Then he dropped. I lurched towards Jess and began pulling her, but she was a dead weight.
I saw the pantry still open, where she had been rummaging. I looked around for another option, but there were none. I shoved her inside.
I’m sorry Jess.
“I’ll come back!”
Nausea ripped through me as my body rejected the power I had siphoned. I stumbled down the hall. Dark spots filled my vision.
The hallway tilted beneath me.
Another soldier appeared before me and I tripped.
My bare hands met him head on.
The stolen power burst from me, blasting him back into a wall. I retched, vomiting hard across the cold stone floor.
I could hear more people behind me. An arrow shot past me and struck the wall.
A tranquiliser.
I shot around the corner, desperately searching for somewhere to hide.
The only thing down this end was a janitor’s closet. I flung the door open and a wooden broom clattered to the floor.
“Fuck!” I hissed. I grabbed the handle, ripping off the broom end.
Three men emerged before me in the dark. They all held weapons, but it was the tranq gun that was fixed on me.
“Come with us now, Persephone, and you won’t get hurt.”
“Why don’t you make me?” I spat, aware blood was trickling down my forehead.
One of them charged forward.
Centre yourself.
I heard Dev’s words in my head like he was speaking to me. Instinctively I obeyed.
Watch your sides. Follow their movements.
My hand snapped up, hitting the soldier square in the face, knocking him back. I spun around, sweeping the legs out from the other.
The man with the gun fired. The dart caught me in the leg, but I flicked it back before it could fully inject me. His eyes widened. I smacked him hard in the face, knocking his gun to the ground.
He went to stand, but I grabbed it and shot him at close range in the chest.
He looked down in shock at the dart in his chest. Then I hit him with the barrel and began to drag myself away.
I need to get to Elliot’s office.
I could feel the sedative warming my skin under my clothes. My movements got slower.
I could hear fighting behind me, like the wardens had finally decided to show up.
I grabbed the wall for support, blinking rapidly.
I turned the corner and saw a swarm of soldiers fighting outside Elliot’s door. I turned back and ran for the way outside.
