“Left turn, seventeen meters ahead. Seven seconds!” Kevin called out as he ran, his voice booming.
Ryan, clutching Echo without a word, followed Kevin’s directions, knowing full well that escaping through the exit was impossible. The countless twisting corridors would never outpace the incoming flood.
The water was rising fast, filling the passage from all sides. Within seconds, it was already up to their knees, quickly climbing by half a meter.
“Here, three seconds… two, one!” Kevin stopped in one section of the passage, fixing his eyes on the timer.
When it hit one, he dove into the water, and Ryan dropped down too, pulling Echo close and shielding her as they submerged. The four of them quickly braced themselves, preparing for the incoming rush of water.
Just as Kevin finished speaking, a moderate explosion went off above the passage, right around a meter or two above Ryan and the others. Rocks rained down, scattering wildly from the blast, pelting the water below, with sparks snuffed out the instant they hit the water.
The explosion carved out an opening big enough for a person to squeeze through. Hawk had used the passage’s blueprint to locate the thinnest, nearest spot to the control room, timing it so the water flow would start just before the blast. That way, there would be no risk of fire igniting the explosives too early-it was timed to a precise three-minute window, no more, no less, for a perfect escape.
Kevin grabbed onto one of the others, propping himself up on their shoulder to hoist himself through the hole, slipping through like lightning. Once outside, he flipped down to dangle, reaching back to help pull the gang leader up after him.
“Ryan,” Echo called softly as Ryan lifted her up toward the hole. With a firm grip on her legs, he boosted her up, muttering, “Hold on.”
Kevin, waiting at the opening, grabbed Echo’s hand, quickly pulling her up.
The second Echo was clear, she swung down to extend her hand to Ryan, calling, “Hurry, Ryan, grab my hand!”
The river water was flooding the passage fast; in just a few seconds, it had already risen to Ryan’s shoulders. The self-destruct system had cut all lights and surveillance, leaving only the dim glow from above to see by. Echo, seeing how the water was now nearly covering Ryan, felt her voice start to shake.
Ryan, however, just stood there, looking up at Echo with a frown, not moving. She grew frantic. “Hurry up! What are you waiting for? Grab my hand!”
Kevin saw this and scoffed, grabbing Echo by the collar and yanking her up. “You think you can pull him up with your strength?” he said coldly, tossing Echo toward Hawk, who had rushed over to help.
Without missing a beat, Kevin swung down himself, and Ryan, seeing him, reached up just as the water was about to cover his head. Kevin pulled him out just in time.
The second Ryan was safe, Echo flung herself at him, hugging him tightly. He shot her a quick smile, then took off toward the top of the castle, carrying her along.
With no time to waste, everyone sprinted toward the exit. Behind them, a loud roar echoed as the passage filled completely with water, flooding the entire underground and beginning to surge up through the escape hole.
“The castle’s sinking,” came a grave voice from Edward, who had caught up with them mid-run.
Edward led his men to the highest point just in time, but at the planned time, he’d suddenly felt the whole structure start to descend. Realizing Echo and the others had triggered the self-destruct, he’d felt a chill; sinking and explosions meant total destruction.
Ryan, still carrying Echo, ran for the highest point and said, “Bill, over there-” but he didn’t finish before a light beep echoed in his ear.
Both Ryan and Echo realized their earpieces were suddenly clear, the interference gone, and heard someone frantically calling out. Bill had finally cracked through the signal interference.
“Get the plane over here, now!” Ryan barked a string of commands.
Kevin, surprised to hear him speak up, turned and noticed Ryan and Echo adjusting the earpieces they were both wearing as Ryan rattled off more instructions. Kevin raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
The castle was sinking, slowly yet steadily, with the water level rising fast. Their ten-minute window had almost run out, and although the timed explosives hadn’t gone off, they couldn’t be sure there wasn’t another self-destruct mechanism besides the flooding.
The Dark family’s plane quickly swooped down, dropping a rope ladder just as Bill ran up and grabbed it. He waved urgently for Ryan to follow, climbing up without hesitation-Ryan’s rule was always to prioritize survival in a crisis.
The other mob bosses were frantically calling for their own transports. The Street family’s plane appeared next, soon followed by the others. No one cared whose plane was whose at this point; they were all scrambling up any ladder they could find as the water surged and the castle kept sinking, barely leaving the highest point above the waves. The water had already risen to their ankles.
The Dark family’s plane was the first to get in the air. Ryan held Echo close as they sat inside, looking out the window. Floodlights from the nearby aircraft illuminated the scene, and they spotted Kevin’s plane nearby. Kevin glanced over, catching Ryan and Echo’s gaze. He flashed them a smirk, mimicking a finger gun at Ryan, his expression oozing back to its usual mix of flirtation and cockiness-this time, with a hint of bloodlust.
Ryan let out a cold scoff, his eyes flashing with unmistakable menace. Kevin just laughed harder, clearly amused, his laughter muted through the glass but his delight unmistakable.
Echo raised an eyebrow, amused by the exchange, as Ryan waved to the pilot to ascend. Their plane rose higher, and Kevin’s did the same, both heading off in opposite directions.
Looking out the window, Echo glanced down and saw the castle disappear beneath the river’s churning surface. The bright lights from the planes cut through the night as the river surged, turbulent and wild. Just as she was about to speak, a deep rumble sounded below. Water splashed up, flying into the air like a powerful geyser.
“Bill,” Ryan called sharply, holding Echo tightly.
Bill stepped over quickly, lifting Echo’s shirt to check her injuries.
Echo turned to Ryan, meeting his intense gaze. His eyes were bright, wild yet steady. She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him close. Without another thought, she kissed him deeply, savoring the reckless thrill of the moment. The future could wait-right now, she was all in.