Page 30 of Hell Storm

Maybe not, but that would’vedefinitelybeen a sweet invention.

“Where to now?”

“Several yards ahead, do you see a guard station?”

Squinting through the darkened tint of the face shield, I peered ahead. “I do.”

“Good. Is the door ajar?”

“It is.”

“Good,” she repeated. “Kill the engine and head closer on foot.”

I hesitated. The idea of slowing down to doanythingfelt counterintuitive.

“Trust me, Corina.”

If this had been a couple weeks ago, I wouldn’t have even considered taking Elle’s advice. However, as I hopped off the bike, I admitted how much my outlook had changed.

“The engine,” she reminded me as I put distance between myself and my only mode of transportation.

“I have to keep it running. It’s hotwired and there won’t be time to restart it.”

“Well, let’s hope you’re far enough away that you won’t spook them.”

My eyes focused on the destination ahead. “How many guards are in there?” My heartrate spiked a bit waiting for an answer.

“Only one.”

I frowned, feeling a bit confused. “But you saidthem—meaningmorethan one.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Elle confirmed, assuring me I hadn’t misheard. “But only one of the Ianites inside is a guard. The other is one of Empress Westower’s handmaids, and whenever the Empress is away on business, let’s just say she finds …otherways to keep busy.”

As soon as the words left Elle’s mouth, a soft, feminine cry bellowed from the station.

“She and the guard have become quite fond of one another over the years,” Elle commented. “Fortunately for you, they keep to a pretty consistent schedule.”

I chuckled a bit at the thought of this guard’s carnal impulses working in my favor tonight.

“Elle, I’m starting to think you’ve kept quite a close eye on these two.”

When she didn’t’ respond, my smile grew.

“I knew it! You watch them, don’t you?” I whispered as I tiptoed closer, imagining her perched in front of a monitor spying on the couple. She knew the pair’s habits a little too precisely to convince me otherwise.

“Not in aweirdway. It’s part of my job to keep up with what goes on around here,” she rushed to explain.

Another laugh slipped out. “Relax, I wasn’t judging.”

“Besides, their encounters don’t generally last long enough to make a fuss over, but at least the hours I’ve logged—observingthem—have paid off. For instance, I know he always leaves his clothes outside the bathroom door while he and the handmaid are otherwise occupied. You should be able to swipe his keycard.”

My steps slowed and my breaths became shallower as I entered the small, unremarkable building. It was nothing more than beige-painted cinderblocks, a small table with a chair behind it, and an unmanned security monitor.

Another pleasure-filled groan seeped from beneath the bathroom door and I was grateful these two kept up such a racket. Had this been aquietaffair, they might have heard me rummaging through the guard’s pockets for his keycard. Instead, I was in and out within a few seconds, tucking the card inside the most secure place I could think of—my bra.

I ducked and dodged my way back to the bike, despite not seeing anyone. Not seeing them didn’t mean they weren’t there.

“Now, head to the greenhouse. Do you remember how to get there?” she asked.

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