“Okay?” Ernie asked, his voice muffled by the gas mask.
I pushed a stray lock of my hair out from under the mask and nodded. “Michael. He’s hurt.” I pointed back behind me.
“Anyone left here?” Ernie asked.
I shook my head. “Where’s Hyden?”
“He’s okay. But they took everyone else.” Ernie pushed past me, looking for Michael in the smoke.
“Everyone?” I said to myself.
My skin felt clammy. I looked down at the Ender who’d been shot.
“Scum,” I said to his body.
He opened his eyes and I gasped. He reached out and grabbed my ankle.
“Ernie!” I shouted. I tried yanking my legs free, but the Ender held on.
Our Middle bodyguard returned, gun extended, with Michael right behind him. Ernie bent and pointed the gun at the Ender’s head.
“Release her now!”
The Ender let go of me and fell back, drained from his efforts.
“Callie, move.” Ernie gestured with his head.
I stepped away and Michael put his arm around me. The smoke had cleared enough that Ernie and I could remove our masks.
“Who do you work for?” Ernie asked the Ender.
He kept silent, a bitter look of resignation on his face.
“Look, grandpa, you’re bleeding to death every second that goes by. I’d say you only have sixty of those left,” Ernie said. He reached into his pocket. “See this?” He pulled out a jet-syringe. “This will stop your bleeding.”
The Ender perked up, his eyes wild, alert.
“It’ll save your miserable life. Just talk. Who sent you?”
I looked at Michael. Would the Ender talk?
The Ender’s lips began to move. “Brockman.” He coughed.
“What’s he going to do with our Metals?” Ernie asked. “Blow them up?”
He shook his head. “Sell them … big …” He reached for the syringe. “Gimme.”
Ernie pulled his arm back, out of reach. “When?”
The Ender grimaced from his pain. “Ten … days.”
“Who’s he selling them to?”
“The richest … Enders … in the world.”
“Where?”
“The shot …” The Ender reached out.
Ernie looked at his watch and injected the syringe with a touch of his thumb. The Ender didn’t even flinch.
“Where?” Ernie asked, getting right in his face. “Where’s the auction?”
The Ender’s eyes went glassy and his head listed to the side.
“Where’s Brockman’s lab?” Ernie shook the Ender.
“Ernie.” I touched his shoulder. “I think he’s gone.”
Ernie felt the Ender’s pulse and then got up.
“The shot didn’t work,” Michael said.
“Yeah, I knew that,” Ernie said. “But it made him talk.”
He took the lead as Michael and I followed to the main lab. Hyden appeared with a thick black duffel bag over his shoulder. Redmond was behind him.
“They took all the Metals.” My voice broke.
“Not all,” Hyden said, a flash of sadness in his eyes. “Not you. Lucky you were in surgery.”
We made it to the end of the main lab room. Just as I wondered why Ernie was leading us to a dead end, Hyden slapped the wall, and a panel slid open to a narrow hallway. We entered, and it closed behind us with a snap.
Hyden opened a door and we rushed up the stairs. I stopped counting the flights; I was gasping for breath. Ernie put his arm under mine and helped me the rest of the way. Redmond, being an Ender, was also panting. He was lagging a half flight behind us.
Finally, we reached the last landing. Hyden pressed another pad, and a steel panel opened to the garage. It closed behind us, totally masking this secret passageway.
We stepped out into the garage and were near the SUV when the elevator door opened. Two Enders with gas masks and guns poured out. One was very tall, with long white hair like a Viking.
Hyden motioned for Ernie to get Michael and me into the SUV. I climbed in the front, Michael in the back, and Hyden scrambled into the driver’s seat. Redmond was coming, running as hard as he could, but he was grabbed from behind by the tall Ender.
Ernie lunged back to help him, but the shorter Ender took aim and shot Ernie.
“No!” I yelled.
Redmond turned on his long-haired captor and they struggled. The gun went off and Redmond slumped to the ground, shot in the heart.
I screamed Redmond’s name. Hyden was shouting, but I couldn’t make out his words.
Ernie grabbed the SUV door and put his feet on the step. Michael reached out and held on to his arm.
The men rushed us. Hyden sped in reverse out of the garage as Michael hoisted Ernie into the backseat. Hyden pressed the button for the garage panel and it started to lower.