A Tail Away from Home

4. Is This Really Freedom?

Ethan

We've been running through this horrible place for too long. Yet no other encounters with the guards. Not a soul around. Some would say that's good news. Not here. Not seeing anyone here is never good. There's always people moving about and the fact four of their kids are in the loose running through the building and one of their teams is down should cause for a little more activity. Not that I'm wishing it om us but-

"They're planning something." Irina shows up beside me as she speaks. "It's too quiet, even with that stupid alarm going off. There's nothing else. Blaise hasn't felt the first footstep since that first ground of guards. No one is trailing us but according to Callista they still cant see us. we know they aren't tracking us cause we removed our chips. As far as they know we're still in our rooms"

At the mention of her name Callista takes her hand from the wall to listen to our conversation. "Blaise, is there really nothing? No movement at all around us?" I ask as I glance back slowly my pace to a walk. I can see his slight pause as he checks again before shaking his head. I mutter a curse. "They've gotta be at the exits. Planning to head us off. Cali  is there a way you can see into the security camera's and see if that's where they are"

"Maybe but it will take me time. Time we don't really have here E. I know you don't want to head in there blind but we might have to and just be prepared for anything. Cause I'll need a computer too." she looks at me with an expression of sorry in her eyes. I sigh heavily as we push through the second to last door. I try to think of what to do but at this point my mind just hurts. I don't know what to do. All I know is we can't stay in this hellhole. So the only thing we can do is keep going. "Is there any other way out then this way? Something less known?"

Callista shakes her head and we continue down the hall towards what could very well be our end. As we near the last door we look into each room and just like the ones before them, they are all empty. Either everyone is on the wrong side of the building chasing us down, or they are on the other side of this last door. I could be leading these kids that became my friends into something that could eventually turn out to be worse than being dead. If they catch us we will never have a another chance like this. They'll keep us in the lowest levels of this place. Solitary confinement for who knows how long. Till they need us I guess. Instead of lab rats they'll use us. Eventually what they do will kill us. We've heard the horror stories throughout these years. We won't leave this place alive.

"Guys... If this whole thing goes south-" As I start speaking the alarm above our heads that's been going on for a while cuts off and all four of us look up at the ceiling in confusion. "What- Why did the alarm go off?" Blaise speaks the question on all of our minds just as there's the squawk of a walkie talkie. Irina startles and pulls out the one she apparently stole off the guards we'd knocked out.

"TARGET APREHENDED. NO FURTHER ACTION NEEDED. I REPEAT. TARGET HAS BEEN APREHENDED. OVER"

We all look at each other, our confusion even worse now. Callista goes to open her mouth to speak as she places her hand against the wall and gasps. "It wasn't us who triggered the alarm... It was Emalia. She ran the other way. Through the current feel the connection to her chip and her vitals. They just pasted through one of the lower levels... she's unconscious."

Irina says something under her breath in her native tongue as we stand there is disbelief. "Why would she try something so stupid!? There was absolutely no way she would be able to get out. Not with what her powers do to her" Irina switches to English as she speaks.

Blaise speaks up softly "She knew we'd need a distraction. That if we didn't have one our chances of getting out were slim to none. And she knows that we'll come back for everyone. She took a leap in hopes we'll get back in time for her , but knowing we might not. We have to get out now. Right. Now. They'll do a room check now, and once they find us gone it's over for us and her sacrifice will be for nothing. Open that door Ethan"