The bunker was calm, the dim hum of the generators the only sound in the vast, silent night. Daniel was deep in a dreamless sleep when the shrill alert cut through the stillness like a blade. The sound was loud and jarring, echoing through the thick walls of the bunker.
He shot up in bed, his heart pounding. An alert meant only one thing: a breach.
Claire was already up, her body tense, her eyes sharp and focused. She moved with a fluid, predatory grace, as if she had been waiting for this exact moment. "Daniel," she whispered, her voice cool but laced with urgency. "We have a problem."
Daniel's mind raced as he scrambled out of bed, adrenaline kicking in. He grabbed the tablet, fingers flying across the screen as he pulled up the security footage. The perimeter cameras flickered to life, and there—on one of the screens—was Brad. He had somehow managed to slip through an exhaust tunnel Daniel had overlooked.
"Damn it," Daniel muttered, cursing his own carelessness. He should have known better. Should have secured every entry point. He had been through this before—he knew better than to let his guard down, especially around someone like Brad.
"We need to move. Now." Claire's voice snapped him back to reality, and he nodded, grabbing the small knife he kept under his pillow. It wasn't much, but it was something.
They made their way to the basement, their footsteps light but hurried. Daniel's mind was racing, not just from the danger of the situation but from the reminder that no matter how much he prepared, he wasn't infallible. His foreknowledge wasn't a guarantee of success.
When they reached the basement, they found Brad standing there, panting, his face twisted with a mix of anger and desperation. His eyes locked onto Daniel the moment he appeared, filled with hatred and something else—something darker.
"You!" Brad spat, his voice echoing in the confined space. "You think you can just lock yourself away in your little fortress and leave us to die out there?"
Daniel's grip tightened on the knife, but before he could respond, Claire stepped forward, her presence dominating the room. Brad's eyes flickered to her, and for a brief moment, Daniel saw something flash in them—something that was a mixture of fear and disgust.
Brad's eyes flickered to her, widening in shock. For a moment, he froze, his mouth slightly agape as he took in the sight before him. Claire was taller, her body more defined, her presence radiating a power that he couldn't ignore. She looked nothing like the Claire he had known before—the timid, desperate girl who had clung to him. She was different now, stronger, almost intimidating.
"What... the hell?" Brad stammered, his voice a mix of confusion and disbelief. He took a half-step back, his eyes scanning her from head to toe. "Claire?"
Claire stared at him, her expression cold and unbothered, her eyes fixed on him with a gaze that felt almost predatory. Brad's mouth opened and closed, struggling to process what he was seeing.
"You're... still alive?" His voice was incredulous, almost as if he couldn't believe she was standing there in front of him. He looked her over again, his gaze lingering on her height, her broader shoulders, the way her entire posture had changed. She seemed larger than life, a completely different person from the one he remembered.
"How did you survive out there?" he said, his tone laced with a hint of fear that he tried to mask with disdain. "You should've been dead. I figured the cold would've taken care of someone like you." He sneered, but his sneer was weaker than before, the surprise still evident on his face.
Then, as if trying to regain control of himself, his eyes narrowed, a flash of hatred and insecurity washing over his features. His lips curled into a sneer, his voice dripping with venom as he spat out the words, "I should've known you'd still be hanging around someone like him, Claire. What did you do to get in here, huh? Manipulative bitch. Just like you always were."
Claire's eyes remained locked on his, her expression unreadable. She didn't flinch, didn't react to his words. It was like they bounced off her, meaningless and empty.
Brad's fear shifted to anger, his voice rising. "What's the matter? Did the little whore find herself another guy to wrap around her finger?" He laughed, the sound harsh, his voice trembling as if he was trying to convince himself he was still in control. "Or did you promise him the same crap you promised me? That you'd stick around, that you cared?"
Claire's expression didn't change, but her eyes seemed to grow darker, her gaze never leaving Brad's. Daniel could see the shift in her, the tension in her jaw, the slight narrowing of her eyes. But she remained silent, letting Brad's words hang in the air.
Brad continued, his voice filled with bitterness. "You're pathetic, Claire. Always have been. Latching onto anyone who'll take you in, just so you don't have to face the cold alone. It's no surprise you're here, clinging to someone else now that I'm gone."
Claire's lips twitched slightly, her gaze still unwavering. There was a cold, almost amused look in her eyes now, as if she was watching a struggling animal, something weak and pitiful that barely warranted her attention.
Brad took another step forward, pointing at her, his hand trembling slightly. "You think you're something now?" he shouted, his voice cracking. "Look at you. What the hell happened to you? You look like a freak, girl. Like some kind of—"
His words were cut off as Claire moved, a sudden blur of motion. In an instant, she closed the distance between them, her hand trying to grip his wrist with an iron-like grip. Brad's eyes widened, his sneer fading into a mask of fear as he luckily managed to dodge, falling on his ass.
Claire looked down at him, her voice soft, barely above a whisper, but filled with a chilling intensity. "You still yap too much, asshole."
Daniel glanced at Claire, his brow furrowing. Brad's words lingered in the air, sharp and cutting, as if he knew something about her Daniel didn't. Claire's expression, however, remained unreadable—cold and detached.
Brad didn't mind, looking at Daniel, his voice rising. "She's a monster! She's a sick fuck. She used me, just like she's using you! I guess shit really stick with each other, if a sick fuck is hanging around a monster like you."
Claire's eyes narrowed, but she remained silent, her body still. Brad's words hung in the air, casting a shadow over her. Daniel felt his pulse quicken, not because of Brad's accusations, but because a part of him wondered how much of it was true. He had always known there was something dark about Claire, but hearing it confirmed by someone else made it real.
Before Daniel could speak, Brad turned his rage toward him, his voice shaking with fury. "You think you're better than the rest of us? You think hoarding supplies while people die makes you a hero? You're no better than the monsters out there! Especially the kids," he added, his voice filled with venom. "The supplies you gave us ran out. The kids..."
Daniel's blood ran cold, his heart pounding in his chest as Brad's words triggered something deep inside him. His hands began to tremble, his mind flashing back to the last loop—images of the kids, the suffering, the things he couldn't save them from. His body froze on the spot, paralyzed by the weight of the memories.
"Daniel!" Claire's voice cut through the fog, but he couldn't move. He couldn't breathe.
Brad saw the opening and pounced. He pulled out a satellite phone, his voice filled with smug confidence. "This is how it's going to go. I've already got the military's frequency. I'll give them your exact coordinates, and they'll take this place from you. Unless, of course, you let me stay and share the resources."