The Beyond by Eliza Green

Author:Eliza Green [Eliza Green]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Eliza Green Books
Published: 2022-08-25T00:00:00+00:00

19

Carissa

Carissa stared at the door. ‘What happened?’

The Inventor said, ‘It closed on us.’

No, it had closed on her when she’d tried to go through. The blue scanner had flashed red.

She looked up at the Inventor. ‘Why wouldn’t it let me pass?’

He patted her on the shoulder, but his gaze was on the others. She’d spent enough time with him to know what that pitying look meant.

Carissa had trapped him, Vanessa, Charlie and Thomas on this side of the Beyond.

A new energy hummed. She felt pressure on her arms and legs as something new pushed her back.

Thomas cursed. ‘They’ve erected a damn force field.’

‘I don’t feel comfortable being down here. We could be under surveillance,’ said Vanessa with a shiver. ‘We should return up top, work out a plan there.’

Charlie nodded. ‘Let’s do it fast before the Copy guards figure out the hack.’

The Inventor marched back to the stairs. His stiff posture and clenched fists told Carissa she should give him space. She trailed at the back of the group.

‘Don’t worry, Carissa,’ said Thomas, turning, the Disruptor and Atomizer in his grasp. ‘Jacob and I know a few things about force fields. We’ll find another way through the door.’

She didn’t know why the brown-haired young man was being nice to her, but his kindness soothed the frayed edges of her nerves. She managed a quick nod and a smile at him.

The Inventor reached the base of the stairs and anchored his hands on either side of the wall. He placed one foot on the first step.

Thomas muscled his way to the front.

‘Wait here. I’ll check,’ Thomas said, easing the old man’s hand from the wall.

Jacob relented with a sigh and the whisper of a smile.

‘Me too,’ said Carissa.

She had no idea how long a hack to the system would keep the guards in a confused state. A combination of her and Thomas’ efforts should determine that fast enough.

At the top of the stairs, Thomas eased the door open with one gun. Carissa peered past him into the room to see the Copies still looked disorientated.

She huffed out a breath and said, ‘I think they’re still under. We need to hurry.’

Below, the Inventor started to climb. Charlie followed and Vanessa brought up the rear. She looked concerned for the two puffing, old men in front of her. Her arms were outstretched a small way, as though she expected them to topple back down.

Carissa said to Thomas, ‘You need to check if they can see you.’

Thomas nodded and stepped into the room. The Collective’s guards continued to mutter incoherently and shift on the spot, but they remained blind to the presence of a human. Quintus must have issued a central command to all units to protect the Great Hall. But the lack of additional security told Carissa that the Collective no longer resided here.

Thomas turned back to the others. ‘They can’t see me.’

‘You should go,’ Carissa said, pushing him out the door. ‘I’ll wait for the others.’

Thomas kept to the walls and away from the disorientated guards.

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