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Kozien took a stroll around the building, trying to get a good look at the place without seeming too suspicious. He had to be very careful because D’Narvius and Jorvlen aliens were everywhere. He couldn’t afford to be caught, for so many reasons.
He checked his tracker multiple times from vantage points outside the building, pointing it in different directions. Her signal was getting stronger and brighter, beaming from inside the compound.
Kozien walked around to the back, finding only a rusty chain-link fence in his way. He tore a hole in it easily and hurried over to inspect the back of the building.
Even though the rear area was not well guarded, the door was thick and locked with impressive chains. He couldn’t get in that way. Kozien stuck to the shadows against the wall and made his way around the corners, searching for a way inside.
Partway around, he spied a small door. It was cut into the wall very low to the ground, like a duct or service entrance. The gap was tiny, but it only had a thin metal grate over top, and no chains.
It only took one sharp yank to open the grate. When he stuck his head and shoulders in, Kozien almost groaned in dismay.
It was a very cramped, metal duct, obviously designed for one of the smaller races to fit through, which made sense because they were often slaves or low-paid workers.
I sure as hell never thought I’d be tunneling through a service area like this.
Kozien sighed, pulling his head back out. He took a deep breath of clear, fresh air and then put his hands forward like he was about to dive into a deep pool before pushing off with his feet.
He slithered into the duct, feeling it pressing in on him from all sides. Kozien took a few seconds to acclimate himself and then began to crawl.
The going was incredibly slow. His limbs and joints were cramped, and he couldn’t fully stretch out. The long robes he was wearing constantly got caught on the duct itself or snared around his elbows and knees.
Behind him, he heard a faint but definite click. It worried him, but he decided the best thing was to keep moving. He desperately wanted out of the duct. His muscles were beginning to cramp painfully, and his back ached as he tried to crawl faster.
Finally, he saw slivers of light ahead. He managed to crawl forward a bit faster and when he reached the grate, triumph crackled through him.
Until he shoved on it, and it didn’t budge.
Kozien slapped it a few more times, worried about attracting attention. He took a deep breath and held it, trying to calm himself. Even though the idea was so distasteful it was physically painful, he knew the best thing to do was crawl back down the duct, get outside, and try another way.
Turning around was difficult, and his muscles and joints screamed in protest. Kozien tried to control his frustration as he righted himself and began to crawl back the other way.
The journey back felt a lot longer than the way in. So far, he’d distracted himself from worrying about Gianna by focusing on his own predicament, but now worry for her was crowding into his mind.
This is taking too long! They could be doing anything to her right now!
Kozien couldn’t stand to think about it. He tried crawling faster, but he just got stuck. He fumed for a few seconds and considered thrashing with all his strength until he made a huge hole in the duct.
With an act of extreme self-control, he stopped himself from lashing out. Kozien was almost beyond keeping his emotions in check now. When he saw the faint light of the outside grate, relief flooded him. He tried to pick up his pace but only got stuck again.
With careful, slow movements, he approached the grate. Touching it was like meeting salvation. He gave it a hard shove.
Nothing happened.
He tried again, harder this time. The grate didn’t even rattle.
Dimly, he remembered the far off click he’d heard when he was deep inside the tunnel. He realized with horror that the sound had been someone locking the door behind him.
He smashed the grate once more, not even making a dent in it. Kozien held in a roar of fury, clenching his fists and shaking his head as he fought for control.
Do they know I’m here? Was this purposeful?
Even though it could be, he expected that his captors would be here to gloat if they had gone to the trouble of trapping him. Of course, they could be just hanging out nearby, watching his reaction for kicks.
Or it could be a totally random act… someone locking the door simply because they saw it open.
“Fuck,” he muttered, struggling to accept his situation. Kozien had no idea what to do—he was trapped.
Chapter 13
