Loop by Ben Oliver

Author:Ben Oliver
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chicken House
Published: 2020-04-28T16:00:00+00:00

Kina wakes after what must be about three hours. We hear the others getting up and getting ready to go.

As we walk out of Woods’ cell together, Malachai gives me a grin and a wink, and I feel a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

‘Right, let’s see what Pod and Igby have managed to do with that door,’ Malachai says.

‘Wait,’ I say, ‘first, I have to give Tyco another chance.’

Malachai laughs as if I’ve told a great joke, and then he stops, the smile falling off his face immediately. ‘You’re not serious?’

‘I’ve thought about it all night. I can’t let him die without him knowing the truth.’

‘Truth? What truth? Who cares about truth? The guy is out of his mind. Luka, no one would blame you if you just walked away,’ Malachai pleads, but I barely hear him.

I remind myself of why I want to do this crazy thing, I remind myself he hates me because of his love for his brother. I think of my love for my own family, and I think of Kina’s bravery and integrity when she chose to let the others out of their cells. And look how well that turned out! a voice inside my head screams. I ignore it.

I walk to Tyco’s cell and look back to see that the rest of the group have gathered behind me. I open the hatch.

The Alt lies on his bed, hands crossed behind his head, looking up at the ceiling. He looks content, peaceful.

‘Are you here to kill me?’ he asks.

I shake my head. ‘No.’

‘You should,’ he replies, a smile spreading across his lips. ‘If you don’t kill me, I’ll kill you.’

‘You need to listen to me, Tyco,’ I say, trying to sound calm but unable to rid my voice of the tremble that gives me away. ‘I am going to let you out of here because if I don’t, you’ll die. I don’t have to do it, I could leave you in there to rot, but I won’t. No one else is coming for you, do you understand that? There’s a war outside, and we’re not top of anyone’s evacuation list. I know you want to kill me, I know what happened to your brother, and—’

At this, Tyco is on his feet. He storms over to the hatch and pushes his arm through, grabbing me by the throat. I feel immediate pressure in my head and pain where his thumb is digging into my windpipe.

Over the pounding of blood in my ears I hear the voice of Happy blaring out of the speakers.

‘Infiltration. Lockdown in five seconds . . . four . . . three . . .’

I see the determined look in Tyco’s wide, staring eyes and for a moment I’m sure he won’t let go in time, that the hatch will come down and for the second time in less than forty-eight hours I’ll have a severed arm to deal with, but as the countdown hits one he lets go and pulls his arm back inside just as the hatch snaps shut with the ferocious force that cut Wren’s arm clean off.

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