Blackstone Academy: The Rogue

38. Jax Flores

Jax P.O.V

Date: December 14, 2238

Everyone silently nodded their agreement before splitting up and entering the two doorways on either side of the receptionist's desk.

"Down! Down!" Troy shouted, grabbing Ashley's arm and pulling him behind the first L-shaped desk in the middle row out of the way of the incoming darts.

Nova and I crouched behind the adjacent desk to the left with our backs pressed against the cold metal.

"Shit!" Nova cursed as the wall shook, threatening to topple over as Sky's body crashed into it.

In the doorway next to Sky, another team member lay on the floor with half his body on this side of the wall and the rest on the other.

"If it's alright with you. I'll stay here." Ashley whispered as the body of the person lying on the ground slid back through the doorway. I figured either one of our team members or the emergency team pulled the unconscious person back.

"You sure?" Troy asked, grinning slightly.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Ashley quickly answered as one of the emergency team members stepped through the doorway carrying one-half of a stretcher. Nova and I turned away, not watching as they loaded an unconscious Sky onto the stretcher.

"It's okay, Ashley," Troy reassured him, patting him briefly on the back. "Nova?"

"What?"

He tilted his head, one side of his mouth hiked up into a smirk. "How about you and I go and finish this?"

"Sure." She nonchalantly replied with a half-hearted shrug. "Tell me when."

A loud bang split the air, raising the tiny hairs on my neck. I wobbled, losing my balance, but used my free hand to steady myself. I looked to my right as Andrew kneeled on the other side of Troy. I figured his boot must have knocked into the desk wall with his sudden appearance.

"About time you guys showed up. We lost Karla and Sky." Troy told Andrew.

"I know," Andrew muttered. "We saw them getting carried out while coming from the office. Did you guys find the key?"

"Yeah. Ashley found it, but now we need to get past them and reach the box."

Andrew slapped Ashley on the back before looking back at Troy. "Who's going for the box?"

"Nova."

Andrew's eyebrows shot up. "By herself? What about the other door?" He jerked his head toward the small room in the center. Both its doors were closed, and there were no windows to give a glimpse of what lay in wait on the other side.

Shit.

What if that was an ambush? Fifteen seconds was a long time. No, Jax! I shook my head, chasing away my doubts. If neither of them was concerned, then there was no need for me to be.

"I'm going with her," Troy told him.

"Alright, we can hold them back long enough for you two to reach the door."

"Hey, Ashley?" Troy called.

"Yeah?"

"I know you wanted to stay here, but I need you to switch places with Nova. Can you do that?"

"Fuck!" He groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, yeah."

"Stay low. Be quick. And as soon as we stand up, we move." Nova firmly told him.

Ashley repeatedly nodded as rapid, visible puffs of air left his mouth.

"Ready?" Nova directed the question to our other team members still posted at each of the doorways.