* * *
Steven paused outside the door to the Sanctum. He turned to Stephanie and put a finger to his lips.
The door was closed tight. Muffled shouting could be heard from the other side.
“I’m going to open this door,” he told Stephanie quietly. “And then I’m going to let myself into the next room.”
Stephanie nodded fearfully.
“You stay right here.” Steven took her by the shoulders and guided her away from the door, out of sight from the other side. “Don’t move until I come get you, okay?”
Stephanie’s eyes were wide over a pale face, but she bit her lip and nodded again.
“It’s going to be okay,” Steven assured.
He placed his thumb on the scanner and punched in his code. The beep and release of the door was loud in the small antechamber and Steven tensed, counting to five, but there was no change in the sound from the other side. He gave Stephanie one more reassuring nod and then slipped quietly into the Sanctum.
On the other side, he was greeted by a horrific scene. Blood was everywhere, centered in a pool around Alex. He wasn’t moving, and from the unnatural way his body lay on the floor it didn’t look like he would again.
Just past Alex’s body, the Sentinels loyal to Dr. Abrams stood in a cluster, ringed at gunpoint by those loyal to Dittrich. Beyond them, Rex was on the floor, gleefully straddled over Kenneth’s unconscious body and slicing into it with his dull blade.
At first Steven froze, horrified, but in an instant it turned rage. Rex had to be stopped.
Without realizing it was his own voice, Steven flung himself at the Sentinels closest to him, screaming his defiance as he rocketed into the group. Allen turned in shock, just in time to be barreled over by Steven and knocked to the floor.
The rest of Sentinels who were being held at gunpoint leapt into action, using Steven’s surprise attack to their advantage.
Steven pummeled Allen with his fists, repeatedly landing blow after blow until the big man’s eyes began to glaze over. He raised his fist for one last punch, but by then Rex was on him, grabbing him around the neck and dragging him away.
Completely by reflex, Steven lunged backward, slamming the back of his head into Rex’s face. Rex’s hold loosened just long enough for Steven to clamber to his feet and they squared off. Rex’s nose gushed blood, his dull blade held at the ready as his eyes darted to the others in the hall.
Rex backed away, his movements jerky and erratic.
Sensing Rex’s panic, Steven risked a glance and saw that the Sentinels loyal to Dittrich had already been all but beaten. Most had already fled to their safe rooms and were dragging the unconscious bodies of their Walkers into the hall, toward the exit.
Steven smiled grimly. “You’re done,” he growled. “You’ve lost.”
Rex paused, his eyes still darting around the hall, and then he, too, bolted toward the safe room he shared with Hodge.
Steven started after him, but was halted by a shout.
“Let them go!” Rodrigo ordered.
“What?” Steven protested.
“We’re not like them—let them go!”
And that quickly, it was over. Rex ran past him with Hodge over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, making a bee-line for the exit. He was the last one loyal to Dittrich to leave the Sanctum.
Stephanie, Steven realized. She was still in the antechamber.
He raced to the exit, Rodrigo and Kate shouting at him to stop, mistaking his fear for aggression. He got through the door and turned—and there was Stephanie, standing in the corner of the room with her arms drawn up against her chest, shaking.
“Are you okay?” Steven asked, hugging her. “Did they hurt you?”
“Paul,” she replied in a quivering voice. “I have to get to Paul.”
Watchers of the Night Page 66