Chapter 35 #2
He holds it out of her reach. “Be nice and maybe I’ll let you use it to leave before you end up a pile of ash too.”
My mind is racing as I try to pick apart his words so I can reassemble them in a way that makes sense.
But before I can get anywhere, he starts coming around the line of shelving keeping me hidden.
As carefully as I can, I slide off the box I’m sitting on and crouch low, creeping to the end just as he rounds the corner.
I manage to slip out of his sight before he notices me, but I’m a little worried he might continue coming my way, so I start looking for my next route of escape.
Maren’s eyes meet mine from where she’s standing at the end of the side we now both occupy, and I hold one finger up to my lips. I’m pretty sure she knows not to point out that I’m here, but just in case, I want to make sure we’re on the same page. Because I’m the only element of surprise we have.
And that is not great odds.
There’s no way we can go out the way we came in without him noticing us, so I motion toward the only other door in the space, thinking maybe we can quietly sneak into whatever room is on the opposite side.
But then my eyes lock onto the card reader next to it.
Shit. Even if Maren’s card can open it—which it might not—the jerk now pulling boxes away from the wall where I was sitting has it.
I lower all the way to the floor, hoping if I stay below his line of sight, it will hide my movements between the gaps of boxes separating my position from his.
Going as fast as I dare, I crawl to where Maren stands and start playing the scariest game of charades ever.
Motioning to the spot where her badge was clipped, I then point at him and try to mime getting it back.
She nods, lifting two fingers of one hand to point at her eyes before stabbing them at the man now crouched low, mumbling to himself about not getting paid enough for this shit.
While Maren serves as lookout, I crawl to the spot just opposite him, quietly shifting the items between us to make space for me to reach through. If I can just get my hands on one of his badges—
He stands abruptly, putting what I need out of reach. His body shifts to one side, and my eyes land on what he was fiddling with. I’m no genius, but the weird electronic device displaying a digital countdown looks a heck of a lot like an explosive.
An explosive with only fifteen seconds before detonation.
My stomach drops as adrenaline dumps into my system, making me shake.
We have to get out of here, and we have to do it now.
I don’t have time to plot or plan, all I can do is act.
The prick trying to blow up whatever’s on the other side of that wall still doesn’t know I’m here, so when I reach up and push the heaviest looking box on the shelf above his head as hard as I can, he’s not expecting it.
That’s probably the only reason he doesn’t manage to step out of the way before it comes down on the top of his skull, jarring his cranium hard enough to send him dropping to the floor.
I drop along with him, shoving shit out of my way so I can reach through and grab the first key card I see. I don’t know if it’s Maren’s or his, but I hope to God the one in my hand is capable of opening the door behind me.
Pushing to my feet, I curve one arm across my belly like I can shield the babies from whatever’s coming with the strength of that appendage.
I meet Maren’s wide eyes and yell, “Run.”
My heart is in my throat as I reach the digital pad beside the door, tears blurring my vision as I slap the plastic card against it. I don’t even notice the light turning green before Maren is shoving it open and pushing me through.
She’s surprisingly strong, and gets her arms around me, taking us both away from the opening and to the floor.
Her small body lays protectively over mine as the explosion rocks the floor beneath us, sending flaming debris and billowing smoke through the still open door.
It didn’t have time to close and lock behind us, and the force of the detonation distorts the panel to the point it can’t seal against the frame.
Maren rolls off me, scrambling to try to close it as much as she can as flames lick around the edge.
“It won’t close.” She tries to fight it into place, but there’s too much damage. Spinning away from the door, her wild eyes scan the room. It seems to be an overflow for additional supplies—primarily paper—but there’s only one way in and one way out.
And thanks to all the flammable items lining the shelves, the way out is currently a fucking inferno. Which is what this room will become shortly.
“Fire extinguisher?” I pull my shirt up over my nose, trying to filter as much of the smoke as I can.
Maren nods, splitting off one direction as I get to my feet so I can help her search.
I finally find what we're looking for and break the glass, pulling out the extinguisher while Maren rushes beside me to activate the alarm. I have no clue if it works because my ears are still ringing from the explosion and there’s already so much smoke I can barely see.
All I can do is pull the pin on the extinguisher and hope it slows the fire down enough to buy us the time for someone to come try to save us.
God I hope it’s not Titus.