Page 44 of Angel Condemned

I clawed at his hands, trying to get air.

Darkness crept in along the sides of my vision. I couldn’t breathe.

Then Axton’s crooked grin filled my mind. And his deep voice and how I wanted to see him happy. Wanted to hear him laugh and be one of the reasons for his joy. The look of pride in his eyes when I learned one of his kicks or punches that he showed me.

I wanted to live. I wanted to make Axton proud of me and for him to know that I didn’t give up.

It took all my strength to move one of my hands from trying to pry his scaly grip off me, but I rammed the heel of my palm into his nose. A crack vibrated through the chamber and blackish blood squirted out.

He dropped me and grabbed for his nose. Hatred shown in his slanted-pupil eye. He rushed at me, but I kicked him as hard as I could. The front kick, the first one Axton had taught me.

The Roulex couldn’t stop my kick and stumbled backward, landing on his tail. I couldn’t leave him like this. He’d sound the alarm.

Thinking of how he and countless others had hurt Axton and other innocent people, I leapt on top of his chest. Then I used both hands to drive the blade in his eye deeper until blood coated my hands and he went limp beneath me. I trembled all over, then leapt off him and vomited.

Several seconds went by before I calmed my raging stomach. I had to remove the blade from the Roulex’s eye because I might need it later. And I couldn’t go out into the prison dressed as a prisoner. I quickly took off the Roulex’s uniform and hat, dressing, but I still was human.

I would need a better disguise to get to the hanger to intercept the Roulex bringing my dad here. Which meant lots of guards and access panels.

Of course.

I focused on my dad and Axton, two men I couldn’t lose. And if I didn’t do this, they would be killed. I pushed aside my revulsion and used the scalpel to skin off the dead Roulex’s tail removing the skin from the bones. My fingers slipped inside the tip, hooking around the end before yanking the skeleton out of the tail.

Choking on a gag, I used the scales from his back to stuff the tail, so it looked like it did before, then jammed the bleeding end to the hot iron plate of the cremation furnace, searing it. I tied it around me using the edges of his scaled skin to make a belt that hung low on my hips under his uniform. Gross, but passable.

I smashed his hand into the furnace until I broke the bones in his wrist. I gagged over and over, but this had to be done. It was the only way to escape. I honed in on my premed training I never finished. The bones cracked, snapping under the blows. With my hands shaking and my stomach coiling, I set to cutting off his hand between the broken bones. Twice I had to turn away, dry-heaving before finally slicing off his hand. With this I could access the panels. Again, I used the hot coals to solder the wound closed on the hand. No use making a trail of blood for anyone to follow or get suspicious of.

His body was so heavy. It took me forever to get the Roulex’s dead body into the furnace. The smell like burning tar and manure filled my nostrils and I rushed to the trashcan and vomited.

I didn’t have time to get sick again. I had to save my dad and get Axton and escape this nightmare. The Roulex would kill them—and I couldn’t let that happen. Not when I could do something. With my hands trembling, I wiped off the excess blood on the inside of the stolen uniform. The Roulex’s boots were three sizes too big, but I put them on anyway.

After I tucked my hair up into the hat, I lowered my head and stepped to the door.

Might as well get this over with and pray no one saw through my camouflage. I opened the door and crept out into the hallway. I kept my eyes down as I shuffled to the elevator. The landing pad was on the roof. I remembered that much from my arrival here.

The elevator was empty, thank goodness. On the next floor, two Roulex entered. They were chattering in their language and didn’t look at me. I heaved a breath when they got out on the next floor.

At the top floor the elevator dinged open. I stepped out, fear gnawing on my insides. An access panel blocked my path.

I hoped this freaking worked. Sweat trickled an itchy path down my neck.

I placed the severed hand over the panel. Nothing.

Shit, shit, shit.

I spread out the clawed fingers and tried again.

On the landing bay, guards and medics were everywhere. Dozens of ships littered the area and I had to get inside if I was going to find my dad.

I pressed the hand harder to the panel and the light hummed. Yes!

Come on, come on.

The snap of a boot on stone struck my ears from behind, quickening my already pounding heart.

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