The others emerged from the cave on their bikes.
“We’re going to use the roof landing pad. But you guys should ditch your bikes a block or two out.” Bailen tossed them each a small object. “Put those tracking chips in your helmets. They should give you access to the building through the front door.” After they both obeyed, he asked, “Do you guys know your part of the plan?”
“Yes,” Peyton said. “We’ve been over it a billion times. Relax, Bailen.”
“Good. Whatever you do, don’t take those helmets off. Otherwise, the building will be able to detect your real tracker chips.”
Without a word, they put on their helmets and sped away.
“Where did you find those chips?” I stopped and shook my head, spinning around to face out the rear of the unicopter. “Never mind. I don’t think I want to know the answer to that, either.”
Deep down, I knew. Bailen was a tech nerd at heart, but his life had forced him to become a thief and a fighter. There was a lot of gray area. Myles proved that. I swallowed hard and reminded myself it was war. But that justification didn’t make me feel any better. Who were we to make important decisions for the world? If we did, were we no better than the authorities? The line was so blurry it was hard to know which side of it we were on.
The swooshing of the unicopter blades rumbling to life drew me from my thoughts. The vehicle rocked as it lifted off the ground, almost as if groaning and struggling under our weight. From a few feet up, the unicopter gave in and slammed to the ground. The engine cut out instantly and the blades slowed. I choked down stomach acid.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’ve got it. Just give me a sec,” Bailen said over the loudspeaker.
A tracking chip would have been nice, or at least a helmet. Not just for safety, but so I wasn’t so alienated from him. I felt like the prisoner I was impersonating. No rights, no freedom, no communication.
The engine whined to life a second time with a subtle whooshing sound. The blades spun, whipping my hair in all directions and sending wind pounding into my ears. The trees slowly sank below us as we climbed and flew toward the city.
On the outskirts of town, Bailen’s voice came over the speaker. “When we get close, I need you to put up a fight. You don’t have a functioning tracker, so there’s no way to subdue you.”
“Sure,” I yelled. It was all I could get out. My heart was pumping blood so fast that my veins started to throb. A giant lump welled in my throat. The spire of Global Tracking Systems stood out on the skyline against the standard rectangular skyrises. Its steel exterior reflected the city lights. The closer we came, the more I struggled to breathe. Maybe I wouldn’t have to resist. I’d be lucky if I didn’t pass out before we reached the landing pad.
The unicopter lowered onto the roof of Global Tracking Systems. Bailen cut the engine and the blades slowed. Showtime. I screamed and thrashed in my seat, flailing my cuffed arms in random directions.
Two uniformed agents approached as Bailen jumped from his seat and came around the side to unstrap me. I clocked him in the cheek and silently apologized.
“If you don’t stop thrashing, I’m going to knock you out,” Bailen said, his voice dripping with hate. The voice was so convincing, it shocked me into a frozen state.
“That’s better.” He pulled me down from the seat and pushed me toward the two agents.
“Hold it right there,” said the first agent. “Your landing code is expired.”
“Sorry. I was told considering what I’m bringing, it wouldn’t be a problem.” Bailen nodded toward me.
“What do we have here?” asked the first agent.
“Isn’t she a pretty thing?” said the second, eying me like a buffet.
“Get away from me!” I shrieked and kicked at them with both legs, but Bailen managed to pull me down to the ground. I collapsed to my knees.
“Careful, boys. She’s feisty.” Bailen laughed sarcastically. “A priority one fugitive.”
The first agent laughed as well. “Oh, we can handle her.”
“Yeah, no problem. We’ll have some fun with this one,” said the second.
“Sorry, but I’m under strict orders from Scurry to personally escort her. You understand?” Bailen said, his voice wavering ever-so-slightly. I’d never heard him sound unsure.
The two agents’ faces drew tight in disbelief.
“Who authorized this? No uniformed authority has that kind of clearance,” said one agent.
“And with an expired landing code?” asked the second agent. “You’re going to have to visit personnel and get everything sorted out. Leave the girl with me.”
“Well, this is way above your pay grade,” Bailen said.
The second agent eyed me, then Bailen, as if trying to peer through his blackened visor. “I’m going to have to call it in.”
My heart jumped into my throat.
“That won’t be necessary…”
The first agent stared directly at Bailen’s visor, as if he could see right through his helmet. “No, I insist.”
Thirty-Five
Bailen jumped over me and knocked the bands from my wrists. They hit the ground with a clang. He launched himself at the agent on the left.
The one on the right charged me. I kicked and my foot slammed into the agent’s kneecap. His leg buckled, and he crumpled to the ground, screaming in pain. Bailen pulled a knife from his belt and slit the first agent’s throat then turned and did the same to the second.
I turned from the sight, breathing heavily. My stomach churned as bile crawled up my throat.
A hand squeezed my shoulder. “You okay?”
I shook my head, still trying to catch my breath.
He reached for me, but I stepped away.
“I didn’t have a choice. You understand?”
I heard his words, but they weren’t making sense, like he was speaking gibberish. I’d known that other part of him had existed, but I’d never wanted to see it, to acknowledge it. Now that it was right in front of me, I didn’t have a choice.
