by Sonia Harper
Her mind raced to the thousands of eggs that were pressed together on that factory floor. At any given moment, any number of them could hatch. Going by the size of that room, it was no giant leap to assume that there could possibly be hundreds, if not thousands, of guardians right here in this one building.
Five daemons.
Hundreds of guardians.
"Shit," she cursed out loud. She didn't have anything on her. There was no way to warn them of the danger. She had to get out of the factory and back to the Manor before they came looking for her.
Heart pounding, she raced up the stairs to the third floor, her hands fumbling around with the key ring. She tried four keys before one of them slid easily into the lock and opened the door to the hallway. Keeping her breath even, she walked quickly down the empty hallway, relieved that Erik had sent the guardian away from the room.
She tried to open the door to the office but was surprised to find it locked. Going through the keyring again, she had to try five keys this time before she found the right one. Making her way inside, she firmly shut the door behind her and started pacing in the room, trying to think of a plan.
It was nearly dawn, which would make an escape much easier because the guardians couldn't follow her out. She reached up and bit the skin on the side of her thumb nervously.
Then again, she had no clue how many humans were in the building at the moment. Erik had said something about a meeting and a computer. No doubt the assistant was at the meeting with the Council, but it must have been over a video conference to involve a computer. So far, that accounted for two confirmed people in the building, but again, there was no way of knowing for sure.
Running a hand over her hair, she paused and closed her eyes, trying to still her body as her mind continued to race. She needed to escape. It was the most opportune time, considering Erik was occupied.
She knew that she had to leave, but she felt as though she needed something more to bring back to the Manor. The information that she had received from Erik was valuable, and no doubt useful, but there had to be something else, something...
Her eyes flew open as she jerked her body around to stare at the filing cabinet. That book, she thought as she took several steps toward the black cabinet, her fingers already searching the keyring for a smaller key that would fit into the cabinet.
Heart racing, she fervently hoped that Erik's time with the Council took a while. Finding the right key, she quickly unlocked the drawer that Erik had placed the book into. She peered inside and found that it was the only item in the drawer. Reaching in, she lifted the book out and shut the drawer. Reaching into her waistband, she pulled out the pen Pytho had given her and instead tucked it into her bra. Lifting her shirt, she pulled the book under her shirt and pressed the bottom of the book into the tight waistband of her pants. She pulled her shirt over the top of the book and stared at the ridiculous rectangular-shaped object under her shirt.
"Okay, so, not quite as hidden as I had hoped," she grumbled as she pulled the shirt down further. It would have to do, she thought. It left her hands free in case she needed them.
As she races to the door, a sudden thought made her turn back around and lift the key to open another drawer. Peering inside, she flipped through a few files that were thrown carelessly into the drawer. Deciding it wasn't worth the precious time to look, she closed the top drawer and reached for the final drawer on the bottom.
She frowned as the drawer opened to reveal a small white cooler. Tossing her head around to check on the closed door, she reached inside and pulled the cooler out. Black letters caught her eye, and she examined the front of the plastic cooler.
"Batch 287," she read aloud from the hand-written label on a piece of tape. Cautiously, she set the cooler on the ground and gently lifted the lid. Inside she found a small cardboard box with a carelessly folded piece of paper on top.
Lifting the paper, she quickly scanned its contents.
"Found to be twenty per cent less effective than the previous formula. Recommend destroying contents," she whispered. Heart racing, she ripped open the flaps of the cardboard boxes, hoping that she had found the healing serum that Erik had mentioned earlier.
A strange sound of excitement burst from her lips as her fingers closed in on a syringe. There were about ten in the entire box. Excitedly grabbing the small box easily with one hand, she lifted it and kicked the cooler away as she stood.
Now she needed to find a way out.
She ran to the door and opened it, peeking her head quickly into the hallway to make sure it was empty. Confirming that it was, she glanced down the hallway. The stairwell at the end took her to the factory floor, which was on the ground floor. Although the thought of going near those eggs again made her shudder, she knew that any chance of finding an exit was through the factory floor.
Running as fast as she could, she threw one hand around the book as it started to shift up and out of her waistband, the movement of her body forcing it out. Cursing, she shoved the small cardboard box under her shirt as well, right next to the book. Keeping one arm firmly pressed against both items, she threw her other arm out and opened the door to the stairwell. Racing down the stairs as fast as she could, she tried to keep her shaking legs steady as she manoeuvred down the winding staircase, passing the second floor and practically throwing herself down the last few steps to the ground floor.
She opened the door to the factory floor without hesitation and strode in, eyes darting all around her to make sure that Erik and his assistant hadn't returned. She rounded the boiler and tried not to look at the giant cluster of eggs. Quickly scanning the walls around her, she looked past the four boilers and spotted a door with a broken exit sign unlit above it.
Relieved, she started to run toward it, the boilers on one side of her and the eggs on the other. Her eyes started to tunnel around the door as she grew near.
Just as she passed the final boiler, her legs froze and her eyes widened. Her brain slowly made the connection.
