The Siege

Harper grabbed a decorative vase from the table and smashed it against the window. The glass didn't break. It was bulletproof, impact-resistant polycarbonate.

"We're trapped," Harper said.

She ran to Dominic. He was on his knees, sweat pouring down his face. The veins in his neck were black.

"Get to the... private elevator," Dominic wheezed. He pointed to a hidden panel in the bookshelf. "It’s shielded. Human use only. Takes you to the subway tunnels."

"I'm not leaving you," Harper said, grabbing his arm. He was burning up.

"Go, Harper!" Dominic snarled. His eyes flashed gold, then dulled. "The Cure... they don't take prisoners. They'll kill me. If you stay, they'll kill you for collaborating."

"I'm a freelancer," Harper said, her voice shaking but stubborn. "I don't quit the gig until the job is done."

She dragged him. It was impossible—he weighed two hundred and fifty pounds of dense muscle—but he pushed himself up, leaning heavily on her.

They stumbled into the server room adjacent to the office. It had its own air supply. Harper slammed the door and hit the seal button.

Dominic collapsed against the rack of servers. "You're an idiot," he whispered. "A brave, stupid idiot."

"And you're a dramatic billionaire," Harper shot back, blinking tears out of her eyes. She ran to the console. "Okay. Marcus thinks he controls the building. But he’s using the admin override I found yesterday."

She cracked her knuckles.

"Let’s see if he kept his firewall updated."

On the screens, she saw the elevator doors in the lobby open. Twelve men in tactical gear poured out. They carried assault rifles loaded with silver rounds. Marcus Thorne walked behind them, wearing a suit and a smug expression.

"They're coming up," Harper said. "Three minutes."

"I can't shift," Dominic groaned. "The wolfsbane... it paralyzes the wolf spirit."

"Then we fight human," Harper said. "Well, I fight digital. You just try not to die."

She began to type. Her fingers flew across the mechanical keyboard.

*Accessing Building Automation System.*

*Overriding Safety Protocols.*

"What are you doing?" Dominic asked, watching her.

"Turning your house into a haunted mansion," Harper gritted out.

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