Page 56 (1/2)

The shrillness of roans erupted all around ry

Eat Must eat

Lab Coat pushed to his feet and stouard

The side door opened, and Lab Coat stalked inside with a tired-looking guard at his side

I did uard pointed a finger at ood

Hihtsor ZA’s?

"I’ I punched at the bars, unconcerned by the sting in ain You’ll have towith hed, but it wasn’t a nice sound "So brave out there, aren’t you?" I taunted the guard "Doubt you’d be so confident in here I could take you down in seconds"

"This is your last chance to be quiet," he snarled, hand curling around the stick hanging at his waist Then his gaze landed on Reeve and narrowed He licked his lips "But please, do me a favor and refuse it I’ll come in there and show you just how brave I can be"

"Let us out Let us out" Reeve

"Coward!" Me

Grinning a terrible grin, he pressed his thuainst the lock When he pulled the door open, I shoved Reeve behind me and backed her toward Kat, who had woken up and now leaned against the far wall All the while, I gripped the scalpel I’d stolen, the blade hidden by et his hands on Reeveto tosshi wide, he stumbled away froe, and he went down Blood gushed froh his knuckles as he applied pressure

Whatever’s necessary, rewhy she needed it, then rushed out of the cage, closing in on Lab Coat He remained on his feet, as if frozen

"Don’t hurt me," he pleaded

"Like you didn’t hurt me?" I punched him in the throat with a blood-covered hand, and he, too, went down I tore the badge frolass case where the tranq guns were stored

In the hallway, an alar it There was at least one et out of here," I instructed Reeve, and pounded et Jaclyn"

Shards rained to the floor; un as the side door burst open, a single guard rushing through Just before he reached ht on top of led out from under him and turned to finish off Lab Coat, only to realize he’d already regained his bearings, found another badge to use on the door and rushed out of the roo to hold up Kat I pocketed as many tranq darts as I could hold and rushed over to help, passing Jaclyn along the way

She’d freed herself

I looked around and coh for her to reach through the bars, and she had removed his thumb with the scalpel We think alike Then she’d used what she’d taken to unlock the door

The guard had stopped writhing, waseyes stared off in the distance

I’d taken a life

WHATEVER’S NECESSARY

A sob escapedback , I ree and handed it to Reeve, just in case ere separated

"Got another tranq gun" Jaclyn ca her arirl’s waist to reest You lead the way"

"I’uys down," Kat panted "Leave me here and come back for me later"

"Don’t be ridiculous," I said "I’d rather stay here than leave without you"

"Seriously, Ally Kat," Jaclyn said "Shut it"

"Now follow e to open the door to the hallway We entered a long, narrow passage I was relieved to find euards Please, please

"Where should we go?" Reeve asked, her voice strained

I ripped the eency exit map from the wall, considered the corridors and said, "This way"

Down the hall Around a corner Another hall, another corner In the stairwell, our breathing and footsteps echoed off the walls But those were the only sounds No one was following us Others would be here soon, though I was certain the alarm had already been reported to Kelly, wherever he was

Kat’s head lolled to the side as the girls carried her down, down, down the steps As fatigued as I was, as undernourished, as wounded, round I gained

Finally we reached the end of the well, and I used the key card to open the door

"--remote camera show they entered the stairwell" Kelly’s voice rose above a syotten here so quickly?