The transport screeches to a halt, and Addy throws herself over Fletcher to keep him steady. Iva slams into me and the metal hand holds dig into my back.
“Kane, report.” The captain shifts in her seat by Luce and gingerly holds her shoulder.
I push Iva off and take a few steps toward her. The subtle shake of her head halts me in my tracks. It’s getting harder and harder to resist her draw.
“We’re a few feet from the loading dock. The transport team has orders to park us in the farthest bay.” Kane turns down the communication chatter from the command console and stands up.
“That’s a lucky break.” Iva pushes buttons on the various machines connected to Fletcher’s body. “We won’t have to move him. We’ll take this transport.”
“Are you crazy? You want us to escape through the tunnels. What happened to meeting in the woods where we stashed supplies?” Luce turns to the captain for a voice of reason.
We planned for a month on how to move the captives from the lab. We’d go through Addy’s woods where supplies of clothing, shoes, and provisions wait for the journey.
“We still have time to alter the rendezvous with our contact. We’ll go through the tunnels.” The captain agrees and Kane gives her a nod before grabbing his pack.
The transport team lowers the ramp of our car and rushes around refueling and prepping for their next run. The tunnel’s halogen lights beam inside and Kane exits without a backward glance.
The captain stands and pulls Luce with her to huddle in. “Iva, take Oren with you. Addy, you stay here. Keep this transport locked once we’re gone. Luce, with me. We’ll pack what we can.”
“We have about ten minutes before the rest of the Elites arrive. And maybe another ten before Centrum Guard comes to escort all the Elites to our barracks. Keep your comms on our private channel. Don’t attempt to reach your pods.” The captain lowers her head.
“There will be no backup, and no rescue attempts if you’re caught. We meet back here in fifteen minutes. Don’t get caught, Elites.”
Iva grabs his pack and leans in to speak to Addy. Luce stalks down the ramp and waits in the tunnel. I grab the captain’s elbow and pull her against my front.
Her head tilts back to rest on my chest, and for once her heart is racing. I lean over her and breathe deep. All we have are these moments. And with what we risk now, I’m not letting this one pass me by, no matter who’s watching.
“Don’t get caught, Rain.” Her lips tremble and her eyes are squeezed tight.
It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her shaken. And it sets my powers off. I need her strong, steady. I can’t do what I need to do worried about her. And I refuse to be the reason she compromises herself.
“When I first saw you, I thought you were fresh meat for the demons in that tunnel. No, not even enough of a warrior for meat. You were barely enough for a nugget.”
Her eyes fly open, flashing green as she spins to face me. “Oh, was that the first time I saved your ass? You ran off half cocked playing hero while I took out a Blaze and rescued the gate guards.”
My lips crack with the pull of my smile when I see Nugget reignite her fire. The stretch of my cheeks is odd, like using a muscle I didn’t even know I had. Her mouth hangs open and gold rushes over her gaze.
“You’re smiling. A real smile.”
“I won’t get caught, Elia. I’ll meet you right here in just a few minutes.”
With a huff of breath, she straightens up. She places a hand over my heart and with one pat, she walks away to join Luce.
“Thirteen minutes and counting. Move it, warriors.” Her order is all captain.
“I need something in my lab before we head down to the cells.” Iva inserts his comm and jogs down the ramp.
“Oren, I heard the promise you made to Fletcher.” Addy’s small, warm hand grabs my wrist. “It wasn’t right for him to ask that of you. It wasn’t right for us to put all the responsibility on you, either. You aren’t responsible for saving everyone. Not alone. We’re together on this. And I need you….” She sucks in a whimpered breath and I pull her into a hug.
The flood she’s held back with Iva’s false hope threatens to break through. But she groans and pounds her fists into my chest until it passes.
“I need you to be with me, too. I need all of you to be with me now in the decision I made.” She steps away and faces Fletcher.
The wheeze and whirl of the machines pumping into Fletcher’s cold, lifeless body are a harrowing countdown. Addy will fall apart when reality sets in. And I’ll keep my promise to Fletcher.
“As long as I can, I’ll be by your side.”
She nods. “Go. I need to lock up.”
I race off the transport and pass Iva in the halls. I’m stuffing the powerful need to ram my fist into his face down deep for another time. We need to focus on releasing the captives and moving them into the tunnels.
“Any idea how far the captives will need to walk before Kane and the captain’s contact arrive?” I rush into the weapons room, grab a duffle, and start filling it.
“No.” Iva opens his closet and disappears inside.
We should head to the weapons vault if we can’t retrieve our stash in the woods.
“Let’s go. We’ll take the library elevator. It’s a direct shot to the cells.” Iva has a duffel of his own strapped across his chest.
“Let’s hit the weapons vault.” I follow Iva into the hall.
“Luce should already be there.” Iva has his face buried in his device and I leave him to it.
I stretch out my senses and find nothing. The building is too quiet.
“The guards have gathered in the arena. At least twenty warriors are posted outside our barracks. Shit, the other transports are already here and unloaded.” He sighs and picks up the pace.
I reach for the library doors and a rush of combat boots approaches us. I shove Iva through the doors, but get slammed from behind, and pushed in after him. I spin around, arms raised in a defensive stance.
Nix holds her palms in front of her and waves me off.
“You have to go. They’re coming for all of you. He’s coming for you.” Her hands shake and her green eyes swim with unshed tears.
“Oren, move.” Iva runs up the stairs to the elevator.
But I’m stuck staring at the angry red welts around Nix’s slender neck.
“Go. What are you waiting for?” She pleads and turns to check the doors.
“Come with us.” It’s out before I think it through, but it’s the right thing.
How can I leave her here when I can offer her something I never had? An escape, a chance, a hope.
“Oren!” Iva calls over the balcony.
“Warrior Oren? Wait!” Astrid stumbles over her feet and the stack of books she’s carrying spills over the librarian’s desk. “Take these. The guard and the councilman were here. They...they destroyed most of the archives.” Astrid’s glasses are askew and her mouth is pinched tight. If she’s not babbling, something is wrong.
“Where’s Edna?” I help stack the books, and she shoves them into my hands.
“Please Oren, these are ancient archives. They’ll be back any minute.”
I nod and gather the books. Nix tries to help me carry some, but Astrid growls at her.
“It’s ok Astrid, I’ll keep them safe for you. Are you going to be ok here?” I scan the library and find it empty.
“Now that those are safe, I’ll be fine.” Her shoulders drop.
She straightens her glasses and reaches into her blouse to pull out Cole’s knife. “I’ll be just fine.”
“You have to go.” Nix pushes me to the stairs.
“You’re coming with me. You don’t have to stay with him. Or do whatever he’s forcing you to do anymore. Come with us.”
Nix shakes her head, but there’s hesitation. “Why would you want me to? You don’t even know me.” She chews her puffy lower lip and stares at the library doors.
“You’re right, I don’t know you. But I know what it’s like to be trapped. I know the torture of simply existing. I know the suffocation of burying yourself deep inside just to make it through one more day.”
Her arms wrap around her middle.
“Come with us.”
She stiffly gives one nod and starts for the stairs when her tears finally fall. Iva holds open the elevator doors and narrows a glare at me before letting her pass inside.
“I hope you know what you’re doing.” He inserts the pin I found into the elevator panel.
“I could say the same to you.” I face forward and shove the books into my duffle.
The golden doors slide closed and we descend into the lowest level of Centrum Building.
