He made it underground. The Second Avenue station was still lit, he could see where he was going. It was an old station with two island platforms. Damien speed-vaulted over the turnstiles — planting one hand on a turnstile and throwing his legs out to the side. He cleared them and kept running.
‘Open the doors!’ he yelled.
Aviary wasn’t replying. She couldn’t hear him anymore.
He hoped she could see him on the security cameras. He looked back and saw the operative monkey vault over the turnstiles — both hands on the turnstiles, legs tucked underneath. The operative landed on both feet and continued at full speed.
Damien fled down the stairs to the island platform, ruck still on his shoulders. He didn’t have time to work out which platform, and he didn’t have Aviary guiding him anymore. He ran out onto the left island platform and spotted the train. It was on the inner track but it was resting next to the other platform, carriage doors closed. There was an empty track between him and train.
He’d chosen the wrong side.
The operative was running down the stairs to the platform, very close. Damien continued his escape, darting between rows of blue steel pillars. He stopped at the end, trapped.
The driver’s cabin was opposite him, but the doors were still shut. He saw a camera next to him and stared into it, hoping Aviary could see him. He pointed at the doors and took a running start. The operative was halfway along the platform. Another five seconds and he’d be on Damien.
Damien ran the narrow width of the platform. He reached the edge and jumped for the train. The doors were still shut. He leaped over the empty track.
The doors beeped. They jolted open. Damien tucked his arms in, his shoulders bunching up just enough to clear the doors as they opened. He landed inside the carriage, rolled almost out the other side. He recovered and turned to see the operative taking a wide turn on the platform. He was coming in after him.
‘Close!’ Damien yelled. ‘Close!’
The doors beeped again. Continued beeping. They were warning signals. The operative reached the edge of the platform and jumped toward him. The doors weren’t going to close in time.
Damien started to wish he’d kept that knife.
The door slid shut. The operative landed on the outside, the tips of his shoes holding him against the carriage. Damien watched him leap backward, off the train and down onto the empty track. He drew his pistol and fired through the window. Damien crawled for the driver’s cabin. He snuck inside and shut the door behind him. Aviary had disabled the locks so he couldn’t even lock himself in.
Another shot blasted through the cabin’s side window. He ducked, then noticed the far end of the platform fill with masked Blue Berets. They rushed forward, carbines leveled at the operative. Damien watched as the operative disappeared in the tunnel.
He had to disappear too. He started the engine and pushed the train into the dark tunnel ahead. He took it northwest along Aviary’s prescribed route. He was on his own now, until he found Sophia at Union Square. He just hoped she’d make it.
Chapter 37
‘Are we finished?’ Nasira said.
Aviary was transfixed on her computer, or computers, since she had a few of them running. One showed the subway map with live traffic — an easy map to read when there were only two trains in motion. Another screen showed the locations of the newer stock, the ones she had limited remote control over. And the large screen on the high wall showed a grid of security camera angles. Aviary switched them from Second Avenue to Union Square and waited in silence.
‘We finished or what?’ Nasira said.
‘No!’ Aviary said.
Nasira walked over to her. ‘Listen to me, we leave when I say we leave.’
‘OK,’ Aviary said.
‘And I say we leave,’ Nasira said.
‘I can’t leave now,’ Aviary said.
‘You want to escape or you want to be Denton’s next hostage?’ Nasira said. ‘Or more like interrogation victim.’
‘We need to get the meteorite to Sophia and get her out of there,’ Aviary said.
‘And then what?’
Aviary looked at her. ‘And then we should go.’
‘Oh, and then we go, right.’ Nasira shook her head. ‘Jay is out there, you know? By himself. Injured,’ she said. ‘And I’m trapped in here doing sweet fuck all.’
Aviary raised a finger to her lips.
‘Don’t—’ Nasira stopped when she realized she was endangering them by talking loudly.
Aviary was looking at her screens again. ‘Just call him,’ she said, handing over her iPhone. ‘Use my phone.’
Nasira was about to argue another point, then stopped. She took the phone and walked to the other end of the Operations Control Center. She leaned against a copy machine.
‘Who do I—?’
‘Pink,’ Aviary called out.
Nasira shrugged and dialed the contact labeled Pink. It rang three times before Jay answered.
‘Um, hello?’ he said in a low voice.
‘Hey,’ Nasira said. ‘It’s me.’
‘Hey.’
She didn’t know what else to say. ‘I’m … coming for you,’ she said.
‘That’s a bit early in the conversation, isn’t it?’ Jay said.
‘Shut up,’ she said. ‘I’m serious. As soon as we’re done with the handover.’
‘Take your time,’ he said.
‘What are you … doing?’ she said.
‘You know, just sitting in my apartment watching TV. How about you?’
She laughed. ‘Oh yeah, just at Grand Central, you know. Waiting for a train.’
‘Huh,’ he said. ‘Where are you going?’
‘Some bitch’s birthday from the office,’ Nasira said. ‘We’re heading over for drinks in Hell’s Kitchen—’
‘What did you say you do again?’ Jay said, clearly amused.
‘I’m a florist,’ she said.
‘What does a florist do?’ Jay asked.
‘I dunno,’ Nasira said. ‘Fucking flowers and shit.’
Jay laughed, then almost choked. ‘Yeah. Slipped my mind. Are you coming over later?’
She smiled. ‘Maybe,’ she said. ‘I might be really drunk.’
‘I might be really lonely,’ Jay said.
‘That can work,’ she said.
‘Someone’s at the door,’ Jay said.
Nasira snapped out of her scenario. ‘No,’ she said. ‘Who?’
‘I’m sorry,’ Jay said. ‘Looks like I have to go.’
Nasira pulled the phone from her ear and checked the map. She had Jay’s location. Two operatives overlapped him.
‘Are you armed?’ Nasira said.
Jay laughed. This time it annoyed her. ‘I haven’t been armed since this whole thing kicked off,’ he said. ‘Major handicap.’
‘You should’ve gone to a fucking police station or something!’
‘I know, that’s what I said!’ Jay yelled.
‘OK, listen—’ She paused, heard a door open on Jay’s end.
‘Did the hurricane slow you down?’ Jay said. He was talking to the operatives.
‘Shit,’ she said. ‘Uh, look I have an idea. Listen to me,’ she said.
‘I have to go,’ Jay said.
‘Children that nestle near!’ Nasira yelled. ‘Say it!’
Jay sighed loudly, then started repeating her. ‘Children that nestle near.’
‘Pleased a simple tale to hear!’ she said.
‘Pleased a simple tale to hear,’ he said.
She couldn’t remember what came after that. ‘Fuck you motherfuckers!’ she said.