But it flickers off.
I freeze where I am, feeling the cold metal walls pressing against my skin.
What? Where did the light—?
Someone turned the light off and left the room. That's the only logical explanation. Does that mean I'm safe for now? How long until they return to the room this vent leads to?
I place my hands on the walls on either side of me and push off, decreasing the distance between the destination and me faster.
I breathe out.
My mind can't help but wander to Fox now. Where is he right now? Is there still time to save him? Where is the other group? How long have they been waiting for us, if they're waiting at all?
I continue dragging myself through the tight passage, my arms sore. It's been a while since I tried carrying my weight. In fact, I don't think I remember doing any of that, ever.
The exit is only a couple feet away from me, and my arms throb, too weak now to continue to pull my body any farther. The thought of seeing what's behind that air vent cover works its way into my mind. I'm almost there, so I can't stop now.
With one last pull of my arms, I erase the distance between me and the blocked opening until my nose is pressed up against the slits of the cover. I squint into the darkness, trying to peer into the room this passage leads to.
I pause and blink a few times quickly, knowing that maybe this is costing me time. But I need to get my eyes used to the darkness before I can get an image of the room.
There are folded chairs stacked in the corner. The opposite walls are not very far from each other so right away, I know this room is almost as small as the storage closet I left Fox in.
What if this is another closet?
I spot the switch right next to a dark shape of a door. I have to remember that someone has been in here only moments before. They might be back soon.
I slide my thin fingers through the slits in the vent cover and grab hold. Now what? Slowly, I push. But the vent's not even nailed on. It comes off easily. At least I'm holding it, or else it would have clattered to the ground.
I'm not able to see how far the ground is from where I am. So gently, I lower the loose metal cover. It collides with something solid. I'm sure that's the ground, so I let go. The cover slips from my fingers and drops to the floor with an almost inaudible thud.
Now I just need to get myself out of here.
I clutch the edges of the opening and pull, only managing to get half my body out of the vent. The rest of the way out requires me scrambling.
Once I'm finally on my feet, I brush my face off, conscious of the tickling on my skin. It's too dark for me to know exactly what is causing it.
I get a look around the room, and my suspicions are correct. This is another storage closet, and this one is more deserted than the last.
There is no one here, but I don't relax. My ears pound just by thinking about what might be on the other side of that door. Or who.
I take a few steps forward on trembling legs until I'm right by the door. My hand reaches out toward the doorknob.
I turn. The door clicks and I pull it open a crack. It's a hallway.
Every second, a figure in a dark blue uniform brushes past before I can get a glance at their face. But it's not like they are anyone I care about.
How can I step out of the room without anyone shooting me down? While the others are wearing dark blue uniforms, I'm an outcast with my outfit.
But what if—?
I turn my head behind me, searching for some kind of box or anything that looks like it would hold a uniform. But there's nothing. Only chairs and an open cabinet with papers. I'm going to have to step out and hope for the best. Is wearing a uniform mandatory? What if I say my shift ended so I'm heading home? That's why I'm not wearing my uniform.
I shake my hands out. Okay. This is for Fox and the others.
Because it's about time I risk my life for the greater good.
CHAPTER 22
V I V I A N
No one even looks at me.
Either they've zoned out completely, or they see me as one of them.
My legs threaten to buckle as I get a look at the guards passing me. If I attract unwanted attention toward myself, who knows what's going to happen.
But which way down the hallway is the exit? Left or right?
Left. That's what I'm going with.
I scan the guards' posture and mirror them. Back straight with arms at their sides. Their strides are quick, as if they are in a hurry to go somewhere.
The hallway turns sharply to the right and I make the turn, hesitating at first. No one has questioned my motives yet, at least not aloud.
I spoke too soon.
One guard stops in the middle of a stride and turns to look at me. I pass him, pretending I don't notice him.
Please don't see me.
My wrist is grabbed. I yelp and turn to face the threat.
It's the same guard I saw only seconds ago. His expression isn't filled with anger, but amusement. He looks me up and down, and opens his mouth.
I brace myself for what he's going to say. He's going to call the guards. He's going to kill me right here.
But he smiles. “Jones? I haven't seen you in like a month! You look great! How much weight did you lose?”
All the blood rushes to my face. “I—uh...”
The guard slaps my shoulder. “I almost didn't recognize you there for a second. Can I just say again how great you look?”
He probably doesn't care anymore, but the answer to his question just slips out. “I, uh, lost eighteen pounds.”
His eyes widen. “You look amazing, Jones. Say, I've been meaning to ask you...do you want to get coffee sometime after our shift ends?”
I scratch my head, having really nothing to say to that. He thinks I'm some woman named Jones. It's too late to tell him he's mistaken me for someone else.
I glance at the badge on his chest. It reads: TEDDER
Even though my heart is ready to rip right through me, I take a deep breath and force a smile on my face. “Oh...um...sorry, Tedder. I actually have to uh...deal with a couple of things at home.” I'm not even sure if I pronounced his name right.
Tedder's face drops. I don't think I've seen this much disappointment on a grown man's face.
