Chapter 124: Chapter 125: Exigency

Isaac gaped at the screen. He could just barely make out Alessa scooping up Lizzie between the smattering of red droplets distributed across the security camera's lens.

Beside him, he heard one of the Engineers vomit, but didn't turn around to see who - he was too busy trying to figure out what exactly he'd seen on Alessa's face before she and Lizzie and Joe had hurtled back over the window frame and out of the camera's view.

Something was wrong.

"I see you enjoyed that little preview," Carlos taunted, not even bothering to point his gun at the three remaining enemies. Fear of Joe's reprisal was keeping them rooted in place better than any weapon could.

Isaac gave Carlos a scolding look, which Carlos returned with a playful smirk. They had no intention of setting Joe loose on the others, of course, unless - like the Developer and General - they gave them reason to. But the Engineers didn't know that.