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“Shit,” I muttered under my breath as I tried to remember her exact instructions.
I’d been so certain this was my ticket to freedom, but now… I searched high and low, my fingers running over the cold metal door in hopes of feeling anything that resembled a release mechanism.
Nothing.
“Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy,” I grumbled to myself, frustration boiling inside me.
I looked at my timer—two minutes left. I stared back at the door.
Shit.
I was trapped. I couldn’t stay down here any longer; I had to get back to my room before anyone noticed I was gone.
Just in case, I grabbed a toolkit from a nearby shelf and put it into my backpack alongside the clothes and cash, then took out the gun and shoved it into my front pocket.
The weight felt reassuring against my body as I began to make my way back upstairs.
As soon as I reached the main floor, I could hear voices. Did they find out? Or were people panicking about the power outage? I recognized Declan’s voice ordering everyone to calm down.
I gritted my teeth, trying to stay focused on reaching my room without getting caught. I just needed to cross the corridor, then one more flight of stairs. I slipped out into the open, bolted towards the stairs, and took two at a time, my heart racing. The upstairs corridor was still empty, and I slipped back into my room undetected.
I leaned against the door, breathing as if I’d outrun the devil himself.
And then the door opened.
I jumped back, my heart pounding in my ears, then turned around, drew the gun, and locked my arm, pointing directly at the open door.
The cloud of white that was being shoved back inside registered in my brain a split second before Jemma hissed. I hid the gun behind my back when Declan appeared behind her.
He narrowed his eyes and scrutinized me. He looked at Jemma, then back at me. I held his gaze, then raised one eyebrow, daring him to say anything.
It seemed luck was on my side, though, because he shook his head, tsked, then stepped back without another word and locked the door again, leaving us trapped together once again.
I took a deep breath and slipped down to the floor when my knees gave out.
Fuck.
I was so close.
“Fee,” Jemma hissed, trying to keep her voice low. “What happened?”
“Couldn’t find the release,” I replied, sounding just as frustrated as I felt. “We need a new plan.”
Right then, my phone began to vibrate and the power went back on.
Ten minutes.
Gone.
“Shit, sorry, I should’ve checked the model more thoroughly,” Jemma mumbled, her voice laced with guilt when she sank down next to me.
I could see her trembling hands as she fiddled with the hem of the dress and bumped my shoulder into hers.
“Save it,” I snapped, anger bubbling up inside me. “This is certainly not your fault. I wouldn’t have even had a chance to leave the room without you.”
I looked around the room, and my eyes landed on the window. I caught a glimpse of the tree outside. It wasn’t ideal, and they’d removed the handle when they locked me inside. But now that we had tools, it was an option.
“Let’s do this the conventional way,” I whispered, determination settling in my chest. I had one more shot at freedom, and I’d be damned if I didn’t take it. It wasn’t much, but it was our best bet.
