Prologue
return 1;
At the end of the Finale…
If you can hear this, you’re alone. The only thing left of me is the sound of my voice. I don’t know if any of us made it. Did we win? Did we lose? I don’t know. I’m not even sure I know what victory would mean anymore. But either way, it’s over. So let me tell you who we were. Let me tell you who you are… and how we fought back.
The phone to her left rang. Shaw’s heart leaped, even though she knew it was a glitch. The machine was gone. So was Root.
Bear paused at the sound and she sighed. Stupid dog.
Shaw picked up.
“Can you hear me?”
Hope.
The world hadn’t ended. The voice alone was enough for her. Shaw never thought she’d hear it again. The one voice that could keep her going, after everything else had gone. Root. The Machine.
“Yes,” she breathed.
Shaw glanced to the camera that pointed directly at her from the electric pole, a smile plastered to her face. The red light blinked.
“We have a new number.”
“Of course,” Shaw said. “Why else would you be calling?”
“The big lug needs our help.”
Her smile widened. “He made it alive then. And Finch?”
“We’ll need him before long. But for now, you‘ll have all the help you need. Get to John.”
They had both made it after all. Everyone had made it in one piece except for Root. Her smile faltered a little. She had held the switch hook a little too tight against her ear so relaxed her grip.
“Tell me what to do.”
“Samaritan might be gone, but her agents are still active. Greer is dead. Someone is still leading them. My functions are limited and I cannot find them,” the Machine said.
“Where does John fit into all of this?,” Sameen asked, ignoring the hundred questions that sprung in her head.
Samaritan was gone. Greer was dead. That man had tortured Shaw with simulations. He had tried to break her mind. Turned her against Root and the others. She cursed under her breath. She would have enjoyed killing him in person. At least he was dead. But Samaritan agents were no better. They were emotionless killing machines, just like Shaw. If they did really have John, he was in danger. Without the Machine, he would be dead if he tried anything stupid, like being brave. And there was very high chance that he would do just that.
“John was injured a week ago. He had multiple gunshot wounds that he is currently recovering from. I caught a glimpse of them taking him away before I was shut down. I am pretty sure they have kept him alive,” the Machine replied, in Root’s voice.
“Pretty sure? You’re chatty today.”
There was static for a second.
“I am not the same old girl, sweetie,” the Machine mimicked Root’s voice perfectly. Exactly as Shaw remembered. “I have access to everything. Everything. It took me a five days to sort through the data I have access to. I still have much to figure out.”
Shaw didn’t reply. A lot had happened in the last week. Lionel was the only one she had been able to locate, and he had Bear with him. There had been no word from Harold and John. She had assumed they had hidden to protect themselves. Each one of their cover identities had been blown when Samaritan had gained power over the Machine.
“What happened? How did they shut down Samaritan?,” she asked, before she could help herself.
“No time to explain. Your ride is almost here.”
A black car pulled up next to the curb to her right. A tinted window rolled down, revealing the man driving it.
“Leon?,” she said, exasperated.
“I did say you are getting all the help you need. Good luck Sameen,” the Machine said.
She sighed and cut the call. Shaw gave a final smile to the camera as she walked to the car. She let Bear in through the back door and climbed into the passenger seat.
“She told me to give you this,” Leon said, handing her a small briefcase.
Two Desert Eagle Marks rested neatly inside. Shaw smiled and picked up the guns.
“Drive.”
the Broken Dragon 