Page 41 of Creed
“What’s wrong?” I asked, alarmed, as I also sat up.
“I’m not going to be able to write about any of this. What the hell am I going to give to my editor?”
Sighing, I wrapped my arms around him. “How about we focus on staying alive first. Then we can worry about your editor.”
He ran both hands through his brown hair, nearly pulling it out by the roots. “No, you don’t understand. My editor’s a total hard-ass. She’ll kill me if I don’t have a new article by the deadline. Seriously, I may as well just let the cult kill me. They’ll probably be more merciful.”
Trying not to roll my eyes at his dramatics, I pulled Kayden back down onto the bed and found much more pleasant ways to distract him.
Three daysafter our last meeting with Chester Grieve, we were finally ready to make our escape. The plans were in place. All we needed was the right opportunity.
Waiting for nightfall was aggravating. I watched the seconds tick by on the watch that Robyn had brought us, trying to will time to go faster.
The boy was smarter than he gave himself credit for. I’d only asked him to bring us a watch or clock of some sort since I didn’t know what he’d be able to get his hands on. He’d had the foresight to bring us a digital watch instead of an analog one, so that it wouldn’t make any ticking noises that could be discovered. Plus, the glowing numbers were easier to see in the dark.
The boy would do well for himself, if we could get him away from these extremists.
Finally, after hours of excruciating waiting, it was time to act.
Kayden handed me the nail he’d so tirelessly filed into shape. “Let’s see if this works.”
Ideally, I would have preferred two tools to pick the lock, but we hadn’t been lucky enough to come across any other pieces of suitable metal.
One would have to do.
The lock on the door was old but well maintained, with no signs of rust or any damage. Its keyhole was larger than modern locks, and the filed down nail easily slipped inside.
Several tense moments passed as I navigated the inside of the lock entirely by feel, coaxing the tumblers into place one by one.
The lock clicked when the last tumbler fell.
Kayden and I stood in silence, barely daring to breath as we waited to see if anyone had heard us. I pressed my ear to the thick wood of the door but couldn’t hear anything.
Now for the hard part.
Without a second lock pick, I’d have to use the nail to turn the lock while keeping all the tumblers in place. I’d instructed Kayden to file the nail down into a flat pointed shape, similar to a key, but it was a fine line. The pick needed to be thin enough to manipulate the tumblers, but sturdy enough to turn the lock on its own. There was no way to test it beforehand.
If the nail snapped off in the lock, then this whole escape plan was over before it even started.
Holding my breath, I turned the lock.
The door swung open.
Kayden and I stared into the open doorway at the staircase that would lead us to freedom.
I grabbed his hand.
“Let’s go,” I said, making sure to whisper.
Rather than respond, Kayden just nodded and gripped my hand back in a tight grip.
He didn’t let go, even as we ascended the stairs.
CHAPTER 8
Kayden
The staircase wasn’t astall as I thought. Every time I’d been brought up and down that staircase while blinded with a bag over my head, it had felt like we were deep underground.
