Della looked at me. “Shall we go left or right?”
“Left,” I suggested, a random guess.
As well as I’d tried to bandage Della’s wound, I was no nurse, and her shoulder was bleeding profusely. A soldier pointed at the puddle of blood by our feet. “They’re right there!”
Dozens of red beams split the air as attackers rushed forward. Crackling and whistling echoed all around me, and my heart pounded so hard it felt like it might explode. Breathing hard, I flattened myself against the pillar and peeked out. I took aim and focused. The first shot missed, but I positioned the gun again and let out another blast, followed by two more, and three guards fell backward.
Another round of laser fire ripped past. I dodged and hid behind the pillar, taking a quick breath to calm my nerves. My grip on the gun tightened. I rolled back out and shot four more guards before taking cover. They returned fire, unleashing all their fury. The scene reminded me of a light show at a Mega Scream concert Beth had forced me to watch a few years back, except now, there was far more at risk than my eardrums.
I returned a rapid shower of fire, my marksmanship surprising me as more soldiers flew backward. I aimed and fired again and again, watching our enemies fall in every direction, but like a swarm of insects, more just kept coming.
A flash of blue caught my eye, their trademark Immortal ring.
“An Immortal!” Della said, her mouth gaping. “Run!” she shouted.
The Immortal threw his hand forward and shot out showers of bright sparks, followed by trains of white and yellow. I ducked behind the pillar as hot particles rained down. He threw more spheres of light, and the spinning ball changed color, from brilliant red to dazzling orange to lime green, like a Fourth of July fireworks show, only far more deadly. A whistling roar echoed as the ball flew past. An electrical crackle filled the air, and thick, black smoke erupted as the fireball blazed across the corridor, leaving a trail of yellow sparks behind.
If only I had my fire balls to fight back.
The explosion sent me staggering backward, as if someone had just kicked me in the gut. I fell to the floor on my side, shielding my face from the yellow flames and black smoke that threatened to engulf me. My eyes continued to water, my lungs burning with the pressure building inside. The fumes made my nose and throat sting as heat singed my flesh. I looked for Della through the smoke, but I didn’t see her anywhere. I didn’t know if they had grabbed her or if she’d just darted off without me, which I wouldn’t have put past her.
Aiming for the Immortal, I fired off a series of shots. He fell backward, crashing to the ground. I couldn’t see anymore, because he was obscured by the leaping flames. I heard soldiers’ voices all around me as the fire crackled. The corridor lights flickered, then went out. Droplets of water pounded down on me, falling over my head like rain, courtesy of the fire prevention sprinklers. I blinked through the water that was dripping down my face. Without another thought, I bolted down the hall. I knew the building had to have an exit, and I desperately needed to find it.
The red lights continued to flash, the stench of acrid fumes lingered, and the sound of marching boots echoed somewhere in the distance. The place was armed to the hilt, and I wasn’t sure how I’d get past all the security, but I knew there had to be a way. Letting out a long sigh, I squinted and swallowed hard. I couldn’t stay there on my own. I needed Della and her invisibility, or I would never get out of there alive; fighting Immortals without my powers was an impossible task.
Following the slow curve of the corridor, I scanned the darkness through the water pouring down from the ceiling, stifling the remaining flames. I raced down the long hall as a red blast of energy bounced off the wall, missing my head by mere inches. I shrieked and cowered down, then dashed around the corner. The soldiers continued to shoot blindly, their red beams crisscrossing the air, cutting through the wet curtain.
I leapt forward and slipped in a puddle, causing me to fall down. It was even more difficult to move and run because of my pregnancy, but ironically, that was even more motivation to get out of there alive. The sirens continued to blare in the distance, and I knew I had to find someplace to hide before the soldiers found me. I scrambled to my feet and spun and, much to my relief, spotted a door, marked with gender symbols: the Venus symbol, a circle with a cross beneath it; and the Mars symbol, a circle with a diagonal arrow. I fidgeted in front of the door for a moment, wondering if it was just a unisex bathroom or something more sinister. I closed my eyes to focus for a split second, then shot the lock. The sound reverberating from the walls was barely audible among the gushing water and guns around the corner.
