The guard was less than ten feet away.

I reached into my tactical vest and pulled out my service weapon.

My hands were wet with rust-water, but my grip was firm.

Ninety-one percent.

“She is behind the pillar,” the guard shouted.

A beam of light hit my face, blinding me for a split second.

I fired one shot low, aiming for the guard’s thigh.

He cried out and fell to the floor, his flashlight rolling away and illuminating the damp ceiling.

Voss fired back twice, the bullets chipping concrete off the side of my pillar.

Dust and sharp stone fragments stung my cheek.

I squeezed my eyes shut, holding the phone tight.

Ninety-seven percent.

“Stop shooting!” Caroline screamed from the stairs.

“The drive must not be damaged!”

“It is too late,” I said.

The phone vibrated twice in my hand.

A green pop-up box appeared on the screen: *Upload Complete. Distribution Active.*

I pressed the final button to release the decryption keys to the Department of Justice, the Senate Intelligence Committee, and thirty major news outlets simultaneously.

“It is gone,” I said, stepping out from behind the pillar with my weapon lowered.