“They already alerted the others. We have to go,” he said.
Despite his words, I couldn’t move. He picked up the cuffs and held them out. “Sorry, but I have to put these back on.”
Without saying a word, I thrust out my shaking hands. He fastened them on loosely and grabbed my arm, leading me toward the roof access door.
“Nice kick, by the way.” His voice dripped with concern.
“Thanks,” was the only word I could manage.
Bailen raced to the stairwell door, which clicked as he reached for the handle. The chip inside his helmet must have had access to the building. I hung close to Bailen as we crept down numerous flights of stairs. If it weren’t for the large, black numbers marking the floor levels, I would have lost count a long time ago. When we hit the thirty-third floor, Bailen stopped.
“What do you mean you can’t get in?” he whispered. After a slight pause, he said, “Do what you can and hurry! We need you guys.”
He pulled me down the next thirteen flights of stairs so quickly, I tripped and would have toppled down the stairs if Bailen hadn’t caught me.
“What’s going on?” I asked after catching my breath.
“Peyton and the others have restricted access chips. I can’t do anything to help them from here. They’re going to have to sneak in, which means we need to hurry in case we have to help them.”
“Great, more complications.”
“You have no idea.” He pushed open the door to the twentieth floor and peered into the hallway. I peeked over his shoulder. A single light from the security camera at the end of the hall illuminated the shadows dancing across the walls of the otherwise silent floor. We stepped into the hall, then ducked into a utility closet one room over. An authority guard rounded the corner as I closed the door with a soft click.
“Now what?”
Bailen pulled off his helmet. “This i
s the fun part.” A slight hesitation betrayed the amount of fun it would actually be. “You won’t be needing these anymore.” He pulled the cuffs off and tossed them aside. He pointed to a small grate in the ceiling.
“You and your sister have a thing for tight spaces. I’m glad I’m not claustrophobic.”
“The tight space will be the least of your worries when you see what we have to do.”
“Care to clue me in?”
“Yeah, as soon as you get that grate off.” He held out his cupped hands.
I stepped into them, and he hoisted me up. I pried the grate free. It came loose a lot easier than the one from my rescue.
“Push me up,” I called down to Bailen, but he lowered me instead. He removed several items from his belt and shoved them into his jacket pockets. Other items he tossed aside. His gear hugged him a lot tighter now. “What are you doing?”
“That duct is laser tracked, in a rotating sequence.” He pulled a slip of paper from his jacket and unfolded it. “Memorize that pattern. We’ll have to time our movements to match it.”
I gulped. Things were getting worse by the minute. I wished I’d known what I was walking into. “What happens if one of us trips one of those lasers?”
“You don’t want to know.” His face pulled tight as if he were trying to hide his fear.
“I know, but I’m asking anyway.” Even though I was pretty sure the answer involved some kind of unpleasant death or maiming.
“Those lasers trigger a silent ten-second countdown that explodes the entire duct.”
I trembled. It was an impossible mission. Finding my voice, I said, “Okay, avoid the lasers. Got it.” I swallowed hard. I could do it. Just take it nice and slow. “How long between laser settings on the pattern?”
“Five seconds.”
“You can’t be serious!”
“I know you can do it,” he said, but his voice shook, betraying him.
It was insane—no, worse than insane; it was suicide. I reviewed the sequence again, making sure I committed it to memory. If I forgot one thing in the ten-step sequence… Kaboom.
“You want to go first, or should I?” Bailen asked.
“I’ll go first,” I said without hesitation. The faster I entered that duct, the faster I exited.
Bailen hoisted me up. I grabbed the edges and noticed the sequencing lasers dancing through the duct. Every five seconds, the laser pattern blinked out briefly. When the lines flicked back on, they had shifted down to the next section of the duct. A new pattern appeared in front of me with each shift. My stomach knotted. One wrong move and we would be splattered all over the place like a piece of abstract art.
“I’ll count you through it,” he called up to me.
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see my head, and dragged myself inside.
“What pattern is it on?” he asked from below.
“Five… now six.” As soon as I finished, he quietly counted out the seconds.
“When it gets to one, I want you to move through the sequence. Every five seconds, move forward with the blank space.”
“Okay,” was all I could manage to choke out. The sequence was back around at four. I counted the seconds between shifts. Sure enough, every five seconds.
When the tenth sequence appeared, Bailen counted to four then said, “Go.”
I froze. Sweat beaded on my forehead and dripped down the bridge of my nose. I wiped it away with a shaky hand, then watched the dancing lasers. The sequence had passed by the first pattern. I’d missed my window.
“Kaya, you can’t hesitate. Once you go, you have to keep moving. Got it?”
“Yeah, I just…” But I couldn’t finish the sentence. It didn’t matter if I could or couldn’t do it, I had to.
The sequence cycled through a couple more times. At pattern eight, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again. Pattern nine flashed out of existence briefly then made way for pattern ten. I counted to five then pulled myself forward into the pocket between the laser patterns. I counted to five again. When the lasers blinked, I moved. I continued at that pace, only focused on counting and moving.
“You’re doing great. You’re almost there.” Bailen’s voice nearly distracted me from my next move.