The door slid open, and I jumped inside before it closed again. I instantly raised my gun. It would have been a jump-out-of-my-seat moment, except for the fact that I was already on my feet. My pulse pounded in my ears as I swept the room with my weapon. There were no footsteps or anything else to signify that anyone else was there. I heaved another big sigh of relief and took a look around.
One entire wall was covered with control panels, and the only light was coming from the back of the room. I stared in horror at the rectangular capsules extending from the floor to the ceiling, each of them containing a person. Human hibernation pods? Are these the missing people from television? What’s going on here?
“Oh, Alexander,” I said. “Anyone who would do something like this is a monster. Mommy has to get you out of here.”
A lump formed at the back of my throat as I realized people really had been abducted off the streets for experiments. I took a step back, my entire body suddenly shaking. The door opened, and voices made me flinch. I took cover behind a large container, my ears straining to place the hard thuds. Footsteps approached, then retreated again, and then there came another voice. Someone was there, and I could only hope no one had seen me.
I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants as my heart skipped a beat. As much as I wanted to investigate further and to see if I could help, my curiosity would have to wait. The thought of my brain floating around in a specimen jar freaked me out big time, so being found wasn’t an option, but I didn’t know where to hide.
“We’ll check that room in a minute,” said a voice. “First, this one over here.”
I stuffed the gun in my pocket, careful not to make any noise, and hurried over to one of the empty capsules. The glass lid was open, so I slipped inside and closed it, leaving it ajar just a fraction of an inch, as I didn’t want to trap myself in any kind of Space Age tomb. The narrow space reminded me of a coffin. The air seemed stale, devoid of oxygen. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart, but I couldn’t quiet the sudden panic that threatened to overwhelm me. I took a deep breath, chanting over and over to myself that I wasn’t stuck. The key was to stay focused and avoid panicking, so I crossed my arms over my chest like the other captives and waited.
The door slid open, and voices and footsteps carried through the silence of the room.
I sucked in my breath as rivulets of sweat started to run down my spine. I could only hope I looked like the countless other sleeping humans.
“Look at the puddle of water,” said a voice. “They’ve been here.”
The water was a dead giveaway. Where’s a mop when you need one? I clenched my fists, hoping they wouldn’t figure out I’d climbed into an empty pod.
“They’re gone now,” a female voice said. “Move to the next room and find them quickly.”
I let out a tiny, silent breath. I hadn’t been discovered, and while it was a small victory, it was a good one nonetheless. Crackling like fire echoed around me. I craned my neck, but I couldn’t see beyond the vapors surrounding me. A smell that reminded me of laughing gas from the dentist’s office tickled my noise and made my eyes water. Before I could stop myself, I sneezed, the voice cutting through my eardrum like a knife.
“Sir, I think this one’s still awake,” said a female soldier.
They’ve spotted me! My heart thrummed in my chest.
<
br /> “Not for long.” A gloved hand appeared and shut the lid tight, trapping me in the confined space. “Dr. Larson just brought back five human test subjects. I bet his assistant slipped up again.”
“Good thing we spotted the human,” she said. “We can’t have our human test subjects wandering around in a daze.”
They didn’t know it was me. They thought I was one of the human test subjects. I suddenly realized I might actually be stuck in that claustrophobic capsule forever. My eyes fluttered wide open, and I lurched up. I hit the thick glass with my palms as three distorted figures turned their back on me and headed for the door. Quiet returned to the room, other than the sound of my own heart hammering like a drum in my ears. I had no idea how to get out of the death trap, but I felt around for a latch or something. The sides felt as smooth and cold as marble. I pounded on the glass with my fists and screamed, “Get me out of here!” Nothing stirred, no one came to my rescue, and I realized that no one could hear me.