Boilers on one side. Eggs on the other.
Old, dangerous boilers on one side. Unhatched guardian eggs on the other.
Ticking time bombs. Delicate and defenceless army of soldiers.
She protested with herself as her feet slowly turned towards the last boiler. Her feet brought her to the front of the ladder that led to a platform on top of the boiler. She didn't have time for this. They could walk in on her any minute now. Once they found out she was working with the daemons, they would kill her.
Her protests were silenced as she glanced over and saw another grotesque mass of flesh bob toward the edge of an eggshell, perfectly complacent in its embryonic form. There was an army sitting right here in the room with her. If she didn't do something about it now, they would only come after her later. Whether they found out now or in a few hours from now that she was working with the daemons made no difference. She had to give a preemptive strike to try and even the odds.
She pulled out the book and the box from her shirt, placing them carefully on the floor. She ran around the back of the boiler, searching for anything that she could use to sabotage the boiler.
She knew what these types of boilers were capable of; a few years ago, the newsroom was all abuzz about an explosion at a factory in another area.
Her boss had wanted the newspaper to run an article about the dangers of steam boilers, but of course, Adelyn was never considered for the write-up. Instead, she was assigned to do research on the topic to assist the reporter with the article.
Thankful now for all the crap assignments the newspaper had given her over the years, she finally spotted something in the small space between the boiler and the wall.
Squeezing her hand behind the boiler, she picked up an old, rusted crowbar and dusted off the spider webs and dirt. It would have to do.
Oddly calmer than she was a few minutes ago, Adelyn held the crowbar under her arm while she climbed the short ladder to the platform on top of the boiler. Quickly runni
ng her eyes over the various pipes on top, she located the safety valve and licked her lips.
Taking a deep breath, she lifted the crowbar over her head and brought it down as hard as she could. The cap of the safety valve depressed slightly, and she continued to beat down on it until the metal cap was wedged and warped into the pipe below it. Satisfied that the safety valve would no longer be able to open, she quickly raced down the ladder and ran to the second boiler, repeating the process.
Sweat dripped down her face as she moved to the third. She was running out of time. There was no way that Erik's meeting was going to last much longer. After beating down the cap on the third, she decided to skip the fourth when the thought of someone coming around the corner sent her mind into a panic.
Or worse, she thought. One of those eggs could hatch.
Shuddering, she dropped the crowbar behind the boiler once she had jumped off the ladder. She reached for the controls on the side of the boiler. Increasing the temperature of the furnace and decreasing the water supply, she raced to do the same on the second and the first.
"Oh god, oh god, oh god," she repeated as she finished adjusting the final boiler. Once the water levels reached a certain point, the pressure and the temperature of the boiler would cause it to explode. She ran back to the book and the cardboard box, fumbling as she tried to pick them up quickly. The box hit her hand the wrong way and it spilt, syringes flying across the floor.
"Shit, shit, shit," she repeated mindlessly as she scrambled to pick them up and put them back into the box. She knew that it would be a while before the water level in the boiler would reach dangerous levels, but she still wanted to get as far away from the building as she could. Forcing the last syringe into the box, she took off toward the exit door, her heart pounding in her ears. Her lungs started to burn from the heat in the room and her frantic breathing.
Slamming into the door, she nearly cried as the morning sun greeted her, flashing pleasantly at her from across the empty field in front of her. The door slammed shut behind her.
"Oh thank god," she moaned as she finally caught her bearings. She was at the back of the factory, which meant that she had to make her way around to the front to follow the road back into the city.
Legs moving as fast as she could, she rounded the factory corner and took off down the side of the building, her shoes crunching over gravel as the grass gave way to the worn path alongside the factory. She reached the final corner and turned, reaching pavement as she started to run across the parking lot that sat in front of the factory building.
Her eyes widened as she spotted three cars near the entrance to the factory. Amongst the cars sat a silver-coloured luxury car.
"Yes!" She exclaimed as she adjusted her course toward the car.
Erik's car, she thought to herself. She had seen it when he delivered the food to the manor. He leased a new car every year, and judging by the style, this was most certainly his personal car.
Her heart leapt as she remembered that the arrogant idiot always left his keys in the car. She remembered countless rants from Kate about how Erik left his keys in the glove box wherever they went, insisting that nobody would dare steal his car from right under his nose. Kate was furious when he tried to do the same to her keys whenever they took her car anywhere.
She threw herself forward and released one hand from the items clutched close to her chest. A shaky hand closed around the handle as she opened the door and threw herself into the driver's seat, locking the door behind her and throwing the items on the seat next to her.
"Shit, shit, shit," she repeated over and over as she reached inside the glove box and tore through it, gasping when her fingers closed over the keys. Yanking them out, she shrieked as a loud banging noise erupted on the window.
Adelyn's eyes widened and her heart stopped as she watched Erik beat his fists on the window, shouting angrily at her through the glass.