“That's fine,” he says. “I just remembered I'm busy tonight. Perhaps maybe next time?”
I give him a nod and pull my arm back from the hard grip he has on my wrist. “Yeah, maybe next time.”
Then he just lets me go. And as I continue walking, I glance back to see him watching me.
Does he realize something's wrong?
But the next time I look over my shoulder, he has already turned his back to me.
I exhale and rub my forehead, keeping my head down as I head for the door in front of me. It has a small window, and as I look through it, I see the door leads to a staircase.
Am I allowed to use it?
Once I stop in front of the door, I search the guard's faces to make sure they're not looking at me like I'm a threat. Only some glance at me, but no one tells me to stay away from the stairs.
I push the doors open and am greeted by two staircases. One leads up, while the other leads down.
I head for the ones leading down.
My shoes smack against the steps, echoing throughout the room. I continue moving, not sure how many floors this building has. Is it possible for me to end up in the basement?
But I don't have to worry about that because I come across another door, this one is marked with the words: FLOOR 1.
I turn away from the stairs leading farther down and use the door in front of me instead.
No alarms have gone off yet. Is that a good thing? Maybe Denham has not been discovered yet. And neither has Fox.
Nerves twitching, I push the door open.
I'm back in the room where Fox had first started the fight with Denham. Not the storage closet, but the reflective room where the exit to
the police station is.
Guards are spread around the room. They look calm, as if nothing involving the commander and an enemy ever interrupted their afternoon. Quickly, I search the room for anyone familiar.
There's the employee guy Fox and I had talked to. He's still by the front doors. How can I walk past him without being noticed? Surely he'll recognize me?
Before I walk through the door, I yank my hair from my ponytail, trying to cover as much of my face as I can. Then I force my legs to move. Left, right, left, right.
Come on, come on.
A guard walks right in my way, but I serve around him, missing him by inches. He sees me and laughs, “Whoa, there. Slow down. You in a hurry?”
I give him a quick nod. He doesn't seem to see me as a threat because he laughs again and moves on. My adrenaline is pumping hard through my veins, but I know I have to keep calm.
I keep my eye on the employee man by the door. With every step I take toward him, my body turns cold. I don't know if I can do this.
When I'm only a few yards away from the door and him, I see his eyes lift to me. But just as soon as he does that, I bring a hand to cover half my face, pretending like there's some sort of an itch.
The exit is so close. If he doesn't say anything—
He does. “Ma'am?”
I don't lift my head, but only pretend to scratch half my face.
“Yes?” I make my voice a little hoarse on purpose, hoping he won't recognize it.
He waves me toward the door. “Have a wonderful day.”
I almost scramble outside.
But that's it? He doesn't remember me?
Well, I won't blame him. There are hundreds of people coming in and out every day. I wouldn't expect him to remember me. However, Fox and I were different. We caused all the guards to stream toward us.
I slam the door open, throwing my hair back up into a ponytail. As soon as I'm out, the wind hits me. But I don't care—I cherish it.
Then I start walking, passing the two guards by the door. They say nothing to me.
Once I'm off the police station territory, I break into a sprint, heading up a small hill on sore legs.
Where did Fox say the others should go? I search my surroundings, trying to spot any narrow alley.
Nothing familiar. What if Rian and the others have already left? What if they were taken by Kent?
But what if they're still waiting? How long have I been gone?
“Vivian!” Rian's voice.
I spin around, my heart pounding. They're all right, then. They're still waiting for us.
But Fox isn't here.
I spot Rian and three other people heading toward me. Laurey, Addison, and Jarrod. I look behind them and see a narrow alley. The same one Fox told them to wait in. How did I miss it?
Addison is the first to mention Fox. She comes to a stop in front of me and looks like she's about to place a hand on my shoulder, but stops herself. “Where's Fox?”
I pursue my lips together and glance at the building behind me. How should I tell them this? He's either dead or alive.
“He's in the building,” I say, turning back to the four. “I don't know how much trouble he's in, but we need to get him out of there.”
Jarrod steps forward. “How did you manage to get out while he didn't?”
I look at him, not sure how to answer that question.
“Well?” the guy prompts. Does he think I'm an enemy now?
“We were split up,” I say, hoping they don't think I'm lying because of how quickly I uttered the words. “He got knocked out. Then we were split up.”
Addison drops her head, muttering something I can't hear. When she lifts her head again, she has audible words to share. “We need to go get him. Jarrod, you said you have a couple of people willing to get him out. Where are they?”
Jarrod looks like he's about to turn in a certain direction, probably wanting to head back to his underground hideout. But maybe he's thinking of Kent, and how he's being tracked. Maybe my words are drilled into his head.
I turn away from the group of four, trying to pull in a breath as the thought of Denham makes its way into my mind.
Rian notices. “You okay?” he asks me.
The best thing now is to lie about it. They don't need to know Denham's dead. Or do they?
I shake my head and rub my eyes, pretending like I'm exhausted. “Yeah, I'm fine.”
But Rian doesn't let me go that easily. His eyebrows furrow. “You don't look fine. What happened back there?”
