Page 36 of Angel Captive

One hour.

What was I going to do? I mean, I had to get to the server room, but I couldn’t do that while holding these two.

I glanced around the small room and spotted the supply cabinets. Medical tape would hold the tractor beam button in place and keep these two stuck until someone came to look for them.

On the open equipment tray lay a hammer-like silver instrument. I picked it up in my free hand, then smashed it into the glass. The case cracked and I hit the covering again until there was a large hole. I set the hammer down on the tray, pushing aside the thought of what this tool was actually used for, and reached in for the tape.

It took me several tries, but I got the pressure right on the tractor beam that the tape I’d wound around the button kept it on.

Then I peeked out the door for guards, but the way to the elevator was clear. I ran to the panel, quickly taking it off and twisting the wires. My palms started sweating and I rubbed them on my prison clothes before getting the sequence right.

“Forty-five minutes, Riley,” Charred’s irritating voice called out over the intercom speakers.

How close were he and the Roulex now?

I shoved the thought away and touched the wire to the inside panel and the elevator slid open.

“There she is, stop her,” a guard yelled, racing my way.

I tapped the elevator button inside a dozen times in a second.Close, close stupid thing, close.

As though in slow motion, the doors drew closed, just as the Roulex appeared in the crack. I kicked at his scaled hand over and over, screaming.

“She’s in here,” he shouted.

No!I stabbed his hand as hard as I could with the scalpel, and his grip slipped. The elevator closed and I panted. Leaning against the side wall for a moment, before pressing the emergency stop button. Then I climbed onto the rail that ran the length of the inside of the elevator and stretched up to the square tile at the top. After several tries and tearing two fingernails, I got it off. I placed the blunt end of the scalpel in my mouth and with my arms shaking, I climbed up on top of the elevator.

I was between floors, but that was what I wanted. I glanced up to find the nearest air vent was high above me. After heaving out a breath and praying my muscles were strong enough to hold me this time, I started climbing up the cable.

Sweat coated my hands and my back, my muscles screamed as I inched up a fraction at a time.

I slipped and screamed out a curse even with the scalpel end in my mouth, but I kept on trying. Hand over hand, feet were tight on the cable. My arms shook as I strained to reach the ledge of the vent.

Dropping the scalpel into the cubby hole, I hefted myself up to my boobs, then started to fall. My hands squeaked as I clawed at the smooth, metal sides for purchase. I kicked furiously as I tried to stop myself from falling.

At the last second, one of my torn nails snagged on a bolt. I shifted my arm, pressing my forearm against it, the metal digging into my arm.

I army-crawled forward until I was able to get far enough inside the vent to pull my feet up. My heart ricocheted in my chest.

Replacing the scalpel in my mouth, I kept crawling forward until I reached a fork in the path.

Which way?

I turned to the left, but a cramp hit my stomach so hard it stopped my breath. Oh God, was I having a miscarriage? I shifted back and the pain stopped. Again, I moved to the left and the pain wrapped around to my back.

I backed away and the pain subsided. “Okay,” I whispered, “Let’s try to the right.”

This time, there was no pain. Guess my little trio was trying to communicate with me. I just hoped they knew what they were doing.

The air vent emptied out into an ordinary room with a table and chairs. No servers.

“This looks like an employee lounge.” I grumbled. “How is this going to help me? I need a server roo—”

Wait. The room wasn’t all made of stone. The ceiling held another square tile like the one in the elevator. Willing to try anything because I was running out of time, I popped off the vent and scuttled down into the empty lounge. Then I dragged a chair over and climbed up.

When I removed the tile, and looked into the ceiling, giddiness filled me. Lines and lines of wires ran the length of the ceiling. All I had to do was follow these back to the source and pray I wasn’t too late.

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