Artemis Fowl and the Master Experimentation

Chapter 24

Together the three of them ran down the corridor, Holly leading the way. 

"How did you escape?" panted Artemis as they ran.

The room was spinning and the last thing she could see was the guards faces, the mixed mucus and blood dripping onto her, their disgusting grins. She could feel them holding her legs open, feel them pushing up against her. 

Then the pressure on her throat was gone and the body of the grad slumped on top of her. She had rolled out from under him and scrabbled away, her vision blurred and her throat raw, gasping for the stale air. She leaned against the wall, curling in on herself, a sob rising in her bruised throat. 

Then there was a hand on her shoulder and she cowered away, looking up at the face of her savior, Dr. Richards. His face was set and expressionless, a gun was in his hand.

"Come along, Captain, you need to get out of here. This place is going to be crawling with LEP soon. You need to get the others and go. The only reason I came back was because I saw on the monitors you needed help."

"I got lucky," she responded.

They all scrambled into the elevator and Holly pushed the button for the lobby. Artemis removed his shirt, passing it to Holly, who wordlessly put it on.

When the doors pinged open they found themselves entering the lobby at the same time the LEPreckon squad came through the front doors. The three of them dove behind the counter that looked as though a Secretary should have been there but had mysteriously disappeared from. They huddled together, staying as still and silent as they could, waiting for the sounds of running feet and shouted orders to subside. 

Artemis made a move to stand, but Holly grabbed his arm and shook her head. A voice drifted over to them.

"Alright you two, search the lobby area. Anyone you find hold onto. If they cause trouble, give'em a little buzz."

"Yessir," responded two voices.

They waited for a few moments, listening to the feet moving about. Holly twiddled the knobs on her weapon to stun and stood up quickly, turning and firing a few shots at the fairies searching for them. Both went down like a sack of potatoes.

"Let's go," she said, "before anyone realizes their radio absence."

They moved to the doors, which whooshed open for them. Holly shook her head, looking around outside.

"Idiots didn't even post lookouts. If I were their squad leader, they'd been cleaning gutters by morning. "

They moved out into the artificial light of Haven, finding themselves in an industrial area of the city. Holly took the point and they moved swiftly onward, putting the LEP filled building behind them.

Foally was pacing, he'd been pacing for about an hour. It had been about a day and a half since Holly had gone after Artemis and Faylinn into the Danger Zone and he was begining to think the worst. He hadn't slept and even the comfort eating wasn't helping.

His front door burst open and he jumped at the suddenness, rushing to the hallway, his eyes wide. What greeted him was a pitiful sight. Bedraggled and exhausted, the trio trooped in. Holly still dressed in the helmet and Artemis's shirt, Artemis topless and still ever so slightly shimmering and Faylinn in a very bloodied hospital gown.

"What happened to you," asked Foally in a constricted voice.

None of them spoke for a moment, then Artemis cleared his throat.

"The Master got us," he responded, "tortured and nearly killed Faylinn and gave Holly to his cronies..." he paused, "but Holly killed the Master."

Foally looked to Holly.