Page 59 of Prophet
“He’s dead,” Zed told me from close by.
I trembled. I don’t know if I felt anything about that. I couldn’t think about it. “S-so what do we do?”
“We’ve got no other choice, Jewel,” he whispered. “I don’t know the layout here.”
“Neither do I,” I replied.
I felt his arms tuck under me as he picked me up. “We need to try,” Zed said as he swung me around and took a few steps to the door. Somehow, he managed to turn me and reached to open it. Pushing it a bit with his elbow, he paused.
I could see light coming in and I blinked at it. Stepping forward, he eased us through the door, and we were in the hall again. My body tightened as I was very afraid we would get seen. There seemed to be no sounds.
Zed headed right, just like Maxim had instructed.
I prayed silently that ? the now dead brute, Maxim ? had told the truth. But like Zed said, we had to try.
Zed carried me at a fast pace. I felt relief that he hadn’t been injured more than what I saw when I found him. If he’d been severely hurt, Prophet would...my sudden thoughts of him hit me hard. I ached to see him again. Be in his arms. Tears filled my eyes and I tried hard not to cry. We still needed to leave this underground place and get to safety before I could even think about any of that.
Zed stopped and peered upward.
I did the same. A ceiling vent was there. Hope spiked in me.
Suddenly, something hit us hard, or someone as Zed was knocked forward and we fell. Zed let go of me and was up in an instant. I couldn’t see much of anything as I rolled over. Then I saw a set of large boots and the legs attached to them I peered up to see a large man facing Zed off.
“Come on, fucker,” the man challenged him in a guttural voice. “The boss wants you and the girl back.”
Zed didn’t wait for more as he lunged at him.
Hugging my body up against the wall, I peered up at them as they danced around each other.
The large man leapt back as he held a knife, but I knew Zed held something better.
They both kept moving around, but the hall wasn’t that wide so they didn’t have room for much else. Swipes were made back and forth as their breathing picked up.
“I ain’t got time for this shit,” the man huffed out. “We got less than 15 minutes until this place blows.”
Zed paused at this alarming news and when he did, the man jumped forward and cut him.
I gasped as spots of blood splattered along the wall. I worried for Zed and my body shook like mad. Then his attacker's words sank in as true terror washed through me.Fifteen minutes?
I watched as Zed circled and came at him again, then the man’s booted feet came very close to where I huddled. Blood was dripping on the floor, Zed’s blood. I reached out and grabbed the man’s leg. He tugged it back, but he was so strong I had to let go as I slumped forward.
It gave time to Zed as he lunged in and planted the scalpel into the man’s chest. Then Zed jumped back.
With a shout, the man screamed, “Ffffuuuckk!” Then he went down and face planted.
Breathing hard just from that little scuffle with the man, I fell over.
“No, no. Jewel?” Zed called to me as he stepped over the man’s still body. “Come on, stay with me, girl.” He knelt down and grabbed me up. “I need ya, we need to get through that vent.”
I slowly nodded my head. “I-I’m trying.”
“Poor kid,” he muttered. “But I need you to try here, I’m going to...” He sighed hard. “...need you to push that vent open.”
I groaned. “I have no...strength, Z-Zed.”
“I know sweetie, I know. But we don’t have anything to reach up there.”
I understood. “R-raise me up,” I breathed the words out. God, I hoped I could do this...I had to.
