Darkness Rising 03 - The Rising by Kelley Armstrong

Author:Kelley Armstrong [Armstrong, Kelley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2013-07-06T02:54:49+00:00

TWENTY-EIGHT

I SLIPPED INTO THE hall. I looked both ways and listened. I even inhaled, although I wasn’t sure how much good that would do. There was nothing. A still and silent house.

I didn’t do more than glance at the stairs. Yes, that was the way out, but I wasn’t running off and leaving everyone else. Rafe said his door was the third down from mine. I crept to it and tried the handle. It was locked, of course.

When I twisted the knob, I heard a thump inside. Then the scratch of nails against the wood floor.

“Kenjii?” I whispered.

An answering scramble as she ran to the door. She leaped up, nails raking down it as she whimpered.

A sleepy grunt from inside. Then, “Kenjii? How’d you get in here, girl?”

“Rafe?”

A pause. His light footfalls hurrying to the door.

“Maya?” he whispered through it.

“Something’s wrong,” I said. “The security system seems to be down.” I tried his door. Still locked. “Try it from your side.”

He did. The knob turned but it didn’t budge. He yanked at it. Still nothing.

“It’s just yours,” he said.

I tried his door again, pulling harder.

“It’s locked, Maya. If you can get out, go.”

“Not without—”

“Go. We’re fine.”

I tried again, but the door wasn’t opening and every second I hesitated was another second to get caught. They were fine. Not happy. Not free. But safe enough. Safer than Daniel. And weren’t they all better off if I was free and looking for a way to get them out?

“Go, Maya. I’m fine and I’ll take care of Kenjii.”

I hesitated only another moment. Then I tiptoed to the top of the stairs. As soon as I reached it, I picked up voices below. I strained to hear what they were saying, but it was too far. I took one careful step down. If no one knew the system had malfunctioned, I might be able to get past—

I caught the words “Nicole” and “security,” and stopped. The voices grew more urgent, one man whispering harshly to the other to find Nicole before anyone discovered she was missing or their asses would be on the line.

I backed up and looked around.

The roof. I jogged barefoot down the hall. It was only when I reached the door that I remembered Rafe had to buzz down to be allowed out. I turned the knob. It twisted, the door opening.

It’s a trap.

Or the system is malfunctioning.

What if Nast is watching me right now, rubbing his hands as he gathers evidence of how uncontrollable I am? How I need to be in a secure cell where I can’t escape, can’t collaborate with Rafe, can’t cause any trouble? And can’t be subject to any “deal” they’d made with Antone. . . .

I was so lost in my confusion that I didn’t hear footsteps until I caught a flicker of movement and turned to see a security guard cresting the landing. He saw me and stopped dead. A split second of shock crossed his face, then both hands sailed to his belt, one grabbing his gun, the other hitting a button on his radio.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.