Ash

by Shani Petroff

  We all followed Madden down the hallway to a second steel door. “Let’s get this over with,” she said. Her voice sounded strained.

  “Hold a moment,” Oena said. She tapped her fingers over what looked like a modified plexi. Sol glanced at it and whistled. “Is that a Holo Extreme display? How’d you get that?” he asked.

  She made several adjustments to the sheet then nodded. “We have our ways,” she replied. She turned her attention back to Thom and me. “I’ve added our locations to the map, you’ll find it on your trackers. We’ll be able to see where everyone is if we somehow get separated. Dax, stay close behind me. Thom, you bring up the rear.” She addressed Madden. “You’re up.”

  Madden pressed her eye to the scanner and tapped her tracker to the pad next to the door. It slid open to reveal an empty hallway.

  “Here we go,” Oena said, stepping through the door. “Remember, we just have to get to the East Wing. From there it’s a few doors to unlock and we’re in. Let’s cuff them and be on the way.” She looked at Madden and Sol, her voice all business. “Thank you for your help. We’ll make sure this doesn’t come back on you.”

  I pulled the cuffs from my backpack and held them up. Madden looked like she was going to pass out. This had to be hard for her; it went against everything she believed in. I found myself feeling just a little guilty. “I won’t make them too tight, don’t worry,” I told her.

  “Wait,” she said in a small voice. “Did you say you were going in through the East Wing?”

  Oena glanced at her tracker. “Yes, and we have to hurry to beat the hovercams. Their next loop is in three minutes.”

  Madden muttered something under her breath softly enough that I couldn’t make out the words. “Stop,” she said. “You can’t go that way.”

  “Of course we can,” Thom rumbled back. “The West Wing is crawling with PAE. We’ve got handprint holographs for the security checkpoints, and there won’t be guards manning this route.”

  Madden looked like she was about to panic. “They just tightened security.” She glanced at me. “Ever since that driver interrupted Laira’s destiny they’ve been taking extra precautions. I heard my dad talking about it. They’ve installed retina scans at the unmanned entrances.”

  I felt my stomach turning inside out. Next to me, Oena groaned softly.

  “I could redirect the guards from the West Wing,” Sol offered. “Hopefully that would clear enough out of there that you can get through.”

  “Too risky,” Thom replied. “An alarm will put everyone on high alert throughout the building. The only way it works is if it’s done quietly.”

  “Then I guess that settles it,” Madden said. “I’ll have to come with you.”

  I had to hand it to her. Gone were the nerves. She was back to cool and collected. Of course that was where the resemblance to the Madden I knew ended. I couldn’t believe she was willing to take this much of a risk. I knew she cared about my brother, I just never realized just how much.

  “I suppose this means you’re coming too?” Oena asked Sol, as he moved to be by Madden’s side.

  “I am,” he answered.

  “Let’s go then,” Oena said. “Quietly. And quickly. We’re behind schedule. The two of you stay behind Dax,” she instructed Madden and Sol

  Before I followed Oena out, I quickly turned to Madden. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do this, but you did. I owe you.”

  “I hope you remember that,” she whispered. There was a certain gravity to her response that made me pause.

  “Of course I will.” Although I wondered what I could possibly do for Madden Sumner that would be of value. But now wasn’t the time to think of payback. I rushed after Oena, with the others right behind.

  Thick carpet muted our footfall as we flew down several purple-walled hallways. I held onto my cap as we ran, covering the route Oena had planned with no problems. I found myself starting to breath a little bit easier when she stopped, holding up a hand and waving at us to wait.

  A man’s voice drifted from around the corner. Fear lurched through the pit of my stomach. We’d made it this far. We couldn’t be caught. Thom inched closer toward the hallway, his giant hands curled into fists. I tensed, ready to charge if the guard rounded the corner. Instead I heard him laugh at something and his voice fade as he walked away from us. A moment later Oena motioned us to follow and we resumed our sprint.

