Chapter 870
He knocked Dominic unconscious with the butt of his gun.
“It’s over,” Skye said, letting her back slide down the wall, the adrenaline crashing through her all at once.
Alistair pulled her into him. “It’s over.”
But as they looked out through the viewport into the dark water of the bay, Skye saw something. A shadow, moving in the deep — deliberate and slow, detaching from the hull beneath them.
A second submarine.
T𝗁𝗈𝗎ѕаո𝖽ѕ 𝗈f 𝗿𝘦𝖺d𝗲𝘳𝗌 on 𝗴a𝘭𝗇𝗼vе𝗅𝗌.𝖼𝗼𝘮
“He wasn’t alone,” Skye whispered.
They dragged an unconscious Dominic back to the surface. The police were waiting — real police, called by Lucian.
As Dominic was handcuffed and shoved into a squad car, the sun began to rise over Sea City. The skyline was intact. The apocalypse had been cancelled.
But Skye felt no relief.
She stood on the pier, watching the water.
“Who was in the second sub?” she asked Alistair.
“We don’t know,” Alistair said, a medic working to bandage his shoulder. “Maybe a backup. Maybe a partner.”
“Or maybe the real Mastermind,” Skye said. “Dominic called himself the Architect. Architects design. Someone else pays the bills.”
Her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number.
“Hello?”
“Did you enjoy the fireworks?” a voice asked. It was distorted, digital — stripped of anything human.
“Who is this?” Skye demanded.
“You have my stones,” the voice said. “Keep them. Consider them a graduation gift. You passed the test, Skye.”
“What test?”
“The entrance exam,” the voice said. “You proved you can protect the city. Now try to protect yourself.”
“Where is Victoria?” Skye shouted.
“Oh, she’s safe,” the voice chuckled. “For now. We moved her to Haven City. Come find us.”
The line went dead.
“Who was it?” Alistair asked.
“The endgame,” Skye said.
Behind them, a black sedan pulled up to the pier. The window rolled down.
It was Liam.
He looked exhausted, still wearing a hospital gown beneath a trench coat. He stepped out of the car slowly, leaning heavily on the door for support.
“Liam!” Skye ran to him. “What are you doing here?”
“I checked myself out,” Liam said. “I heard about the harbor. Did you get him?”
“We got Dominic,” Skye said. “But someone else got away.”
Liam looked at the police cars. Then he looked at Skye, and his eyes were heavy with something she couldn’t name.
“Skye,” he said softly. “There’s something you need to know. About why Arthur stole the Diamond. About me.”
“What is it?”
“The Syndicate didn’t just want the city,” Liam said. “They wanted total control. They put something in me while I was in the coma.” He tapped his temple. “A kill switch. A monitor. Dominic activated it tonight. He tried to force me to stop you.”
Skye went still. “What?”
“I fought it,” Liam said, his voice trembling. “But I can feel it humming. They can override me, Skye. Just like they did to Parker.”
Alistair stepped forward, his hand moving to his gun. “Liam, step away from her.”