Chapter 15
The strange light coming from the capsule bathed me, and I felt a sudden flow of energy surround me. My hands thumped against the glass until they throbbed. The smell of gas hung in the air, and wisps of glowing green mist floated above me. I coughed between jagged breaths and covered my nose and mouth with my stretched shirt. A strange sensation crept over my body. My palms, feet, and lips tingled; my eyelids felt heavy. I tried to move my arms and legs, but they felt like logs. The fog engulfed me, and my vision blurred. “I have to fight this!” I screamed to no one. My mind raced to find a way out, but I couldn’t think straight. Whatever happened, I knew I could not let myself pass out.
Locked in a glass capsule, I tried not to panic, but that seemed impossible with all the green fumes swirling all around me.
I coughed and wiped my burning eyes, then shuddered as I thought about my son, who was just as trapped as I was. Guilt overwhelmed me, and I pounded the glass until my fists burned and throbbed. The pain couldn’t even compare to what my heart felt at that moment. I wondered why fate insisted on bestowing that wonderful honor on me, on dragging me through all of the Ethano crap, only to fail.
Panic gripped me again as I held the collar of my shirt over my nose. I knew I needed to quiet my mind from all other thoughts and relax my entire body so I could stay calm enough to think.
I laughed at myself. “Right. I’m gonna relax when...” I broke off, coughing. “...when I can’t breathe.” I touched my stomach and told my son not to panic. My mind buzzed as a wave of tranquility washed over me.
I closed my eyes again. Keeping quiet didn’t mean I was giving up, yet I couldn’t stop thinking I shouldn’t go down without a fight. My mind absorbed the calm with deep breaths, slowly starting to feel at peace.
Find an anchor to settle your mind.
Victor popped into my head, and I thought about our mind-blowing kiss on our wedding day.
I peered around at the smooth walls, and an idea struck me. Why not shoot my way out? I realized that the gas was affecting my head, keeping me from thinking straight. Had I not been so disoriented, I would have already thought of it. I pulled the gun out of my pocket, hoping the capsule wasn’t bulletproof, and I pointed to the left and squeezed the trigger. A bright flash of red light absorbed into the glass, running the length of the capsule like bolts of lightning. I fired three more times. It didn’t seem to be working, but I hoped maybe the beams would weaken the glass. I fussed with the tiny buttons, hoping to turn up the power. I fired and fired until my fingers ached and my ears throbbed from the noise.
Hissing and crackling filled the air, like the sound of ice melting on a hot bed of coal. The capsule shook, and a dozen long cracks appeared over me. Covering my face with my sleeve, I kicked with all my might. On the third attempt, the glass shattered. I climbed out hastily, nearly falling over, as a wave of dizziness swept over me. My legs buckled under me, numb and tingling with pins and needles, but the cold floor felt good to the touch, slowly returning me to my senses. I drew a deep breath and coughed, for it had certainly been one of those too-close-for-comfort moments.
I stood and walked over to touch the glass on a capsule. A woman was lying inside it with her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes closed as if she were dead. Soft white light surrounded her, shining on her face and body like an aura. She looked just like an angel with her ruby-red lips, porcelain skin, and high cheekbones. Her long, sun-kissed, blonde hair flowed in waves over her shoulders, and she was dressed in a white dress with white heels. As I gazed at her, I realized she looked familiar. I placed my palm on the glass pod. “I’ll come back, Lynn, I swear. I’ll get help,” I choked out, vowing that I wouldn’t leave her to her fate, in spite of how cruel and critical she’d been to me at the theater.
Unable to leave just yet, I glanced up at all the pods, from ceiling to floor, peering at one face after another. They looked so tranquil, almost peacefully dead, and for a moment, I thought I was staring at corpses, but then I saw their chests rising slightly. I wasn’t sure how long they would live, but for the time being, they were breathing. I knew if I didn’t get going, we’d all meet again in the afterlife, sooner than any of us wanted to. I swallowed hard rehashing everything once again in my mind. I really didn’t want to leave Della or any of the other captives there, but I was pregnant, powerless, and without backup, so there was little I could do for them. I had to get out of there alive, and then I’d send help.
