Destroyer - The Death Cure (Book 3)

Chapter 20: Breached

Alex crept up the abandoned staircase, behind Felix. It was obvious no one ever used these stairs. There was a thick layer of dust on the stairs. The hand rails were rusted and the paint was peeling. But like Felix said, it was empty and there were no cameras. They climbed another flight. Every landing they would pause and listen. Nothing. Then continue up the next section, they made it to level three. There was a giant white painted number 3 on the wall beside the door. Alex peered through the tiny window, she saw nothing. But her range of vision wasn't very good.

Not sure how to avoid cameras here...there aren't any shadows. But at this point ..shuck it. I guess I'm against the clock.

Felix checked his watch, they had 10 minutes until Janson went on break, according to Felix. She leaned against the wall and waited. Felix sat on the step, twirling his gun around his finger. It was a long ten minutes, watching the minutes tick by. Half way through waiting there were a few guards that walked passed. But nothing else. Possibly a patrol. Once the 10 minutes were up Alex opened the door and totally thomased the door, Felix right behind her. There was no one in either direction. She also didn't know which way to go, but Felix took the lead, following the guards from earlier. Bright white lights, bright white tiled floors and bright white walls, it burnt her eyes.

What the shuck is with these guys and white?! Uhg, my eyeballs are burning!

They kept creeping. It was just like back in the sanctuary, everything was white, there was no distinction between this hall and the next, this door and the next. Everything looked the same, it's disorienting. And maybe that's what they were going for. Because it would be hard to escape if everything looked the shucken same.

Aaahh, WICKED I see what you've done! Sneaky like shuck faces. Except you also trained us. Idiots. When we were in the maze everything was the same in the maze. This is no bloody different.

Felix tried his swipe card. Nothing. She tried the garage guard swipe card...

"Access denied. Clearance level denied."

Shuck sakes.

"Damn it!" he whispered.

He wasn't allowed in these higher levels, but they kept going, trying the next door. Same response. They kept going room after room. Nothing. The main hall, Alex noticed, curved, making a circle. They checked the next door and were denied access again. Alex heard footsteps behind her, she spun around towards the noise. Felix's eyes flew around the hall, trying to think of something. On the opposite side there was a maintenance closet, she lunged for it, dragging Felix with her. Thankfully this door opened and she thomased inside, Felix behind her. She left it open just a crack, just enough for her to peer out. Alex was sure they would find them, her heart was beating so loud. And Felix was breathing really loud. The footsteps grew louder, they came into view. It was a bunch of guards, they were dragging someone between them. Alex let out a gasp. Felix slapped his hand over her mouth.

"Shhh!" He whispered in her ear.

But she was frozen, her eyes drunk in everything about Minho. This was not how she imagined her first sight of Minho would be. He was barely conscious, his once perfect hair was limp and without his gel. His once sparkling mischievous happy eyes were swollen and rolling in his head. He was covered in red marks, bruises and puncture marks, his wrists looked red and raw. He was also a little thinner. Behind the guards and Minho was Janson. Alex shivered. But she was also shaking with anger and anguish. Minho looked absolutely awful.

But at least I know he's here.

Alex pushed Felix's hand away and waited until the sound of the footsteps passed and she thomased back out the door into the hall.