Somehow I'm wondering if Kent knows I infiltrated the police station. He can easily track me down, and he easily could have stopped me. Yet here I am, able to tell everyone about my experience.
I scratch my forehead. No secrets about this. I have to tell them, but I just don't know how I'll get the words out.
“You're right,” I start. “Nothing's fine. I need to tell you guys something.”
All the attention shifts to me. Even Jarrod, who looks like he's trying to find a way out, looks at me. They wait, but I find myself stalling.
“Well...I mean.” I scratch my head again. How do I get this out without my voice cracking. I swallow, and start again. “When Fox and I...entered the station, there was this guy...who stopped us. Fox asked him if we could talk to Denham.” I pause and look around at the four watching me.
I chew on my tongue and continue. “But Denham appeared right by us. Fox—” My voice turns deep just as soon as it starts to tremble. “Fox put us into trouble by...” I shake my head, afraid I won't be able to continue. The information will be my secret.
I run both my hands over my face. This is no place to break down. So quickly, before the pitied stares of the four get to me, I blabber out as many words as I can. “Fox was knocked unconscious after he hit Denham. We were split up. Denham took me to an office, while Fox was sent into a storage closet.”
I look at Rian, wondering what he's thinking. But he has nothing to say aloud. Jarrod does.
“And what happened to Denham?”
I turn away. “After Fox woke up, Denham and I came to see him. Fox attacked—he started attacking Denham, but I—I—”
This is stupid. I can't bring myself to say the last words.
I look down at my hands, clenching and unclenching over and over again. The same hands that destroyed Denham's life. Maybe he deserved it, maybe he didn't. I'll never know, and I don't even want to think about it.
“There was an ax,” I stutter. “And I—”
I can almost feel the fear coursing through everyone's veins, but I can't see their faces. My head is cast down.
“You what?” Jarrod asks. “You killed him?” He doesn't seem to have any problems getting those words out. I mean, he himself didn't swing an ax at anyone.
I don't say anything. I only look down at my hands. A shadow passes over me, and I am too afraid to look up to identify who it is. But I lift my head and look into the eyes of Rian.
My entire body pounds with fear. Fear of what he will say, fear of him being so close to me, and fear of what happened to Denham.
“Is that what happened, Vivian?” he whispers.
Slowly, I move my head up and down, refusing to look anywhere else but at his forehead. Creases appear on it, and I can't help but wonder what he's thinking right now.
“What happened to Fox?”
I can tell his question is hesitant. Fox is either dead, or he's alive.
I lift my heavy shoulders. “He told me to crawl through an air vent and leave him behind. I found the exit and saw you guys. I don't know what happened to him after I left.”
Rian turns to Jarrod and says, “We need to get Fox out of there. Can you call a team?”
Jarrod looks up at the sky, where it has darkened. How much time has passed?
“I can call a team, but they won't go bursting in.”
Rian doesn't seem like he has the patience for this. One of our group members is in trouble. I know how he feels. “And
how long will that take?” he asks.
I don't tell him that it was not hard for me to move myself around the hallways. Everyone seemed to believe that I was one of them.
But the reason for that can be because I had already been inside the building. If I would have entered, I'm sure I would have been stopped.
We're creating a plan out in the open. All of our ideas might be going straight to Kent's ears. I've been worried about what he's hearing lately, but I don't know if he's actually listening to us.
Jarrod points in a vague direction behind him. “We have a couple of the guard's uniforms. Some of them are outdated, but I'm sure our scouts have been able to get the newer versions.”
“So who're you sending?” Addison asks. She doesn't know anyone from the hideout anyway, so I'm not sure how knowing who's coming will help her.
Jarrod looks at me. His words seem to be directed at me more than Addison. I'm the one who is supposed to know these people, not her.
“You're familiar with Sabine's brother? He's one of the scouts. I don't doubt they will send him. He likes these types of missions.”
I nod. He's talking about Tobin, the dark-haired guy who appeared to not like me very much. I'm surprised I still remember his name.
“Who else?” I ask. Will Sabine come?
“There's Violet, one of the trainers. I'm thinking she might. I'm not sure who else. The two are my ideas.”
“You've been talking a lot about this Sabine girl,” Addison says, looking from Jarrod to me. “Who is she? Some leader or something?”
I shake my head. Hadn't we gone over the fact that Caleb is the leader? “No, she's just someone who helped me find the hideout and helped me get settled in.”
Addison shrugs. “Isn't she the girl that sent that guy to look after you?” She points at Jarrod, and I nod.
Rian holds up a hand. “How quickly are you able to gather the team?”
We have to remember that it might be too dangerous for Jarrod to get back to the hideout. He's going to have to send some kind of signal from outside, and we have to hope Sabine or a group from the hideout will see it.
Jarrod shrugs, but adds, “Caleb needs to give permission.” He turns around, looking as if he's about to start moving. His waving hand tells us to follow him.
So he isn't thinking about the danger he'll put his hideout in?
“Hang on,” I cut in. Everyone turns to me, and I know I have to explain this quick before patience is lost. I feel like I am repeating myself. “It's not going to be that easy. You can't just go tell them now.”