  Another left took us to the first locked door. It was a nondescript shining steel, marked with a simple placard that read “East Wing.” In addition to a palm and tracker pad at the door, there was a retina scanner as well. Madden had been right. She got us through the door in seconds.

  We went down a flight of stairs, and soon after reached a second door, this one marked “Holding Cells, Monday through Saturday, 8am-6pm; Sunday, 11am-5pm.” We were well after visiting hours. I hoped Oena had been right and there was no one inside. Once again Madden held her palm, tracker and eye to the door. It slid open to reveal the empty waiting room. I let out a breath. There was no officer behind the desk. Oena had timed this part of the plan to correspond with the guard’s scheduled break. The one good thing about the system was that everyone took time very seriously. The downside meant that the guard would be back on time too. We had fifteen minutes max.

  “That’s as far as I can get you,” Madden said. She was slightly winded as she spoke. “Only a sanctioned officer can get into the cells themselves.”

  “It won’t be a problem,” Oena said, once again pulling out her plexi. “I’ll need someone to stay out here as lookout.” She met Sol’s eyes, and he nodded. “Let us know immediately if you hear anyone coming.”

  He held his tracker to her plexi and tapped in some commands. “You’ll all have an alert in seconds,” he said and headed back toward the door we’d entered through.

  “I’ll go with him,” Madden said.

  “You can’t,” I said. “If the guards come, it needs to look like we have you hostage and are forcing Sol to do what we say. It’s the only way to keep both of your covers.”

  Oena frowned, but she didn’t contradict me. If Madden was going out on a limb for us, the least we could do was keep her from getting arrested. From beside me, Thom was pulling out various supplies from his pack. Most noticeably were the three laser wands we’d use to cut through the glass and the discs we’d detonate it with. As he was unloading the gear, Oena approached the final door leading into the actual cells cautiously.

  “Dax, I need your help over here,” she continued.

  I quickly joined her. Link and the others were behind this door. We’d almost done it. “Keep Madden quiet when we get in,” she said in a low voice. “Her sympathy won’t stretch past your brother, and we can’t have her jeopardizing anything.”

  “Of course,” I replied. A shudder of excitement passed through me as she turned a series of bolts, then gripped her palm around a small ball she took out of her pocket. It rippled and transformed around her hand, creating an almost glove-like effect. “It’s a palm simulator,” she explained. “We pulled one of the officer’s prints from a pole on the light rail a few days ago, then recalibrated it for this.” She pressed her encased palm against the pad while she punched in a string of numbers into the keypad next to us. The door slid open to fluorescent lights and a long gray corridor.

  Thom gave me a wand and small disc and the four of us charged down the hall together. I made a beeline toward my brother, Madden hot on my heels. Link was lying on his bed, bleary eyed when I got there. “Dax?” he said. “What are you doing here?” He rose from the bed as Madden joined me. “Madden?” He sounded even more confused.

  “We’re breaking you out,” I said.

  “What?” he said, horrified. He jumped up from his bed to stand just on the other side of the cell. “Do you two have a death wish? Get out of here.”

  “No time to argue,” I said.

  “Dax, seriously,” he said. “You have to leave.” He was growing frantic. �
��Both of you. Now. This is a wasted trip. I’m not coming with you.”

  I had a feeling he was going to say something like that, but I wasn’t about to give him a say in the matter. From behind me I could hear the sizzle of Oena and Thom’s laser wands. I saw Madden look in their direction, her mouth settling into an O. “We need to get Link out. Fast,” I told her, hoping it would keep her from doing anything to interfere with the others. I didn’t wait for her response. I activated my wand. It glowed crimson at the tip. Oena had told me I just needed to trace a big enough circle over Link’s cell that he could squeeze through.

  “You’re coming,” I told my brother in my best no nonsense tone. “If you don’t, Madden and I are going to climb inside of that cell and keep you company until the guard comes back.”

  Link just stared at me, mouth open, stunned into silence.

  I touched the tip of the wand against the glass wall. A high-pitched whine responded as I traced it over the surface.

  From down the hall I heard the sound of loud pop, then the consequent shattering glass. Madden swirled toward the noise. “Dax,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief, “this wasn’t part of the plan.”

