The Rising (Darkness Rising) by Kelley Armstrong

Author:Kelley Armstrong [Armstrong, Kelley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+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.

The wail of a siren jolted me to life. I yanked open the

door and raced up the steps. I kept my gaze fixed on the

door at the top.

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