False Gods | The Prime Archives #3 ✓

thirty

The inside of the elevator quickly turned into a tight, congested arena. Stella's guard reached for their pistol, their face contorted and red. She rammed her shoulder into their chest, throwing them off balance. The guard stumbled backward, tripping over one of their comrades in the process.

Their head hit the metal bar attached to the wall. They were out cold as soon as they hit the ground.

Stella fought off a grin. Her plan might've been working now, but they still had five more Atlas agents to dispatch.

The others were doing a good job of that, though. Kai managed to turn a guard's electrified baton on them. They were slumped up against the elevator wall, their body spazzing every few moments.

Stella shuddered. Reminder to not get touched by one of those.

She turned around to face another guard. They charged at her, their baton raised high. She ducked and kicked out the Atlas agent's legs from beneath them. They dropped hard on their side. Before they could get back up, Stella dropped her knee onto their neck. She pressed down and waited for them to pass out.

She got back to her feet and nodded.

Years of non-lethal threat-neutralizing practice were paying off.

Blowing a few wild strands of hair out her face, she looked around the lift. Mateo was still cowering in the corner with his eyes wide. Fortunately for him, there was nothing left to hide from. The guards had all been taken care of.

Kai, Danai, and Bella had managed to incapacitate the remaining three agents. The element of surprise and the small confines of the elevator worked in their favor.

After retrieving the key to their cuffs from one of the fallen guards, Stella freed them all from their binds. She rubbed the raw skin of her wrist. She winced as her fingers brushed over the bruised area.

Scowling, she glared down at the nearest guard.

She couldn't believe General North had done this to her. She had been a loyal soldier. But the moment she did something he didn't like, she was cast away like a forgotten thought. Someone like that couldn't be in charge of Atlas.

And she certainly couldn't let him have the command of dozens—perhaps even hundreds—of super Primes.

She had to take him and Dr. Johnasson down.

Ahead of her, the elevator dinged. The doors slid open. Stella sucked in a breath. Her entire body tightened, as she half-expected to be met by dozens of guards outside. Much to her surprise, there was only a startled janitor who was in the middle of mopping the floor.

Their eyes were wide as they froze. The knuckles of their hands turned white as they gripped their mop with enough force to snap the long, wooden handle.

Danai lunged forward and pressed the button to close the doors.

"What the hell was that?!" Mateo exclaimed. He gawked at the unconscious agents at his feet.

"We planned it earlier—" Kai began.

"Wait a minute... You planned this?" Mateo squinted at the girls. "You didn't think to include me?"

Kai rolled her eyes. "Your cell was too far away."

"I could've helped."

"Yeah, well, you can help now."

His eyes perked up and he nodded.

Stella gestured toward the closed elevator doors. "Sorry to interrupt, but we've got more important matters at hand." The janitor outside surely called for security. They couldn't hide out in the elevator forever. But stepping out into the hall was a deathtrap.