Page 66 of Heart’s Prisoner

"Those raptors are smarter than they look. Together they might find a way given enough time. We need to get out of level six."

"Where can we go?" Nicole asked, her voice rising in panic.

"I think we should still try to make for the docks. Or at least get to the city sector and find a way to hide there. That way we are closer to the surface, closer when help arrives. Someone by now has surely contacted another base close by."

Nicole grasped Lana's sleeve as she went to help her up. "We can't let Spectre spread. We need to let others know. So when help arrives they won't let everyone out."

Lana frowned then wrapped an arm around Nicole's waist to help her stand. "We will figure something out. For now, let's just go."

Nicole didn't argue as she rested her arm around Lana's neck and used her body for support as they hobbled toward the door.

"We will have to take the main elevators since they are closer," Lana said as they paused to ready themselves.

"Wait, I have a pocket knife in my desk drawer," said Nicole. "Take it in case..."

Lana nodded and, letting Nicole use the wall momentarily for support, she hurried over to the desk and rummaged through the drawers until she found a small red pocket knife. Flipping open the blade, she went back over to Nicole and supported her once more. With deep breaths, Nicole unlocked the door and it slid open. They paused to peer out, making sure there was nothing about to jump out at them.

"There's something I forgot to mention," Lana said before allowing Nicole to step out. "Xerus is alive. And he's...hunting me."

Nicole stared at Lana with her mouth agape. "Oh, god...how?"

"He had tricked us. But it doesn't matter now. I just needed you to know that." Lana couldn't stop the trembling in her limbs. "So one more thing to worry about I guess." She laughed nervously.

There was a small tremor and Lana had to quickly keep her balance to not have them both fall over. The lights flickered and a low beep echoed down the hall. Lana tightened her grip around Nicole and staggered out into the passage. They took a sharp left and did their best to step over and weave around equipment, a couple of times Lana having to use all her strength to lift Nicole over fallen debris. When they rounded a corner and saw the foyer with the elevators in sight, Lana didn't hesitate but made straight for them.

Lana punched the elevator button with her knife-holding hand then swerved around with Nicole so the elevators were behind them. Her knife at the ready, she waited for either the elevator to come or for one of the blue raptors to make an appearance. She could hear their calls getting closer.

"Lana..." Nicole said nervously.

"It's coming," Lana replied. She could hear the hum of the elevator car now.

When she heard a ding and felt a puff of air at her back from the elevator doors opening, Lana shuffled inside. She pressed the button to close the doors. As they began to slide close, a raptor leaped out from one hallway and came charging at them.

Lana cursed and Nicole shouted in surprise as the raptor closed the distance and shot its hand through the small opening to grab at them. Lana kicked at it as it tried to jam its head through, forcing the elevator doors to open. Lana cried out and blindly struck at the creature with her knife. It slashed its razor talons out and caught Lana's leg. Lana screamed at the searing pain as its talon hooked her pant leg and sliced downward. As the raptor tried to drag her out, Lana attacked its arm and sliced its snout. The raptor hissed and backed away as blood gushed from its nose, it barked in annoyance as it shook its head.

With pure adrenaline, Lana forced herself up on her knees and slammed her hand on the elevator buttons, uncaring what floor got picked as long as the doors shut. The raptor came back again, but this time Lana was ready. She swept her arm outward and focused toward its face. Somehow she managed to cut close to its eye. Though not before it sliced her arm. The raptor yelped and swerved back and the elevator doors began to close again. Just before the doors shut completely, two more raptors appeared. They surged forward but didn't catch the doors in time. Lana dropped backward to lay on the ground by Nicole's feet as the elevator shook from the raptors pounding against the metal.

Lana felt Nicole grasp her shoulder and Lana tried to sit up as the elevator began to move, going down instead of up. The shrill cries of the raptors died out until only Lana and Nicole's harsh breaths filled the quiet.

"Your bleeding, let me see," Nicole said with a pained expression as she carefully moved her bad leg away. Lana shifted to her side so they could both look. Both her arm and leg were bleeding pretty bad, her leg worse than her arm. The warm liquid trickled down her foot and hand, dripping onto the floor.

Before Nicole could examine her better, the elevator came to a stop on floor eight. The doors opened to reveal a dark wide passage leading to a large warehouse beyond. Level eight was where they stored and fixed bots from Scibots to storage bots.

The level was deathly quiet. Lana went to reach for the elevator buttons again when Nicole stopped her.

"Hold on, there's got to be a medkit nearby. We need to get you bandaged up."

Lana protested but Nicole was already pushing herself up and exiting the car, jumping on one foot.

"Nicole, wait, I don't like this," Lana said, shifting around. As the elevator doors began to close, Lana cursed and pulled herself out before they shut completely. She watched as Nicole jumped then went back to her hands and knees to crawl over to the warehouse entrance.

"Here! I see one!" Nicole hoisted herself up on a nearby table and went to a box on the side of the wall entrance that Lana couldn't see.

Lana carefully stood up. "Wait there, I'll come to you." She staggered over then leaned against the table where Nicole also now sat. Taking out a cloth and disinfectant, Nicole did her best to clean Lana's arm first. "It doesn't look like you will need anything done on your arm thankfully, but the wound might leave scarring," Nicole said as she wrapped her arm. "Your leg I'm afraid will need to be closed up immediately. There's a Meldpen here so it shouldn't take long, but it's going to hurt." She did the same routine with Lana's leg, which Lana held propped up on the table, cleaning it before turning on the Meldpen which heated up quickly.

It took several minutes to seal the wound on her leg with the Meldpen, with Nicole having to pause to clean as she went. Lana had to bite down on her arm to try not to scream from the burning pain, tears stinging her eyes. When she finished, Lana carefully set her leg down and tried to catch her breath, wiping sweat from her face. When she could muster the strength, she placed her weight on her foot and slowly stood. Nicole, too, carefully lifted herself off the table.

"Alright let's go," Lana said. As she took Nicole's arm and wrapped it around her neck a rattling noise sounded behind them.

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