Page 4 of Claim Me
"Fuck, there are people in there!" I blurt out. Fear crashes through me so hard I almost lose consciousness. I sway and brace myself against the wall.
"Gabriel," I hear Marcel’s voice. His eyes, now cold like a bottomless ocean, lock onto mine.
"We have to go. There is nothing we can do."
"No," I say. "We can’t leave them. They will die."
I try to turn back, but Marcel grabs my shoulders.
"Focus, Gabriel. It is too late," he hisses. "A great cause sometimes requires sacrifice." There is that fanatic spark in his eyesagain. That part of him that only recently intensified, the part I can't understand or share. For me, this is too far.
"Are you insane? Destroying a lab is one thing. Killing innocent people is another."
"They are not innocent. They work for Malden Pharmaceuticals. They will be sacrifices for the cause."
I blink in shock. What the hell is he talking about.
"That’s sick. You’ve lost it," I snap, even though I already know what’s coming.
Marcel raises his hand. I see the vision of what will happen, and this time I allow it. Something inside me breaks.
The blow lands on my face.
"Get it together. We’re leaving!" Marcel shouts.
Edgar lets out a short laugh. I see the looks from the others. Contempt. I press my hand against my cheek.
Behind the closed doors, the inferno roars, spreading fast. I know we cannot stay here any longer.
They all turn and start running down the stairs. But I stay frozen in place.
I am the son of a small town cop. My father spent his life helping people in our community, protecting, serving them. With painful clarity, I see what I have done. What my feelings for Marcel pushed me into. It’s too much.
The group is already one floor below. They don't look back. They just run for the exit.
But I can't make myself follow.
I pull out the building layout. I know there’s another way to reach that section. If I go one floor up, I can come around from the other side.
It means running past multiple cameras.
Which means exposure.
Sooner or later, the police will track me down.
But the question of whether I let those people die or take responsibility for what we did becomes a turning point. I’m not a monster. Destroying property is one thing. Murder is another.
My father’s blood in my veins pushes me forward.
My 5-sec precognition helps me now. It lets me anticipate sequences, avoid wrong paths before I take them. I run one floor up. The door is locked, but opening it is much faster this time.
My hands shake as I connect the devices. I focus and activate my ability. It lets me eliminate errors almost instantly. I just know which options lead nowhere and which open a path forward. Using it constantly drains me, so I cannot rely on it all the time. But this is the moment I need it most.
Thirty seconds and the door is open.
There is no time to disable the cameras. I sprint down the corridor, fully aware that security can see me now.
Even with a scarf covering my face, my presence here will matter. It will point the police in the right direction.
