* * *
The alarm blared deafeningly, jolting Steven into motion.
This is it, he thought, his heart hammering. For a moment, he was completely disoriented, but only for a moment. Paul needed him. He turned and ran as fast as he could back to the safe room.
He passed Parker’s room and saw Nate standing in the doorway. He gave him a brief nod and raced past.
Inside the safe room, he wasted no time. He grabbed the handset off the wall and yelled, “Hello?”
Had Paul and Parker gotten out of their room? He hoped so.
“Hello?” he yelled again. “This is Steven! Is anybody there? Hello?”
“Steven,” replied a calm, female voice.
“Who is this? I need Dr. Abrams! I need him immediately!”
“Steven, this is Natasha. You need to get topside immediately. Go straight to the welcome office as quickly as you can. Do not stop for anything. Go now.”
Natasha spoke unhurriedly, a strange contrast to the mayhem of the alarms.
“I don’t understand,” he protested. “What about Paul?”
“Go now!” Natasha’s voice finally held a sense of urgency.
With a huff of frustration, Steven slammed the receiver back into its cradle and left the room.
Out in the hallway, Sentinels from both sides were eyeing each other suspiciously. Steven knew it would only be moments before something happened. The tension in the air was too thick for it not to.
He and Rex briefly locked eyes. Rex’s upper lip twitched. Steven would have liked nothing more than to put an end to their feud, once and for all, but he had orders. Paul trusted Natasha, and Steven trusted Paul. He sprinted for the exit, moving so quickly that no one on either side had any chance to react.
Steven took the stairs two at a time and burst onto the main level without slowing. He reached the welcome office in seconds, throwing himself against the door and exploding into the room.
A frightened shriek brought him up short, the sound as familiar to him as his own voice.
“Stephanie?” he asked incredulously.
“Oh thank God!” Stephanie flung herself into his arms. “I was so scared! What is going on? Why are these alarms going off?”
Steven disentangled himself from her and held her at arm’s length, trying to understand how she could be there. Of all times, why now?
“We have to get you out of here.” He grabbed Stephanie’s arm and pulled her toward the door. “Once I get you outside, I can’t stay with you. You’ll just have to go on foot for now. But run. If anyone except me or Paul comes for you, hide. You hear me?”
“Steven!” Stephanie wrenched her arm from his grip. “I can’t go! You have to take me to Paul!”
“What? Why?”
“They didn’t say. But the doctor and the woman said to tell you to take me straight to Paul.”
Watchers of the Night Page 64
