Cress

Chapter 42

Cress follow the guard down the hotel steps. 

 Thorne was behind her, one hand on her shoulder and

 the other gripping his cane.

 She warned him about the last step as she turned down

 the dark hallway. 

 Dr. Erland was in the back, already wheezing with the

 exertion of carrying his prized lab equipment

 down the stairs.

It was difficult for Cress to focus.

 She wasn't even sure where they were going.

The ship, did Cinder say?

 At the time, Cress had been filled with horror at

 seeing the Lunar operative snap.

 His howls were still bouncing off her eardrums.

The guard shoved open the hotel door and they all 

 scrambled down onto the rough, sand-covered road. 

 Two steps later, he froze thrusting his arms out to

catch Cress, Thorne, and the doctor as they crashed

into him.

Whimpering, Cress shriveled against Thorne and scanned

the road.

Dozens of men and women dressed in the official uniform

 of the Commonwealth military had them surrounded, with

 gun raised. 

 They filled up the roads and the spaces between buildings

 peered down from rooftops and around rust 

covered podships.

"Cress?" Thorne whispered, as tension prickled on

the stifling air.

"Military," she murmured "A lot of them."

 Her gaze landed on a girl with blue

hair, and instant hatred blossomed inside her chest. 

"What is she doing here?"

"What? Who?"

"That—that girl from the last town."

Thorne tilted his head. "That's Darla. 

The escort-droid?

 Why are you and Cinder so confused about this?"

Her eyes widened. 

She was an escort-droid?"

The girl was watching them without without emotion,

 sandwiched between two soldiers with her hands 

hanging limp at her sides. 

"I am sorry, Master," she said, her voice carrying

 through the silence. 

"I would have warned you, but that would be illegal, 

and my programming prevents me from breaking