We hurry through the halls, no longer bothering to check each room. Our pace as fast as Brinn’s twisted ankle allows us.
Theo asks, “What exactly are we planning to do, once we meet Ellen?”
Derek shrugs, “We’ll calmly tell her that she is no longer in power. How she reacts to that is up to her.”
“But she must have Officials with her. They’ll stop us.”
Derek consults his Notice again, “It appears that there are at least ten around her, more stalking through the halls around her. Maybe she doesn’t know our exact location. It doesn’t matter. Four of us have a Duratus. We should be able to do well enough.”
I run the code through my head again. Short, long, long, short, long, short, short. I have to remember the code. If I don’t, someone’s life could be lost.
Piper asks, “How far away are we?”
“Just a few more halls. We should be able to hear her annoying little voice soon enough.”
Each step brings me closer to Ellen, the Head I barely escape earlier. She won’t just give up her position. She’ll fight back with everything she has.
We only have a few people who can actually fight. Derek, Theo, Harry, Piper, Michelle, and the two other Nurses. Christopher sways dangerously on his feet, the effects of the green still draining from his systems. Brinn and Kylee would be vulnerable. What if the Officials capture them and hold them hostage? Should they stay hidden somewhere?
I remember Brinn’s adamant refusal when Piper suggested that she goes somewhere safe. Brinn is determined to fight with us, no matter her condition.
Should we wait until Ellen’s anger cools, and she’s likely to be less violent? Does she have more planned for her ‘big finale’? Are the new Ecru only the beginning?
I want to ask Derek, but I have no idea how close we are to Ellen. I don’t want to give away our location if she doesn’t already know it.
We reach the end of the hall, a door blocking our way. Derek motions to it, clearly showing that this is where we’ll meet Ellen.
He presses a button and the door slides open. Ellen’s shrill voice immediately floods the air. “I don’t know what I’m going to do to them when I find them, but let me tell you, it is not going to be pleasant. All those little immune children hiding it here, I will find them and I will kill them…”
I swallow hard, my knees weakening. Derek charges fearlessly forward. We follow quickly behind, our knives high and our fingers over our Duratus.
Ellen stands at the end of the hall, her hands clenching her hips. Her face turns scarlet, “Derek. Is this where you’ve been all this time? I’ve been trying to contact you all day.”
Derek frowns in confusion but quickly recovers. “Yes, I wasn’t aware that you were attacking the Unknown. I came to see the damage.”
Ellen seems to forget most of her anger, smiling at him. “Understandable, I guess, all though a bit dumb, don’t you think? You were wandering around in a death zone. Aren’t you proud of all I’ve accomplished?”
Derek lies as an excuse to move closer to her, “Of course, it’s truly impressive. You’re brilliant, although I’m sure you know.”
Ellen beams, “A little. I see you’ve brought the traitors?”
Derek shortly nods and strides until he’s standing directly to the side of Ellen. He’s trying to lull her into trusting him so that he can disarm her later. His fingers tap along his wrist on the Duratus. An Official falls to the ground behind Ellen.
YOU ARE READING
274 (Complex Series, #4)
Science Fiction-fourth book in the Complex series- Claire, known to most people only by her Complex number as 274, has always obeyed the Official's rules. You have to, unless you want to be sent away to the Unknown. Until, she meets Marie and everything changes. ...