  “We can’t leave the other prisoners here.”

  She gave me a look that could have cut glass all by itself. “Let’s just get this over with, okay?” I said. “Oena knows them. It was the only way she’d help.”

  Madden put her hands on her hips and jutted her chin out. I interrupted her before she could start the argument I knew was coming. “We don’t have time to debate. Now get out of the way if you don’t want to get cut. Both of you.”

  She and Link stepped away from the circle I had formed as I placed the tiny detonator in the center. I pressed it down onto the glass and took several steps back, wishing the glasses I wore actually contained lenses. Instead, I squeezed my eyes shut until I heard the now familiar pop. The circle I had cut free shattered, leaving a hole just big enough for my brother to climb through.

  “Time’s up,” Oena shouted from down the hallway. “We need to move.” She and Thom stood with Raze, the latter two speaking in hushed tones. Zane was off to one side, a little worse for wear, but his look of euphoria eclipsed any bruises. The fluorescent light ricocheted off of the glass littered at his feet, sending tiny slivers of light to dance around him. He caught me looking and nodded his head in my direction, tipping an imaginary hat. I could see why the Revenants followed him—he had a presence about him that commanded attention. But he wasn’t the only one.

  My focus was drawn back to my brother, who was emerging from his cell.

  “Thought I was going to have to come in there and get you,” I told him. “Glad to see you came around.”

  “Someone has to make sure you and Madden get out of here safely,” he growled. “This is unbelievable. I couldn’t even get the two of you to watch a loop race together, but committing treason, no problem.”

  “Guess your life is a little more important than a game,” I said.

  “Come on,” Oena called again.

  I grinned at my brother, relieved, exhausted, so happy I could burst. Link was out. “But fine, whatever. Link, you want me to watch a race? Okay. I already owe Madden for life. Anything you guys want. After we finish this whole prison break thing.”

  I bolted before either could answer.

  I was so going to kill Dax, I promised myself, even as I ran after her. Glass covered the ground, and I did my best to avoid it as Link and I followed the rest of the group out. This just could not be happening. Two extra prisoners were escaping. One of whom I had helped capture. I could feel my resolve starting to unravel and panic began to claw at my stomach. “Keep it together, Madden,” I whispered to myself. A few extra members in the escape party didn’t change the plan.

  We all regrouped in the waiting area. Sol caught my eyes, glancing toward the two unexpected prisoners, confusion plain on his face. I shrugged helplessly. This night was spiraling out of control. How could I have allowed myself to be talked into something so dangerous?

  “Took you long enough,” the male prisoner they called Zane was saying, although his voice was almost exuberant. He was the one who crashed Laira’s Destiny Day and had given me the creeps when I had gone to visit Link. Now he was my co-conspirator.

  “You’re lucky I came at all,” she replied, and punched him in the shoulder.

  He rubbed it dramatically. “Is that any way to treat your brother?”

  Brother?

  “When you’re my brother, yeah.” Oena’s tone actually sounded warm for a moment.

  This was getting overwhelming. Dax’s friend was related to this lunatic? Who were these people?

  Oena swept her gaze over all of us, her typical aloofness returning at once. “We have eight minutes before the next rotation of guards. We’ll need every minute to get out of here.”

  She looked around and I felt myself nodding.

  “Make sure you all keep up,” Oena said and slipped out the door, followed by her brother, Thom and the third prisoner—a woman, maybe five years older than me, dirty and tattered. I cringed when she glanced my way. One of her eyes was swollen shut, but the functional one glared hard enough for both. I couldn’t believe I’d broken these people out of jail.

  A hand pressed against my back and I jumped. It was Link, pushing both me and Dax forward. “Go,” he said. “I’ll bring up the rear.”

