Branded (Sinners, #1)

I creep around the corner and see another long hallway ahead. This place seems to be made of nothing but hallways. In the distance is a small staircase leading to another floor. A guard peeks out from the entrance, and fires off three shots at us. Keegan yanks me into a room off the hall and fires back. More bullets reverberate off the walls with loud bangs. I fire back while reaching around the door with my small handgun until the magazine is empty. Keegan shakes his head, leans out again, and lets his gun loose, spraying everything in front of us. Bullets riddle the passage, atomizing anything within the hall, from bodies to splinters of furniture. Next time I glance, the guard’s body splays at the foot of the stairs, punctured from head to foot, his entrails hanging out.

I want to throw up, but intuition pulls me to the staircase. Keegan puts his hand on my shoulder, and I nod my head, motioning to move forward. I step over the corpse, and lead Keegan up the dark, steep stairs.

An unnatural light filters out of the room at the top. I motion for Keegan to halt, and we stand on the top step, outside the doorway. He wraps his hand around the handle and slowly cracks it open. His eyes lock with mine, and I nod, allowing him to go in first. My nerves dance as I follow him closely. The dark marble flooring is covered with chunks of drywall and leads into another room. Carefully planting my feet around more bodies, we stop at the next closed door. Keegan pushes it open, and I crawl in, hearing others. On his elbows, Keegan follows.

A heated conversation takes place between two men, both voices I recognize. Chills run down my spine as I lean in to get a better view.

“Brother, what a pleasant surprise! I’m so glad you could join me.”

“Oh, cut the crap!”

“You know, I must say I’ve never given you enough credit. It never occurred to me that my own blood would betray me. You’re such a waste of life. It’s disgusting actually,” he says. “I should’ve known you’d side with that idiot.”

This must be the commander’s control room. Four large screens, various computers, and maps decorate the room. The screens cast a fuzzy light, but there’s no image, just white noise. A large, formidable character stands against the brightness. I see his silhouette, but I can’t make out his features. His voice rattles me to the core, the familiar taste of bile rising in the back of my throat. He waves a gun through the air as he yells.

Keegan and I make eye contact. In that glance, we both understand we’re witnessing something important—something the others obviously missed.

“You’ve abused the system enough. You’re consumed by the power of your position. You’re not the brother I grew up with. You’re not the person I used to know,” Sutton replies. “Hamilton saw that before I did. He was right.”

I peek under a table and see Sutton standing before the dark silhouette. Confusion rocks me. I crawl farther in under the cover of large desks and computers. The blank, blaring noise is just enough to cover our movement but not loud enough to hinder the exchange of words. I duck my head down and struggle to keep my composure.

Sutton has a brother?

“So I’d like to know… how exactly do you plan on taking over?” The silhouette says in a condescending manner. “I’m suddenly curious how you think your little so-called army could manage to take mine out?” He clears his throat.

His army?

“Tell me, please. Enlighten me,” the other man says. “Do you honestly think by killing me that you’ll save the world? You’re pathetic.” He laughs.

Oh my gosh, that must mean…

“You do realize another leader will just take over where I’ve left off?”

The commander is Sutton’s brother.

“Yes. But I’ve also figured out that behind every genius mind somewhere hides a fault. Yours just happens to be pride.” Sutton pauses. “I remember even as kids, you always overlooked small details because all you could focus on was the big picture. And you’re right, getting rid of you might not solve the problem, but it’s a step in the right direction.”

My father wasn’t just murdered—he was betrayed and murdered by Sutton’s own brother.

I glance over my shoulder to see Keegan ten feet behind me, peering through cracks between the desks. The bloodlust in his eyes tells me he’s ready for action.

He and I move in an arc, closing in on them as they speak.

In an abrupt movement, the commander levels the gun at Sutton’s head. “You have lost your mind,” he says with a spiteful voice. His finger tightens on the trigger. “Over a stupid decision to follow a dead man’s dream. I don’t know if I’m surprised.”

Without thinking, I leap over a desk and pounce on him, knocking the gun sideways as he pulls the trigger. It goes off with a resounding bang and Sutton falls, but I’m so wrapped up with the commander that I can’t help him.

We wrestle on the ground, each of us grasping for the gun that skidded a foot away. He elbows me in the face, and I blink with teary eyes while hitting him.

I break free and reach for it, but he wraps his arms around my waist, dragging me back. I fold my fingers around the stock, but soon his large hands wrench it from my sweaty palms.

Keegan springs in to help, but as we tussle, the gun goes off again. Keegan crumples, holding his abdomen—his eyes shocked. Blood seeps through his fingers, flowing over his hands like the trickle of a stream, and I know it’s bad.

Anger and fear rage through me. I shove the gun aside and use my free hand to gouge out the eye of the commander. He howls with agony, dropping the gun as his hands cover the gaping hole. I pull away from him, focusing on his face for the first time.

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