Page 58 of Tracking the Alpha
“And failed,” Freya crowed.
“We’re not free yet,” he murmured. A whirring noise drew his gaze to the elevator. “Someone’s coming up from the floor below us.” The one that Wendell claimed held those with the worst outcomes from the protocol. Fists clenched and ready, he and Freya watched as it rose past their level.
“Looks like we’re good for the moment,” he said, turning from the elevator to eye the corridor and the many doors. “But we shouldn’t waste time. Can you handle holding up Wendell to the scanners to free the others?”
“Yeah, why?”
“While you unlock doors, I’m going to check out that service shaft Wendell mentioned. I want to make sure no one’s planning an ambush and see how well it will work as an escape route.” He just needed Wendell’s face to open the access door first. Stupid electronic locks all over the place. To ensure he didn’t get caught inside if the door shut, he wedged Wendell’s shoe to keep it open.
The vertical tunnel turned out to be a narrow concrete chimney with a C-shaped ledge and metal rungs embedded in the wall adjacent to the door. The ladder went upwards but also dropped down a level. Of more interest, the thick cables that ran inside the shaft. Skinny ones that were mostly likely internet fiber optics and also thicker strands that he didn’t even have to touch to sense the hum of current. Cutting them from this level would likely only disrupt power to the fifth and sixth sublevels.
“Sir?” Freya poked her head inside as she called out for him.
“What is it?”
“Idris, Phoenix, and Slater have been released. Idris is standing guard by the elevator, while Slater is opening the remaining doors. Freed Radley, too, but he’s refusing to come out of the cell. Keeps hugging his legs and rocking.”
“Tell him to snap out of it. We don’t have time for drama.”
“Will do.” Freya craned to look upwards. “Is that how we’re getting out?”
“Most likely. Wouldn’t want us to get trapped in the elevator if they shut off the power to it.”
“Not sure we should all be in one spot when we escape. Seems too easy to trap us.”
Barrett pursed his lips. “Good point. We should see about prying open the elevator entrance so we have a second option to climb.”
Something barked and snarled.
“What the fuck?” Freya glanced over her shoulder. “Gotta go. Looks like we found someone who’s cranky about wearing fur.”
One so far out of six. Not bad. Barrett had feared worse. He glanced down where the supposed failures resided. Did Wendell have a point about not releasing all the prisoners? Barrett wanted to do the right thing, but that didn’t necessarily mean unleashing a menace upon the innocents who lived in the area. Hell, letting them loose might put Barrett and those he freed in jeopardy. After all, look at how rabid that coyote had been. The situation reminded him of something a colonel once said when they were conducting a rescue mission. Remember, you can’t save everyone, and it’s not selfish to want to live.
For the first time in months, living didn’t sound so horrible.
A new head poked into the shaft. “Captain, holy shit, it really is you.” Phoenix grinned, looking the same, if somewhat gaunt. “I knew you’d find a way to get us out of this shithole.”
“Sorry it took longer than expected.” Barrett climbed down until he stood on the ledge for level five.
“So, what’s the plan?”
“Don’t have one. Quick summary. We’re in a mini compound, as you already probably know. About a dozen soldiers total, with a possible five out of commission. Medical team numbers almost a half-dozen, including Wendell.”
“Who’s Wendell?”
“The guy whose face we’re using to open doors.”
“You mean the prick who likes to poke people with needles.” Phoenix’s gaze darkened, and his eyes flared amber, which was new. “I wonder how he’d like it if I poked him.”
“Revenge later. We need out of here, which means we could use any advantage we can muster since we have no weapons and I don’t know what kind of opposition we’ll encounter on the way out. It’s been a lot easier than expected thus far.”
“Not surprising with that few soldiers. Guess they figured their electronics were enough. Wonder how hard it would be to knock out the juice for all their cameras. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty good at seeing in the dark these days.”
“Me too. Turning off the lights could be to our advantage, as would be shutting down the elevator.” Barrett patted the bundle of thrumming cables. “I’m thinking if you find a way to cut these cables from the top it might disrupt everything below.”
“Your wish is my command.” Phoenix popped into the shaft and began climbing barefoot in only his pale green scrubs.
Barrett watched him for a second before glancing into the hall, where a stranger sat on the floor with a wolf in a headlock while Slater and Freya lay atop the wolf, which squirmed and growled.
