Page 37 of Angel Captive

Riley

It felt like forever before I followed the wires and cables to the server room. Big racks crammed with wires blinked and glowed and looked like Heaven to me.

I kicked the tile out of my way, then scooted backward on my stomach until I leapt down the rest of the way. Landing on my ankle, a crack sounded, and pain splintered through my foot. I crashed to the floor.

“Ten minutes left, Riley,” the comm speaker hummed.

Fuck!

I pulled myself up, keeping my injured foot off the floor and hopped over to the first sever rack. Whoever put these together did a pissy job and I didn't have time to piece all of this to figure out how to open all the cell doors.

Damn it.

Tears pricked my eyes and I blinked hard to hold back from falling down and sobbing. I hopped over to the nearest rack and laid a hand on it, then removed my scalpel and laid it on top of the rack.

What could I do? I needed a big distraction, find Xaden, and somehow get everyone out. Yeah, right. I couldn’t even do what I wanted with the jumbled servers. If I had more time, maybe.

I shuffled forward, hoping I was wrong and maybe one of the other server racks wasn't as bad. But each was just as scrambled or worse as the first.

Please, could something please go right?

I moved to the least congested rack where a table with a dusty cloth cover hid bulky equipment.

Holding my breath and too scared to hope, I yanked the thick, plastic covering off.

Multiple computer compressors, CTV's, swollen batteries, and various other old computers and parts littered the table.

Yes!I could use these.

As fast as I could with my twisted ankle, I shoved every available plug into an open outlet. I turned off the cooling fans and hoped the system would overheat when I needed it to. I lined up the CTV's.

I picked up several screwdrivers and used my scalpel to cut holes for the tools into the hem of my pants and notched each in place.

I was surprised that my present cut-off shorts didn't fall past my hips. They'd been baggy before, but I guessed I had the rapid progress of my pregnancy kept them from falling to my knees with all the tools attached to them. If this didn't work— I shook my head, it had to work. It was the only ace I had up my sleeve and I had zero time left. Sparks radiated from several of the old computers I'd plugged in.

I tapped the comm until I heard the click of an open line. "Attention, I'm in the prison server room if you're brave enough to come and get me."

Xaden

The guards draggedme across the stone floor as they followed after Charred toward a part of the prison I'd never seen before. When I had heard Riley's voice come over the comm speaker, my heart jackknifed in my chest like the few times when I had miscalculated dodging lightning when I flew free through the skies. What was she doing? Why had she given away her position when all she had to do was wait Charred out and find the exit. She was not only putting herself in danger but the lives of all my people if she was carrying our child. And why would she sacrifice herself for me? I couldn't fathom that. She was the one who deserved saving. And even though I had started to forgive myself for my parents’ death, something I could not have controlled, I still was not ready to let someone else's life be worth less than mine. Especially Riley's.

"This elevator is stuck," one of the Roulex guards huffed. "I can't get it to open."

Charred growled and then snapped, "We’ll take the freight elevator then."

I was hauled down several hallways down one set of ramps and then we entered a huge elevator that took us up to the top floor.

"Make him go first," Charred said, "if she's made a trap, we'll let him spring it."

We stopped in front of a metal door and one of the Roulex guards after giving a sideways glance at Charred nodded, placed his scaled palm on the access panel. The door unlocked with the click and Charred gestured me forward. I swallowed, not knowing what to expect but hoping whatever Riley had planned would take all these bastards out even if it meant killing me too. I placed my hand on the knob and turned to push the door open and heaving a breath when nothing happened. The Roulex guards grabbed my shoulders shoving me into the room that was hotter than the dual suns on Nubels. Huge black shelves had wires crisscross and jammed into small holes.

Static charge like just before a lightning strike filled the air.

"Xaden," Riley yelled, diving forward with a blanket, "do a push-up."

"What's a pus—" one of the guards asked.

Riley threw a metal tool at a glass bulb on one of the shelves and slammed into me with the blanket. I grasped my arms around her falling to the floor, my still healing wings trying to cover us. An explosion ripped through the room, metal and glass shards embedding into my exposed skin. Screams and yells echoed around us as Riley wiggled out from under me grasping my wrist and tugging on me.

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