The Extra Trilogy Box Set by Danielle K Girl

Author:Danielle K Girl
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-13T12:07:42+00:00

Ryder - Thirty One

The emergency evacuation tone booms down the corridor, a polite, English-accented voice advising everyone to leave the facility. Ryder darts into the stairwell, just as the lift opens and a handful of people spill into the corridor. Someone in the group shouts—perhaps they’ve spotted the two guys lying in the hallway, or they’ve spotted her—but the evac tone blasts their voices into indecipherable sounds. Ryder grips the handrail, moving as fast as her legs will take her down the stairs. Her limbs shake, like when she’s gone too long between meals, and her feet are rocky lumps at the end of her legs. Each step she takes, her knees threaten to buckle. Ryder’s arms tingle with the flow of energy still humming through the elthar, but the emerald glow is so weak it would barely register from a distance.

She jumps the last few steps onto the platform between levels, and her left knee buckles with the impact.

“Come on, come on,” she hisses. “Pull it together.”

Ryder glances up the stairwell. The evac alarm isn’t so ear-splitting here, and there’s no sound of opening doors, or pounding footsteps above her. Maybe, just maybe, luck is on her side, and the two guards lying in a pile on the ground distracted everyone. Ryder shakes her head, pushing the image away. The guards were still alive, she knows that. But how long until the elthar gets out of hand? The metal seems to react to her own panic, coming to life when she fears for her own. Apparently, doing whatever it needs to protect her.

Ryder races down the next set of stairs, eyes locked on the ground in front of her. The mechanical Englishwoman in the speakers politely requests that she evacuate. Ryder winces, her thoughts moving to Sophie. If Stirling truly is a friend, then she had better have gotten Sophie out of here. And this mad dash into the depths is totally unnecessary.

A male voice echoes down the stairwell.

“There’s someone down there. Get someone on the comms for level four.”

The thud of heavy boots follows.

“Stupid plan, really stupid plan.” Ryder slams her hand on the railing, and the elthar resonates like a dinner gong.

Ryder reaches the door to Level B-4, and the curse dissolves. The door’s paintwork, gunpowder grey, reminds her of one of the many shades of Sebastien’s eyes. Eyes she’d do pretty much anything to see right now. Ryder takes hold of the handle, the good old fashioned kind, a silver lever. No keypad with mystery codes.

“One, two—oh forget it.” Ryder shoves against the door. It flies open and slams against the outer wall, swinging back at her.

“Oh, geez.” Ryder jumps out of the way, the edge of the door grazing her arm, and lodging shut. The elthar’s glow may be diminished, but its energy is not.

“Ryder! A little help here.” Sophie crouches further down the corridor, hunched like a football player waiting for the whistle to blow. But Ryder freezes.

“Oh my god,” she whispers. Crouched with

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