Read Deadman's Switch & Sunder the Hollow Ones for Free Online Page B

pushing, like a machine.
    â€œWe should be trying to get some information from him,” Reggie says, startling me.
    I shrug. I’m too tired to even think about it.
    â€œHey, asshole,” he calls. His voice raps off the walls. They hurt my ears. “You can make this easier on yourself if you’d just talk to us.”
    Stephen doesn’t answer. I hadn’t expected him to.
    â€œWho the fuck gives a crap about him?” Jake says.
    I turn and glare at him.
    â€œIgnore the kid,” Reggie advises. “We’re all tired and hungry.”
    â€œAnd my head is god damn killing me,” Jake complains.
    Great, another complainer.
    I don’t feel very sorry for him or for Ash. We’re all feeling terrible. There’s no sympathy left inside any of us for someone else’s whining.
    Finally, just as it feels like we can’t go any further, the light changes. We reach the tunnel opening and step out into the airport terminal. I quickly gesture at everyone to stop and keep quiet. “Let’s check things out first.”
    â€œI told you we shouldn’t have left those two here like that,” Jake grumbles. “They probably got loose five minutes after we left.”
    â€œSomebody tell him to shut up,” Kelly whispers.
    He and Reggie offer to scope it out, leaving us hidden in the darkness of the tunnel. When they return twenty minutes later, they report that the baggage claim area where we’d left the two Arc employees is completely empty.
    Reggie shows us the bindings we’d used. “Bet they went upstairs to check on Nurse Bitch,” he says.
    â€œThey’ll be in for quite a surprise.”
    â€œThis is not good,” Jake says, shaking his head.
    â€œWhat’s the worse they can do?” Kelly asks. “It’s not like they can communicate with anyone outside the barrier—”
    â€œNot that we know of,” Jake counters.
    We all have to concede that point. As far as we’ve been able to determine, our Links won’t function across the EM, but who’s to say Arc hasn’t worked out a way to overcome that barrier. In fact, given their business here, it’s probably safer to assume they have the means to do practically anything they want.
    â€œWe know nobody escaped through the tunnel,” Kelly says. “We would’ve known. This is the only way in or out of LI now that the other tunnels are gone.”
    â€œAgain, I wouldn’t assume that.”
    â€œYeah,” Ashley says. “What about Volunteers? And equipment?”
    Nobody answers her. Nobody wants to talk about Volunteers.
    Kelly turns to Jake. “Fine. What do you think we should do? We can’t leave.”
    â€œWe can’t stay either.”
    â€œSo we wander around the island until someone finds us?”
    â€œNo, we get Stephen to tell us how to defeat the failsafe mechanism.”
    â€œWe will,” I say. “But we need a place to hole up.” I gesture at Micah. “He’s still too weak to do much running.”
    â€œI agree,” Reggie decides. “We do what Jessie says. She’s in charge.”
    Jake looks surprised. He opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off.
    â€œLet’s go back upstairs then.” Everyone nods.
    I don’t know why they’ve chosen me to become their leader. I don’t know if it’s because I was the one who managed to escape and rescue everyone. Anyone in my shoes would’ve done the same. Or maybe it’s because I’m no longer burdened by the new implants. Well, neither is Kelly, but he’s never tried to be a leader of our group.
    It’s just that he has no interest in leading. That much is clear. Nor does Reggie. It’s Micah we normally follow, but with him out of the picture, that leaves me and Ash. And Jake.
    â€œFirst thing we need to do is block this doorway,” I announce. “So when they come through the