The door opened, and she held her breath until she saw Zayne, unharmed.
Inside, a soldier lay unconscious on the ground. Or at least, she hoped he was just unconscious.
Oh, good, he must have been because Zayne stuffed his mouth and cuffed him.
Zayne sat down at the computer and typed. The exterior door made a clicking sound. He lifted the radio next. “Sensor alpha 329 picked up a possible bird. Check and report back.”
“Copy.” Came the call.
“Let's go,” Zayne said. “Stay quiet and close.”
He opened the door, checking before he stepped out. Kira remained at his side, walking briskly with him into the trees.
“A mile southeast, Brock will meet us with a van. That'll take us to the coordinates where the United will pick us up. All we need to do is make it there. We have the area cleared and are controlling the communications.”
“So that's it?” Kira asked. “We just broke out of the most heavily guarded prison in the empire?”
“It wasn't as easy as it looked. Without my clearance, we wouldn't have made it out of your hall. Everything was about timing. It still is.”
The fear lessened as they rushed through the woods together, more distance growing between her and that oppressive prison.
“Half a mile to go. We're making good time.” Zayne pulled a branch back for her.
So tiring. Her muscles were sore from crawling, still.
Kira stepped over a log when Zayne caught her arm and pushed her toward a tree.
Her fear spiked. She remembered the soldiers trying to kill her and how quickly it all happened.
The round light of a flashlight shot right into her eyes.
“Freeze,” a man said.
Kira squinted to see a gun aimed at Zayne, while his fingers only brushed his weapon. This couldn't be happening. Everything was going so well.
What could she do? How could she help?
The light lowered some while the man walked closer.
“Sergeant Riven?” the soldier asked.
Zayne's expression dropped. “Graves?”
The gun still pointed right at his chest. It was all Kira could see.
“I heard there was an intruder. A soldier and a prisoner.” The light rose back up to Kira. “A prisoner with red hair...”
Someone found them and shared it over the radio? But Zayne said they were in control of all communication.
“You're aiming a weapon at me. Are you insane?” Zayne stepped away from Kira without moving any closer to Graves, simply opening up distance from her.
Kira gripped the capsule in her pocket. If she used the Pixi Dust, it might distract him. But he might get scared and shoot. Her fist tightened, trembling. What should she do?
Graves' gun tracked Zayne. “Just hold still.”
He glanced at Kira and toward the trees. She didn't want to hide and leave him exposed. But this was his world. Guns and war and terror he apparently no longer felt because he looked so calm. Biting her cheek until she tasted blood, Kira very slowly stepped closer to cover.
“You've had a hard time since Bluehaven. We all have.” Zayne lifted a hand toward him, and Graves flinched. “It can make us paranoid.”
