X-Marks: Rising Shadows

Scar

From the door of the staircase, Valencia stood wearing a long white veil over her face.

"Just in time," Nate said and exhaled.

"Just in time for this whole place to be raided," Valencia said and straightened the scarf around her face, "They're everywhere!"

Valencia was dressed in a matching all-white dress with sensible white shoes. It was strange to see her dressed this way again like a nurse, although with the mouth covering she more resembled a lab technician.

Behind Valencia, Evee's father and Mat's mother followed. Each pair ran to embrace their children.

"What happened up there?" Evee's father said with his arms around Evee and Macie.

"We'll have to explain later," Nate said and looked back at the hallway where the guards were approaching us even faster.

"What can I do?" Valencia said.

"We need to distract the guards," Nate said and typed into his slate, "It might take me a few minutes, but if I can locate and shock their bracelets it will give us some time so we can make it to the lower city."

"I'll do it," Valencia said and adjusted her scarf again.

"Valencia you came back," I said and stood in front of Valencia.

"We all need second chances," Valencia said and wrapped her arms around me, "This is mine."

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"Gen may have scared my face, but she did scar my mind," Valencia said and pinched the scarf wrapped around her mouth.

Valencia walked far into the hall where the guard stood alone in the distance. The hem of her skirt had been rolled up to reveal her shapely legs and the narrow pinch of her waist. All of her was on display except for her face.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" the guard shouted and held his weapon higher to his chest.

"I was in the library assisting when I came back up from the archives and realized no one was awake," Valencia said in a whisper, "What's happened here?"

"There's, been a serious security breach," the guard said, stumbling his words, "All union members must return to their dorms until further notice."

"I'm terribly lost," Valencia continued to whisper, "Is there any way you could help me get me back to my dorm."

"I'm afraid I can't do that mam," the guard said, backing away from Valencia, "You should be able to receive assistance from any of your devices."

"With such a serious breach, is it really safe for me to be out on my own?" she asked, stepping closer to the guard.

"Look, I'm not supposed to leave my post," the guard said, "You'll just have to find your way."

"Could you at least take me over there," Valencia said and pointed towards the corner where we stood behind, "I think I heard some voices."

"Voices?" the guard other said.

"Yeah, they sounded terrifying," Valencia said, softening her voice even further.

"Alright," the guard said, "We'll walk you, but just to the corner and then I have to be back at my post."

"Oh thank you, thank you!" Valencia said and let out a giggle.

The guard shook his head through the helmet.

"Could you also help me set my coordinates," Valencia said, and lifted her wrist to the hand holding up her scarf, "It seems to be broken."

"I told you -" the guard said.

But before he could finish his words the guards fell to the floor like porcelain dolls who had lost their stands.

The others and I rushed to her side.

"That was brilliant!" Nate said.

"You should have seen me when I didn't have to improvise," Valencia said with a radiant smile stretched across her dimpled skin.

"Now we need to make it out of the tower before more guards get here," Nate said as he stepped over the guard's rigid bodies.

The others and I followed Nate towards the end of the hall where the guards came from.

"Why are we going this way?" Mat said and looked back, "Shouldn't we use the stairs?"

"The stairs exit is the first place the guards will look for us," Nate said.

"I agree. We barely made it up here," Valencia said, "But how are we going to get to the lower city if we can't use the elevators or stairs?"

"We should use the supply shuttle by the gardens," Evee's father said, "I used to be assigned there. It has an underpass with shuttles that lead right to the center of the lower city."

"Evee and Macie," Nate said, "Do you still have the rope with the hook?"

Evee and Macie retrieved the rope from the bag.

Nate took the rope, "We'll use this grappling hook to choose to descend from one of the windows."

"I say we do it," Mat's mother said, "Everyone knows the gardens are the least guarded place in the upper city."

"The how do we get there?" Nate said.

"The east wing," Valencia said, "Let us down by the east wing and I know the rest."