  I didn’t wait to be told twice. I yanked my long skirt up around my knees, feeling for a split second irrationally pleased with my choice of sturdy lace-up shoes, before running for all I was worth. We ran in packs. Me, Link, Sol, and Dax in the back. The others in the front with Oena and Thom in the lead. We sprinted upstairs, through the hallways, taking a left followed by a quick right. My breath was coming in deep rasps, and I promised myself that if I made it out of this unscathed I would take up something sporty. We continued on for several minutes until I saw Thom leap at something around the corner. I stopped, paralyzed. I heard a crash, and then something smashed to bits. Thom cursed before poking his head back around the corner. “Hovercams,” he said. “Come on.”

  If the guards didn’t know about the escape yet, a broken hovercam would tell them something was up. We ran even faster. A few twists and turns later and Oena scrambled to a stop ahead. “Back,” she hissed. “Guards.”

  We bolted back the way we came. But we couldn’t run forever, the guards were about to catch up. Dax seemed to realize that. I saw her try the handle of the closest door. It didn’t open, but the next one did. “Everyone inside,” she said, ushering us into an office. “Hide.” I couldn’t believe how calm she was. Minister-like, I realized as my stomach dropped.

  Moonlight streamed in through a tiny window, enough to see everyone scattering. I wished it were big enough to squeeze through and get out of this mess. Dax and Sol ducked behind floor length curtains. Raze crouched behind a potted tree and Thom behind an overstuffed chair. I stood there, unable to move, until Link grabbed my wrist and pulled me behind the desk.

  “Stay down,” he whispered. I crouched there, panting, as Link ducked down beside me. Whoever’s office we’d landed in kept a row of well-shined shoes under his desk. I wanted to scream at the mundaneness of it all, but fear kept me silent. Link kept his hand in mine and my heart swelled even as it crashed in terror of being caught. I peeked around the desk. Where were Oena and Zane?

  A moment later I heard one of the guards call out, “This way.” They were close.

  Link tightened his grip on my hand.

  From there I heard two rapid thumps followed by a startled yell. The commotion ended with a sickening crack.

  Oena flung the door open. “Come on,” she ordered.

  We piled out of the room, and I almost choked when I saw the three guards crumpled on the ground. Zane knelt between them, confiscating their guns. He tossed one to Raze, but kept the other two, shoving one in the back of his pants. The third guard began to stir. He pinched the man’s ne
ck and he immediately stilled.

  “Are they… is he…” I began.

  He looked up at me with eyes that seemed to dance, then turned toward the guards with smug satisfaction. I felt like throwing up. “Thom has a thing against killing people. I humor him when I can. These three will wake to nasty headaches, nothing more.” I got the sense that it disappointed him.

  A man’s voice blasted through the third guard’s tracker. “Report, Officer Suresh.”

  Zane grabbed the man’s limp wrist, raising it toward his mouth. “Quiet,” he said to us, then activated the audio function. “Suresh here. All clear.”

  “Any sign of disturbance, Suresh?”

  “No, sir. Maybe a glitch in the system.” His voice oozed confidence. Oena made a noise in the back of her throat—impatience paired with a waving of her hands. Zane gave her a wolf’s grin in return.

  “Hold, Suresh. We’ve got two more troops coming to join you,” the voice replied.

  “Negative,” Zane replied. “Everything is under control. No need to send backup.”

  There was silence and then another voice, this time a woman’s, came through. “State your clearance code, Officer.”

  Zane shrugged. “Of course. It’s tschhhhhh er come in grktzttzztt chh chh. Do you read me? I think something is wrong with my krsssshhhhzzzztttk interference tschhhhh.” Zane clicked the tracker off.

  An alarm blazed from unseen speakers. I looked around the group, wondering if this was it. What would I say when we were caught? Would the kidnapping rouse work, or would the PAE know Sol and I were willing participants? I wouldn’t let him go down for this. If it came to it, I’d tell them that I pulled rank and forced him to take part.

  “I’ll reroute the alarms,” Sol hollered over the din. A moment later the ringing could be heard faintly in the distance. “Give me your plexi,” he instructed Oena. She didn’t question him, she just handed it over. Sol held the glass to one of the officer’s trackers and started coding. “There,” he said. “Now we’ll know where the guards are, their locations are added to your maps.”