فصل 40

Chapter 40: The Welcome

Once we were back inside the cool of the plant I asked Ian, “Where are they?” “They’re over that way,” Ian said, pointing toward the center of the building. “The trick is getting to them. This place is built like a rat’s maze.” “Fitting,” I said. “What are they doing?” “They’re near some breaker-looking things. I think they’re trying to figure out how to shut the grid down.” “It’s too late for that,” I said. “We’ve got to get out of here before they discover my mother’s gone.” Almost in answer to my words, the shrill scream of a siren sounded and yellow strobes began flashing in the hallways.

“Too late,” Jack said.

“Run!” Ian said.

With my mother in tow, we ran as fast as we could through the long, vacant corridors, winding our way toward our friends. The halls were covered with a metallic, slate-colored material and were lined with stainless steel water pipes about a foot in diameter, spaced six feet apart. We caught sight of the rest of our group in a long, dark hallway halfway from the plant’s entrance. Taylor was leading, with McKenna at her side providing light. They stopped when they saw us.

“Tay—” I started to say. Suddenly my head felt like it was caught in a clamp. All four of us dropped to our knees. Then Zeus shot Jack and me with electric bolts. Jack screamed out in pain, but the effect of the electricity on me was opposite. With renewed strength I took a deep breath and stood. Even Taylor’s scrambling was no longer able to affect me.

“It’s us!” I shouted.

“Stop!” Ostin shouted, raising his hands. “It’s Michael!” “Sorry!” Taylor said, clasping her hand over her mouth. “I’m so sorry I didn’t know it was you!” She ran to me. “And there are four of you.” “Taylor?” my mother said, taking off her helmet.

“Mrs. Vey!” Taylor said. “They found you.” “What are you doing here?”

“It’s a long story,” Taylor said.

“Your parents are going to kill me,” my mother said.

“Hi, Mrs. Vey,” Ostin said.

“You too, Ostin?”

“And a good thing too,” I said. “He’s saved us more than once.” Ostin grinned. “Just doing my job.”

Zeus walked over to Jack and put out his hand. “Dude, I’m so sorry.” “Really?” Jack said. “Again?”

“We thought you were guards,” he said anxiously.

Jack looked at him, then started to laugh. He took his hand. “I would have done the same thing.” Abigail walked up to Jack and hugged him. “I’m so glad you made it.” “Me too,” Jack said.

I counted the group. There were ten of us. Two were missing. “Where are Raúl and Tanner?” “Raúl took Tanner to the mechanical room,” Taylor said. “He was having trouble walking. He said if there’s trouble they’ll escape through the pipe.” “Where are we?” I asked.

“We’re right under the bowl,” Ostin said. “These pipes are all water mains to cool the grid.” “So how do we get out of here?” Zeus asked. “You can bet they’ve sealed off the compound. We’d never make it to the fence by car.” “I say we join Raúl at the escape pipe,” I said. I turned to Ian. “How do we get there?” “Three corridors down, on the left, there’s an air duct in the ceiling that leads back to the butchery.” “All right,” I said. “This way.”

Suddenly the flashing lights around us stopped. Then a voice boomed from overhead speakers, echoing down the hallway. “Michael Vey. So pleased you could join us.”