When did he get in here? But it didn’t matter. Move, Kaya, I told myself then continued counting. Move. A five-count. Move. Another five-count. Move. I kept pushing forward until I saw the grate ahead. That must have been it, but I didn’t dare stop to ask. As I moved closer to the grate, I watched the lasers dance over it.
“Bailen,” I called, using his name as the first number in my five count.
“Yeah?”
“That grate”—three, four, five, move!—“must be open in five”—MOVE!—“seconds?” Two, three, four, five, move!
“Yep, you got this.”
Two more moves and I was on the grate. One, two, three, four, five. MOVE! One, two, three, four, five. At the grate, I shoved the heel of my hand into it, but it didn’t budge. I did it a second and third time and then the lasers were on me. Blood froze in my veins. My head throbbed. Time stopped.
“Bailen, the alarm.”
I kicked the grate with all my strength, and it gave way. I hit the ground so hard, all the air rushed from my lungs. Pain shot through my midsection. I gasped and whipped around to face the empty hole in the ceiling. Please make it. Please.
I had no idea how many seconds had passed. It felt like an eternity.
A long rumble tore through the metal ventilation. But still no Bailen. A brief silence persisted before a deafening roar.
“Bailen!”
A cloud of smoke billowed from the vent.
Thirty-Six
A dark body fell from the opening, followed by chunks of drywall, metal, and flames. He landed on the floor next to me. A second, louder explosion boomed. I rolled on top of Bailen as more debris flew around us. Not again. In my mind, I was back in that stockroom with Jake.
When my ears stopped ringing, I shoved Bailen aside and inspected him. His left pant leg was on fire. I rolled him over and used the bottom of my shirt to smother the flames.
He wasn’t moving.
Please be okay. Please, please, please. Oh gosh, what have I done? Finally, he let out a soft groan, and his eyes fluttered. His curious expression said he’d be okay, but the scratches on his cheek, neck, and arms stood out more. Every injury. Every mark.
“Are you okay?” he choked out.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”
“I’m fine. Just some cuts, scrapes, and minor burns. Nothing serious.”
“Are you sure?” I searched him up and down for additional wounds. Spun him around and checked his back, too. I ran my hands over his stomach. I couldn’t lose him, not the same way I lost Jake. Thankfully, Bailen didn’t flinch.
“Yeah,” he said, grabbing my hands and kissing them. “We have to go. I’m sure they will be on us any minute.”
I inspected him up and down again to make sure he really was okay. He grabbed my cheeks and forced me to lock eyes with him. “I’m fine. I promise.”
Those words said far more than their meaning on the surface. It was his quiet way of reassuring me it wasn’t going to end like last time. A quick peck on the lips told me he meant it.
Standing up, Bailen offered me a hand and pulled me from the floor. I winced as a pain shot through my side.
“What is it?” He stepped toward me with his brow furrowed.
“I’m fine.” I shooed him forward. When he turned away, I slid my hand under my T-shirt and winced as my fingers grazed a sore spot. My hand returned streaked with red. I shoved my hand into my pocket in an effort to wipe the blood off. I couldn’t let Bailen see. If he knew I was hurt, he’d never let me help him.
I stumbled behind him before I found my footing. We rounded a corner and stopped in front of solid wood door adorned by a gold plaque with the initials R. S. etched into it. I ran my fingers over the letters. A shud
der ran down my spine as the door clicked open. Bailen’s devilish grin returned. Once a tech nerd, always a tech nerd. I shook my head and stepped inside.
Rufus Scurry’s private office.
A single lamp lit a giant L-shaped desk that filled only a small portion of the enormous room. Large glass cases packed with awards and trophies lined two of the walls. A third wall contained images of Rufus Scurry at various ceremonies and exotic places. The final wall was a giant window that ran the entire length of the room.
The city outside seemed so quiet. Not a single car or unicopter. I leaned against it, expecting to feel cool glass against my skin, but it wasn’t glass at all, merely some kind of elaborate projection that made the view seem like a glass window. Of course Scurry’s office didn’t peer onto the real city. Just like the tracker, only see what one has chosen to see.
The sheer beauty of the office and its fake view wasn’t fooling anyone. If only the sun could leak through those photos and brighten our haunted souls.
“This way. We don’t have much time.”
Bailen pulled me over to one of the glass cases. He stopped to remove a flat, metallic device from one of his vest pockets then affixed it to the case. After stringing wires to the device, he hooked them to a small box. Green numbers flashed across the screen until each one locked into place. 82021920.
The case hissed before it slid forward and swung open. A dark hallway extended out in front of us.
“Okay, now that’s pretty cool. But how did you know this was here?”
“We had an inside man, remember?”
“My dad?”
“Yep.”
How long had it taken him to amass that much information? The schematics, the intimate knowledge of Scurry’s office, the loophole in my tracker? And all the while evading the authorities and Scurry himself.
Bailen laced his fingers through mine and led me through the opening. The case closed behind us with a quiet click.
A soft hum surrounded us as we entered a dimly lit room filled with rows of floor-to-ceiling machines. The blinking red and green lights formed a signal warning us away.
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