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18
"Wait, what?"I stared at him for half a second before he waved us to keep going.
"Everyone get out!" he shouted. "As fast as you can. We have no time to waste. But don't stampede!" he added as the mass of Freytauri began to panic and rush at the stairs.
They pushed and shoved and several were almost knocked to the ground.
"Anyone else who shoves, I will use my blaster on you," J'avet growled.
They slowed slightly after that, enough to move up the stairs like a swarm of ants escaping their flooded nest.
Another explosion sounded from above and the whole place shook. Rock, dirt and other debris rained down on us.
"I didn't come this far to get buried alive," I said under my breath. I willed everyone to hurry, but to do it carefully. Since those things didn't go so well together, I hoped we'd make it out in one piece.
We reached the top of the first set of stairs as a third blast shook the bunker. A chunk of rock narrowly missed my head, but struck my shoulder before it bounced into the wall and crashed to the floor.
Tears of pain filled my eyes. I felt warm wetness on my upper arm, but didn't have time right now for a good look. I wasn't injured so badly I needed to stop. That was all that mattered.
"Edie?" I hadn't realised Zarex was right behind me until he spoke.
"I'm fine," I said firmly. To the Freytauri woman I supported with my good arm, I said, "We're almost there." She probably knew the place better than I did, but my words seemed to offer her some reassurance.
We reached the second flight of stairs and started up. Why do baddies need to build underground bunkers? A nice little cottage beside the beach would make a nice lair, surely? Or a chalet beside a lake. If I was a baddie, I would definitely have a chalet. Or a chateau. No underground anything.
The lights went out.
"Fuck." I turned on the light on my phone with the end of my nose—a trick that usually didn't work. Go me.
It didn't illuminate much, but as others turned their own watches on, it gave us enough light to stagger up the last flight.
I might have imagined a hint of daylight, but I clung to that with every bit of hope I had left.
My legs burned with the effort of walking up so many steps. I wouldn't need to go to the gym tomorrow anyway. I hadn't had such a good workout since—ever. Honestly, I'd be happy if I never had another one like it.
The press of bodies surged forward and I was almost pushed to my knees. At the last moment, I caught myself and trudged up the last few steps and into the open of the top floor of the building.
"Everyone out," J'avet ordered. He tapped his watch. "IF ships in orbit, this is Commander J'avet. Cease your attack on Tarathu immediately."
Okay, I admit it, his bossy tone was kinda hot. Also the fact he was trying to stop us from getting killed.
The sky lit up with another laser, which struck the building with a deafening crack.
"We might be too close to the building for comms to work," Slek said.
"Or they ignored us," Zarex added. He turned on his own watch and repeated the message, but with his own name.
Finally, a voice responded.
"How do we know it's you and not a bot?"
Legit question, I thought. Unfortunately.
"Because it's me!" J'avet all but shouted into his watch.
Another laser shot out of the sky. It hit the building square on. Everything went silent, then the ground started to shake.
The building crumbled. It imploded in on itself and disintegrated into the levels below it. Soon all that remained was a hole in the ground.
