The Cross Over (Silent Moments Series: Book 7)

Chapter 23

 Entering the room, I saw Raven focused on the helmet I had destroyed earlier. "Did you fix it?" I asked urgently, my attention fixated on the object that represented our last hope of escape.

"Oh, now you want to find the stone?" Murphy retorted, his tone laced with sarcasm.

"I'm sorry, Murphy," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, the weight of my earlier decision crashing down on me. "You were right. We need to leave."

Raven, sensing the gravity of the situation, gently took my injured hand in hers. "What happened?" she asked softly.

"Disciples are after Madi," I blurted out, my words tumbling over each other in my haste. "Has anyone seen her?"

"She's in the rec room," Hope interjected confidently.

"Are you sure?" I exhaled, a flicker of hope igniting in my chest, and she nodded affirmatively.

In that instant, the room was thrown into chaos as Octavia was unceremoniously shoved inside, and the door slammed shut, locking us in.

"No, no, no, no, no!" I screamed, panic seizing me as I pounded on the door with all my might. "Madi!"

The realization that Madi was in imminent danger, potentially alone with our pursuers, sent a surge of fear through me. The locked door became an insurmountable barrier, separating me from my daughter, from my responsibility to protect her.

"Madi!" I yelled again, my fists slamming against the door in a futile attempt to break through. The sound of my own desperation echoed back at me, a haunting reminder of the peril that Madi was in.

The room felt like a prison, trapping us away from Madi, away from the ability to act. Each thud of my fist against the door was a cry of frustration, a physical manifestation of the fear and helplessness that gripped me. I turned to the others, my eyes pleading for a solution, for any way to get out and get to Madi. We had to find her, had to ensure her safety. The thought of failing her, of not being there when she needed me most, was unbearable. As I continued to beat against the door, the stark reality of our situation settled in. We were locked away, powerless, while Madi faced an unknown threat alone. It was a parent's worst nightmare, and it was unfolding before my very eyes.

***

I leaned against the wall, watching with a mixture of frustration and fading hope as Murphy relentlessly attacked the glass window with a tire iron. The futile pounding had been going on for what felt like an eternity. In my heart, a sinking feeling grew; by now, the Disciples might have already captured Madi. "Give it up, Murphy, it's never gonna break," I groaned, feeling the weight of defeat.

But Murphy, ever persistent, ignored my pessimism. With a final, determined swing, he struck the glass at just the right angle, and to my astonishment, it shattered, sending shards cascading to the floor.

"You were saying?" Murphy chuckled, a triumphant grin spreading across his face.

"Nice job, Murphy," Jordan exclaimed, his voice tinged with relief and admiration.

"All in a day's work," Murphy responded, basking in the moment of success.

Their brief exchange was a stark contrast to the grim atmosphere that had enveloped us moments before. Murphy's breakthrough was more than just a physical shattering of barriers; it was a spark of hope in our desperate situation.

"Thank you, Murphy," I shouted, my voice filled with renewed urgency. Adrenaline surged through me as I took off sprinting down the hallway towards the rec room. Each step I took was driven by a singular focus: to find Madi, to ensure her safety at all costs.