Luna's finger tightened on the trigger.
Victor stood in the doorway. Five guards behind him. All armed. All aimed at her head.
Behind Luna, the little girl sobbed quietly on the bed.
"Put the gun down, Luna," Victor said. His voice was calm. Almost kind. "This doesn't have to end badly."
"You lied to me." Luna's voice shook. "You told me she was dead."
"I told you what you needed to hear. What would keep you focused. Functional." Victor stepped into the room. Slowly. "You were my best weapon, Luna. I couldn't let motherhood ruin that."
"She's my daughter."
"She's inventory. Like all the others." Victor gestured to the crying child. "Valuable inventory, I'll admit. Good genes. She'll fetch a high price in a few years."
Luna's vision went red. She fired.
Not at Victor. At the light fixture above the guards' heads.
The room plunged into darkness. Glass rained down. The guards shouted. Luna grabbed Aria from the bed. Threw her over her shoulder.
"Hold on!" Luna screamed.
She ran. Not toward the door. Toward the window.
Gunfire erupted. Bullets punched through the walls. Luna crashed through the window. Glass shattered. They hit the ground outside.
Luna rolled. Protected Aria with her body. Came up running.
More gunfire. Spotlights sweeping. Alarms blaring.
Luna sprinted toward the fence. Toward freedom. Aria's small arms wrapped around her neck. The girl was screaming but holding tight.
"Almost there," Luna gasped.
She reached the hole she'd cut in the fence. Started to squeeze through.
Footsteps behind her. Close. Too close.
Luna pushed Aria through first. "Run! Run to the—"
Hands grabbed Luna's jacket. Yanked her back. She fought. Kicked. Her elbow connected with someone's face. They didn't let go.
More hands. Three guards. Four. Pulling her away from the fence. Away from Aria.
"No!" Luna screamed. "Aria! Run!"
But the little girl just stood there. Frozen. Terrified.
Another guard grabbed Aria. The girl shrieked.
Luna fought harder. Twisted free. Pulled her knife. Stabbed one guard in the shoulder. He screamed. She ran for Aria.
A guard tackled her. Luna hit the ground hard. Her knife flew from her hand.
They dragged her to her feet. Four guards holding her. Luna thrashed. Bit one of them. He punched her in the stomach.
Air left her lungs. She doubled over.
Victor walked up slowly. Calm. He looked at Aria crying in the guard's arms. Then at Luna struggling.
"Bring them both," Victor said. "Building Three. Containment room."
"No!" Luna kicked. "Let her go! She's just a baby!"
They dragged Luna across the compound. Aria screamed behind her. They were taken into a different building. Down stairs. Into a basement.
The room was small. Concrete. A drain in the center of the floor. Pipes running along the ceiling.
They threw Luna inside. Brought Aria in after her. Set the girl down. The guards backed out. The heavy metal door slammed shut.
Victor's voice came through a speaker in the ceiling.
"You had a choice, Luna. Me or her. You chose wrong."
Water started pouring from the pipes.
Cold. Fast. Filling the room.
Luna looked up. The pipes were everywhere. Gushing water. The drain couldn't handle the volume.
"Victor, stop!" Luna pounded on the door. "Stop this!"
The water was already ankle-deep. Rising fast.
Aria was crying. Standing in the corner. Water creeping up her legs.
"Please!" Luna screamed. "She's just a child! Your child!"
"She's property," Victor's voice echoed. "And so are you. But I'm willing to make a deal. Surrender. Give up this foolish rebellion. Inject yourself with the sedative the guards left by the door. Do that, and I'll drain the room. You'll both live."
Luna looked around frantically. The sedative. A syringe on a small shelf by the door. And a gun. Her gun. Lying just out of reach.
The water was knee-deep now. Still rising.
Aria was crying harder. "I'm scared! I'm scared!"
Luna grabbed the little girl. Lifted her up. "It's okay, baby. It's okay. I've got you."
But the water kept rising. Thigh-deep. Waist-deep.
Luna looked at the door. Solid metal. No handle on this side. The walls. Smooth concrete. No way out.
The gun. If she could reach it. If she could shoot the lock.
Luna waded through the water. Aria clinging to her neck. She grabbed the gun.
Aimed at the door lock. Fired.
The bullet ricocheted. Nearly hit them. The lock didn't budge.
"Bulletproof," Victor's voice said. "Did you really think I'd make it that easy?"
The water was chest-deep now.
Luna held Aria above her head. The little girl was sobbing. Shaking.
"Mommy, I'm scared!"
"I know, baby. I know." Luna's voice broke. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
The water reached Luna's shoulders. Her neck.
She treaded water. Held Aria as high as she could.
"Victor, please!" Luna screamed. "I'll do anything! Anything! Just let her go!"
"Then surrender. Take the sedative. Accept your place."
Luna looked at the syringe. Floating near the door now.
The water was at her chin. Aria was crying. Gasping.
"Okay!" Luna shouted. "Okay! I surrender! Just stop the water!"
The pipes shut off. The water stopped rising. But it didn't drain.
Luna treaded water. Barely keeping Aria's head above the surface.
The door opened. Two guards. One held a pole. Extended it toward Luna.
"The gun," the guard said. "Drop it."
Luna let the gun sink.
"Now swim over. Slowly."
Luna swam. Aria clutched to her chest.
When they reached the door, a guard grabbed Aria. Pulled her out of Luna's arms.
"No!" Luna tried to hold on. Another guard hit her with the pole. She went under. Came up coughing.
"The syringe," Victor's voice commanded. "Inject yourself. Prove you've learned your lesson."
The guard handed Luna the syringe through the doorway. She was still in the water. They had Aria. The little girl was screaming. Reaching for Luna.
"Inject yourself or we take her away and you never see her again. You drown in this room. Alone."
Luna's hands shook. She looked at Aria. The little girl's terrified face.
"I love you," Luna whispered. "I love you so much."
She pressed the needle to her arm. Pushed the plunger.
Cold spread through her veins. Her vision blurred immediately.
"Good girl," Victor's voice said. "Now come out. Let the guards help you."
Luna tried to swim to the door. Her arms wouldn't work right. The drug was fast. Strong.
Hands grabbed her. Pulled her from the water. Luna collapsed on the floor. Soaked. Shaking. Barely conscious.
Through fading vision, she saw them carrying Aria away.
The little girl was screaming. "Mommy! Mommy!"
Luna tried to reach for her. Her hand wouldn't move.
"Aria," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Then darkness took her.