering a prayer before making her way back to the rest of the group.

She moved back through the underpass nimbly but silently. This time, she made sure that her footsteps weren't even audible. Her legs shuffled down the stairway leading back down to the platform where the rest were.

"Everyone, she's coming!" Megan warned everyone as she reached the bottom of the staircase.

"The chairwoman?" Daniel gasped, making an intelligent guess.

"Yes," Megan answered. "She still has her gun, and if we don't get out of here, she'll shoot us without hesitating."

Jeanne raised an eyebrow. She was just as confused as the train operator was, as they were the only ones who didn't know about Yael. This excluded Gregory, however, who was trying to calm himself down such that his blood pressure wouldn't be raised and thus the bleeding wouldn't be so intense.

"Who's the 'chairwoman'?" Jeanne then asked.

"I don't have time to explain," Megan said as she rushed back to Matthew, who was still in the technician's room. He was waiting for Megan to return, and now she did, but with bad news. "Bring the power back on. We need to get out of here, now!"

And so, Matthew flicked the switch back on. A whirring sound came from the generator inside the room, but it increased in pitch very slowly. This also meant that the power would take some time to come back on.

"This isn't good," Matthew muttered. "By the time the power comes on, the chairwoman would have had us killed already."

Megan pulled her hair, sighing. She tried to think of a plan, but she couldn't. There was only one way they could go about it, and it wasn't really a plan. "We need to get someone to stall her in that case. Like attack her or something, but I can't guarantee that that person will walk out alive."

Matthew exhaled deeply. He wasn't willing to let anyone be sacrificed, but it was probably inevitable. Someone would have to stop her and battle her physically.

Suddenly, Jeanne appeared to them in the room. She sighed tiredly before opening her mouth to speak. "I didn't mean to overhear your conversation, but I'll do it."

"D-do what?" Megan stuttered, fearing that Jeanne was volunteering to do the very thing that might endanger her life.

"I'll stall that person," Jeanne responded. "Earlier in the hospital, you announced to everyone that someone was coming after the three of you. Since you saved my life earlier, it's my turn to repay you guys."