فصل 42

Chapter 42: The Weekend Express

It took us only a few minutes to crawl to the mechanical room, though we had to stop once when a troop of guards ran underneath one of the vents. Wade was ahead of us dragging Zeus, who was still barely conscious. He was the first to reach the vent opening above the mechanical room.

“That’s it!” Ian shouted to him. “It’s clear below. Just Raúl and Tanner!” Wade pulled off the vent cover. “Hey, guys! It’s us!” he shouted. Then he climbed out, dropping to the concrete floor. Ian helped lower Zeus and Abigail down to Wade and Raúl, then climbed down himself.

Taylor jumped down without anyone’s help—it was easy for a cheerleader—then Jack helped lower my mother, and then climbed out of the vent, lowering himself down slowly. McKenna and I were the last ones out. As I looked around, I saw that Raúl was standing next to the open pipe. Tanner was curled up near the lockers, his shirt pulled over his head.

“Where’s the guard we left in there?” Jack asked Raúl.

Raúl said something to Ostin, who translated. “The guards can be executed for going AWOL, so he’s probably running for his life,” Ostin said.

I put a hand on my mom’s arm. “I know it’s crazy, but hang in there. We’re going to get home again.” My mother forced a smile. “I know we are. I’m so proud of you, Michael. Your father would be proud of the man you’ve become.” Her words had a powerful impact on me—powerful enough that I had no idea how to reply. “Thanks,” I finally said. “Now let’s get out of here.” I turned back to the group. “McKenna, you go first so you can light the way.” She looked nervously down into the pipe.

“Is something wrong?” Ostin asked.

“I’m just a little claustrophobic.”

“Just look straight ahead,” Ostin said. “And think of feathers.” “Feathers?”

“Something soft and relaxing. It will help.”

McKenna smiled at him. “Feathers. Thanks.” She climbed in.

Next in was Jack, who was carrying Zeus, with Abigail following closely behind, keeping a hand on him always. Raúl, Wade, my mother, Taylor, and Tanner went next.

When she was in the pipe Taylor turned back to me. “Come on.” “Go on,” I said. “I’ll be right there.”

She looked at me nervously but obeyed, leaving just Ian, Ostin, and me. Ian went next. As he was climbing in we heard a short burst of machine gun fire.

“Ian,” I said. “How close are they?”

“They’re entering the butchery.”

His words filled me with fear. We’d run out of time.

“Go!” I shouted. “They need you to make sure it’s safe at the other end.” Ian dropped out of sight, and Ostin climbed into the pipe. He slid down the side, then said, “Come on, Michael.” “We’re not going to make it,” I said.

“What do you mean? We’re almost out.”

“They could be here any second. The guards know about the pipe. If we just disappear, they’re going to figure it out. Then all they need to do is throw a grenade down the pipe or wait at the other end to catch us. We need time. We need to keep them looking.” Ostin looked at me with an anxious expression. “I don’t like where this is going,” he said. “What are you thinking?” “Anacondas,” I said. “Hatch wants me. If he follows me, everyone else can get out. Taylor’s got the GPS, she can get you to the pickup point. ” “You can’t do this,” Ostin said. “If we need a distraction it should be me.” “Hatch doesn’t care about you.”

Ostin stared at me blankly. There was another burst of machine gun fire, closer this time.

“We don’t have time to debate this. You know I’m right.” “They’ll catch you.”

“Think, Ostin. It’s the logical choice. This way everyone else gets out and I still have a chance.” “Dude . . .”

“You know it’s the logical thing! Now get out of here. I’m locking the pipe behind you, so there’s no turning back. I’ll lose the guards, then I’ll join you.” “But you don’t know where we’re going.”

“Remember plan B. Find me in Cuzco.”

There was a crash just outside the door. My heart froze. “Go! Now!” Ostin looked at me one last time, and his eyes watered. “Don’t get caught!” “I don’t plan to. Go!”

Ostin disappeared down into the pipe, the last of McKenna’s light just barely visible behind him. I capped the lid and locked it. Then I pushed some crates around the pipe and laid a chain over its cap. I figured that if one of the guards was familiar with the pipe, he would think we couldn’t have escaped through it.

I gathered grenades from the locker—three concussion and two smoke grenades—then I put my ear to the door. The guards were close, but as far as I could tell, they hadn’t entered the refrigeration room yet. I pulled the pins from both a smoke and a concussion grenade, threw them into the refrigeration room, then locked the mechanical room door.

The concussion grenade exploded with a loud boom. A minute later I heard the guards enter the refrigeration room, their heavy boots clomping on the concrete floor. As their footsteps came closer to the mechanical room, I hid behind a stack of boxes next to an air duct. When someone tried the door, I pulled down my visor, then set off a smoke grenade, filling the room with smoke.

Just seconds later there was a loud blast as the door blew in. The guards shouted as they blindly stormed the smoke-filled room. I stood up and joined the chaos, my visor pulled down over my face.

“Where are they?” someone shouted.

I pointed up toward the vent. “Look.”

A guard shouted, “They’re in the air shaft!”

“We’ll flush them out,” the captain said. He lifted a communicator from a strap on his chest. “Targets are in the air ducts. I repeat, targets are in the air ducts. Position guards at all vents. We’ll hold at east corridor and send a deuce in.” He replaced the communicator, then pulled out an electronic tablet, summoning up a complete diagram of the Starxource duct system. “Schulz, Berman, go after them. You are only cleared to use RESATs. We’re too close to the bowl for guns.” “Yes, sir,” the two guards said almost in unison. The first guard stepped on the crate, then jumped up, grabbing both sides of the vent. He lifted himself up with the dexterity of a gymnast. As the second guard stepped up on the crate, the captain said, “Wait.” He took from his utility belt a handheld device that resembled a television remote. “Track them with this.” He turned it on and the machine immediately started to scream. The captain looked at the reading, then back up with a bewildered expression. He slowly panned the machine the length of the ceiling, then down across the room, stopping at me. For a moment we both stared at each other.

“Gentlemen,” he said, replacing the device in his belt, “the chase is over.” He pulled his helmet off and smiled at me. “Finally we meet, Mr. Vey.” I produced a lightning ball in each hand and simultaneously threw them in the faces of the guards closest to me, dropping them both to the ground. Then I lunged at the captain as he reached for his RESAT.

I never made it. Two darts hit me in the back, followed by a third, taking my breath away. As I dropped to my knees, three more darts hit me. I think it was three. At least that’s as many as I could remember before blacking out.