by Ken Warner
“Except for these two kids—they’ve been in here as long as me.”
“Kids?”
“Well, teenagers, really. A boy and a girl. They just took them out a few minutes before you got here. They’ll probably come back soon.”
Sydney considered the situation for a minute.
“I’m going to unstrap you, and we’re getting out of here,” she said.
“What? Are you crazy? They’ll just catch us and tie us down again.”
“Maybe, but we should give it a try,” said Sydney. “I came all the way down the hallway, and I didn’t run into anyone.”
“Where are we going to go?”
“There’s an elevator at the other end of the corridor. We can take that back up to the surface. I have friends up there who will be waiting for us.”
Sydney released the woman’s straps and helped her get to her feet. She seemed a little unsteady at first.
“Are you okay?”
“I’ll be alright,” she said. “This is the first time I’ve tried to walk in… well, as long as I can remember.”
Sydney led her across the room. They moved through the door, into the hallway.
“Wait,” the woman whispered, grabbing her by one arm. “We should take those two kids with us!”
“It’s too dangerous,” said Sydney. “We have no idea where they might be!”
“Gotta be in one of these rooms, don’t they? They’re just kids; we can’t leave them here!”
Sydney took a deep breath.
“Okay. I’ve checked all the rooms on this end of the corridor, except that one across from yours, and I haven’t seen any kids. Hold on a second.”
She moved across the hallway and poked her head through the opening, backing out immediately, her eyes wide.
“What is it?” the woman asked.
“Looks like the command center,” she said. “You’re right—humans are running the place. Five or six people were sitting at work stations along the opposite wall. I don’t think they saw me.
“Let’s go!”
Sydney led her halfway down the corridor toward the elevator, then stopped and checked one of the rooms. She saw the Chinese man she’d found earlier.
“Okay, this is about where I started. Let’s check the rest of the doors going this way—I’ll take this side, you take that side. But be careful—just stick your head through the opening—we don’t want them to see us!”
They crept along the corridor, checking inside each room. The first two on Sydney’s side were empty. When she checked the third room, she saw people lying on two exam tables—they looked young.
“I think I found them,” she said to the woman. “Let’s go inside.”
They moved into the room and hurried over to the two people.
“Yep, this is them,” the woman confirmed.
Sydney gasped. Lying on the exam tables were Jaden and Malia Kwan.
“I don’t believe it… How can this be?!”
“Welcome, Ms. Hastings,” said a voice from behind them. Sydney turned. It was the man in black. “I’m so glad you could join us.”
To be continued…
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One: Interrogation
Chapter Two: Stranger in the Night
Chapter Three: The Phone Call
Chapter Four: Investigation
Chapter Five: San Juan
Chapter Six: The Boss
Chapter Seven: Ransacked
Chapter Eight: Safehouse
Chapter Nine: Alien Alley
Chapter Ten: The Real San Juan
Chapter Eleven: The Camp
Chapter Twelve: Fireworks
Chapter Thirteen: Recurrence
Chapter Fourteen: Route 23
Chapter Fifteen: Missing Time
Chapter Sixteen: Total Recall
Chapter Seventeen: Caught in the Act
Chapter Eighteen: Mystery Meeting
Chapter Nineteen: Plan B
Chapter Twenty: Abducted
Chapter Twenty-one: The Bunker