Unstable

Chapter thirty two~ The final battle

Grace looked at both of us over her shoulder as she laid her hand over the emergency alarm.

          “Are both of you ready?” she said.

Winter glanced at me with a sparkle of intensity in his eyes and nodded. I looked over to her and nodded. “Yes, we’re ready.”

Grace nodded and pulled the emergency lever. Chills cascaded down my back from the ringing of the incoming alarm and lights. Grace opened the lab door and ran out, waving us to follow her. We ran down the hall, through the lights and sirens flashing. My heart was racing like never before, the sense of doing something so wrong filed me with a dark excitement that raced through me like adrenaline, and it felt good.

        “Wait, wait!” Grace whispered, guiding us in to the adjacent hallway, pressing our backs against the walls as the sound of marching footsteps approached us. I held my breath and pressed myself firmly against the wall as I watched a squad of guards come barreling past.

          When they passed, Grace looked over her shoulder to us. “We have to be quick now, stick to the plan. I’ll head to the control room; follow the exits that Nadia opens. Here,” she said reaching into her pocket for a square black box with a stick at the top of it, “Use this for communication.”

Winter took it and clipped it on to the hem of his pants. “Alright, we’ll be working our way through, so be ready for us.”

Grace nodded, glancing over to me as she put a hand on my shoulder. “Be careful Nadia.”

I nodded. “Will we see each other again?”

Nadia smiled, her eyes glistening. “Here,” she said reaching into her lab coat, bringing out a white envelope. “Open it, only when you’re safe and far away from this place.”

I took the paper and slid it into my pocket, feeling its folds against my leg.

Winter moved beside me and nodded to Grace. “Grace, if you’re really not lying, I thank you.” He nudged me. “C’mon Nadia, let’s go.”

I nodded turning away from Grace and running down the hall with Winter leading the way. As I glanced back to her, Grace was distant at the end of the hallway, giving a small wave and a smile before I rounded the corridor and she disappeared from sight. 

          It had been a while of wandering down the halls until we finally got to Sector three.

          “Winter!” I said pointing to the wall where it was posted and then to the first door to our freedom.

Winter nodded and brought the black box from his pants and clicked a button. “We’ve made it to sector three.” He released the button and Grace’s voice came in.

          “Good, open the door and continue through. The surveillance in there is off, so don’t worry.”