Last Step Outside [Book 2]

Prologue

Alex forced herself to stand up. Training was harder, much harder. Especially since the new CEO had seized the spot.

"Pathetic." The speaker thunders in Alex's ears. "You're the head commander and you can't defeat a basic soldier." Alex glares into a black tinted window, high above her. Dark grey eyes stare dully back at her.

"Maybe if you'd let me sleep for once, I could do a whole lot better?" She shouts. The dark voice ignores her. "Where are our captives?"

"Locked up." Alex hisses.

"You're positive, Claw?"

"Yes."

"Check them, now." Alex slams her fist into the wall, grabs her bag, and storms out into the PAAIIN industries hallway. Guards with armor were lined up along the sides, armed with guns. Every once in a while, one of the guards would say, "Good day," or "Good to see you, Ms. Hawlythes." Alex wove her way through tapestries and hallways and came across a steel door. Ten guards stand in front of it.

"Likewood Meadows." Alex says. The first two guards nod and the rest of the eight guards stand to the side. She walks up to a computer like device and stops in front of it. A blue ray shoots into Alex's eye. She almost flinches.

"Scan complete." A female voice says. Retina scan, it was recently added for extra precautions. The door slowly starts unlocking. Latches unlatched, locks unlocked, and the door swings open stiffly. Gingerly, Alex walks in. Two human figures knelt on the floor. Mouths covered and hands behind back. "Good evening, Evan, Evelynn." Alex sneers and kneels down in front of Evan, then pulls the cloth off.

"Let us go." Evan manages to choke out, his eyes burning with anger.

"Sorry, it ain't my decision." Alex sighs.

"Yeah right." Alex pulls the cloth back over his mouth. Evan's hair was uneven and his eyes darken within every moment. Evelynn had kept her head down since PAAIIN had first caught her. Alex didn't even care to try to talk to her. Her hair was ruffled and messy, and she had been in the same clothes for many months now. Same for Evan.

"You know, we're shipping you off soon." Alex tells them. Evan grunts in reply. "Brand new I tell you, state of the art." Evan doesn't have the strength to reply. Alex stares down at her feet, then reaches into her bag and pulls out several loafs of bread, pulls off Evan and Evelynn's cloth, uncuffs them but keeps the leg cuffs on, and walks out. As Alex walked out, she heard Evelynn gasp.

Whatever the new CEO was doing, he was succeeding, because Alex felt bad for the two.