I closed my eyes briefly as I was struck with a vision. Della was only a corridor away, hiding behind a silver pillar tucked back in a nook. The vision ended as fast as it came, and again I wished I could control my gift of sight.
Scurrying down the corridor, I briskly walked ahead, but some movement to my left caught my attention. I looked up at the body that was hunched together behind a silver pillar. “Della!”
“Sarah,” she whispered, panting between breaths. “I was certain they captured you.”
“I found this room and...oh my gosh, Della, they’ve kidnapped so many people!” I said. “They’ve got them in these strange pods, like coffins, but they’re all still alive I think.” I stared at her for a moment, unable to comprehend how anyone could—reward or not—abduct people to hand them over for the sake of conducting cruel experiments, knowing full well the victims would suffer at the hands of the Immortals. I gripped her hands. “Are you ready? We have to get out of here and send help back to rescue these people.”
Her answer came in ragged breaths. “Yes.”
I wiped my eyes with my sleeve, then cleared my throat. “Good. Let’s go.”
We walked down the corridor and saw a few men carrying boxes.
“This is the last load,” one man said.
When we were out of hearing distance, I whispered to Della, “They’re still loading up supplies. That means the helicopter hasn’t left yet!”
“Let’s follow them!” she said.
I nodded.
We opened the door to the roof, allowing a burst of wind to whip through my hair. I blinked against the unnaturally bright light, my eyes slowly but surely regaining focus. My jaw dropped when I met the gaze of the Immortals I’d seen in the operating room. Luckily, they couldn’t see me, and I prayed the guise would hold up. The door to the helicopter was open, and they were stacking boxes inside it. Della gently pulled me past the Immortals, and we climbed into the helicopter and sneaked into the back.
My heart pounded. We were so close to escaping, but the voices outside were making me nervous. A vision struck, and I watched it play out before my very eyes.
I was on the roof, standing next to the others. The tall man motioned to the helicopter pilot to go ahead and leave. Then the vision focused on Della and me hiding. Della patted my hand, and I let out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, the vision took me back to the roof.
As the helicopter took off into the blue sky, I could hear the pilot talking into the radio. “Hey, I’ve got two women in this helicopter, and one’s bleeding profusely. I requ
est permission to land.”
“How did they get in the helicopter?” a deep voice said.
“Their powers returned,” somebody said.
“But they’re supposed to be powerless for at least a month,” a woman said.
“They’re not our kind, so the injection must have reacted differently in their bodies. Maybe it just wore off.”
“That would make them armed and dangerous,” the man said.
“Let’s just kill them,” the woman said.
“The pregnant Immortal is way too valuable.”
“We need to dispose of both. The brunette might have the compatible DNA we need, but she’s too unstable.”
“I can make it work,” the man argued.
“Dispose of the women,” a familiar voice ordered, the green-eyed doctor’s. “We need the men they came with, their husbands. I have no more use for these women. We’ve got enough data on Della and Sarah is dying anyway. What we need is healthy specimens. And both our test subjects are far from that.”
“I agree,” another woman said. “Della is all used up. There’s nothing more we can get from her. I already put in a request to have her euthanized next week. And what good is the other one when she’s dying?”
Droplets of sweat rolled down my face. I huddled behind the boxes, wondering how they were going to dispose of us. Della and I didn’t dare talk to each other, because we couldn’t risk being found out, even though my vision told me it was inevitable.
The radio crackled. “Do I have permission to land? Over.”
“Just take the ladies with you,” the doctor said.
“But, sir—”
The doctor talked into his walkie-talkie. “Escort them to your destination. We’ll have a medic waiting. We’re not an emergency room, and we don’t have the proper equipment to save the woman’s life. That’s why we put her on the helicopter with you.”
Eternal Faith - Book 4 (The Ruby Ring Saga) Page 15