Jamming the keys into the ignition and starting the engine, she quickly put the car in reverse and backed out of the spot, watching Erik as he frantically threw himself after the car, trying to grab onto the hood. Throwing the car out of reverse, she forced the car forward, shrieking once again as she narrowly clipped Erik in the side as she tried to manoeuvre around him. He fell to the ground, but she pressed on, her foot slamming the gas pedal all the way to the ground.
The car flew out of the parking lot, and she swerved onto the main road, ignoring stop signs as she tried to put distance between herself and the factory. She adjusted the rear-view mirror to see if any cars were following her. Relieved to see that there were none, her eyes focused on the road once more before a loud boom shook the car and she slammed on the brakes instinctively, eyes glued to the rear-view mirror in shock.
Black smoke shot out of the side of the factory, and all of the windows that covered the front of the building were either completely blown out or cracked and falling out.
"Oh my god, it worked," she whispered to herself, watching the smoke as it climbed higher into the air.
"Shit," she shook herself out of the distraction and pressed the gas, hurdling the car forward as fast as she could. Once she got closer to the city, she would be forced to slow down, she realized. Getting pulled over with a stolen car and a box full of syringes probably wasn't the best idea.
Mapping her route out carefully in her head to avoid the early morning city traffic, she hoped that she would reach the Manor as quickly as she could. She had no doubt that Erik would immediately send over as many guardians as he could in retaliation, daylight hours be damned. He was definitely not the type to take being fooled and beaten lying down.
Relieved once she entered the edge of the city, she slowed down to the speed limit and checked the time on the car's display — nine hours since she had left.
Not bad considering she coaxed their plans out of Erik, broke in, stole a few things, and blew up half of the factory. Hopefully, the explosion took down most, if not all, of those eggs with it.
Investigative journalism be damned, she grinned. She could get used to this sort of action.
Chapter Fifteen
Adelyn sped up the long road to the Manor, passing through the gates as they opened in time with her approach. She whipped around the large fountain that stood in the centre of the circular driveway and parked as close to the front door as she could.
Without bothering to turn off the engine, she grabbed the book and the box from the passenger seat and threw the driver's side door open. She exited the car as fast as she could and ran toward the Manor, leaving the car door wide open.
Her eye caught movement, and she watched as the front door of the Manor quickly opened. Gregory strode out of the door, quickly jogging down the steps toward her. His mouth was set into a grim line as his eyes darted between Adelyn and the car.
"I stole this from-"
"I'll dispose of it," he cut her off briskly, throwing his arm out to point to the open Manor door as he quickly made his way over to the car. "Get inside now."
Her stomach dropped to the floor at his tone of voice. Did she do something wrong by bringing the car here? Did he somehow know if the car was being tracked, just as she was?
"Gregory," she began.
"Don't worry," he called out to her as he slid easily into the driver's seat and adjusted the seat so that his long legs would fit. "Get inside!" He shouted as he slammed the door shut and started to drive away.
She nodded and ran towards the door, climbing the stairs and stepping inside the Manor as Gregory sped off in Erik's car down the long driveway towards the gate. With her arms full, she turned around and pushed against the heavy door with her shoulder until it creaked shut.
She turned around and felt her body jerk in surprise. The entire contents of both the parlour and the sitting room appeared to have been strewn across the main entryway. Everything was in shambles, she noticed in shock as she carefully stepped over broken pieces of furniture. She winced at the state of the antique couch from the
parlour. Both the upholstery and the ornate wood had succumbed to a guardian's claws, the stuffing spilling out like blood onto the floor below it.
Speaking of blood, she thought as her eyes caught the stains on the walls. She fervently hoped that none of it was from a daemon. The state of the Manor was much worse than it had been after the first attack, which led her to believe that Erik had sent more guardians this time than he had during the previous attempt to recover her.
A loud crash caught her attention, and she refocused on her attempt to wade through the sea of destruction.
"Hello?" She called out as she finally made it into the long stretch of the main hallway that ran between the east and west wings of the Manor.
Another loud crash answered her, and she turned her head to look down the west hallway. It sounded as if it came from the formal dining room, she realized as she made her way down the hallway. Unobstructed by furniture or broken glass, she approached the dining room door to see that it was cracked open slightly. She hesitantly inched her fingers away from the items in her grasp to push the door open further.
Cain's back was turned to her as he picked up a porcelain vase off of a tea cart and hurled it at the wall opposite the door. It shattered into a million pieces upon impact. The dining table had already been turned over and shoved to the side of the room, the tablecloth trapped underneath it, and the decorative centrepiece was crushed in the corner of the room.
Adelyn's eyes widened in horror as Cain immediately turned and practically overturned the tea cart in a desperate attempt to pick up something else to throw. His hands closed over a teacup, and he threw it as hard as he could at the wall, screaming in anger as he did so.
"Hey!" She snapped instinctively, annoyance bubbling over at the thought of one more beautiful antique in this house being needlessly destroyed. She took a step forward. "Is this really necessary?"
Cain's fingers closed over the accompanying saucer and turned around, pitching the porcelain at the wall next to her head. Granted, the point of impact was about five feet away from where she was standing, but it still pissed her off nonetheless.
