The Pyramid Chronicles: Fortuna Guard (#2) [MOVING JUNE 30]

Chapter Twenty: Breakout

Adam walked to the other end of the hall. Sam, Veronica, Summer, and Raveena pressed themselves up against the back wall of the cell.

"Ready, Sam?" Eric asked, glancing back.

Sam closed his eyes. "Ready when you are."

Eric took a deep breath and let heat rush to his hands. He held it under the surface. "Three. Two. One."

Flames exploded from his palms. A blinding flash of light swallowed the cell. Eric closed his eyes and clapped his hand over his ears as the world around him shook. Heat rushed through the air. Not hot enough to burn, but Eric imagined it was unpleasant for the others, even with Sam's shield.

The light faded. The heat dissipated. The world steadied. Eric dared to open one eye.

The cell bars had been blasted into the hall and now laid scattered across the ground, bent at odd angles. Considerable cracks stretched across the walls and floor.

"Everyone okay?" Eric asked, unable to bring himself to look back.

"We're okay," Summer said.

Relief washed over Eric as he turned around. "Sam? You good?"

Sam blew out a breath of air. "Everything's kind of spinning, but I think I'm okay."

Veronica rested a hand on his shoulder. "Let's get out of here."

They met Adam at the end of the cell block and together, the six moved into the next hallway.

"Anyone got any ideas on which way to go?" Eric asked. His didn't trust his memory enough to navigate with confidence, and the others had likely been in too much pain to pay attention when they came in.

"I can use my power—" Sam started.

"We came in from that hall," Summer interrupted, nodding to the right. "I paid attention on the way to the cell. I think I can get us out."

She led the group around a few corners. To Eric's surprise, they didn't see a single SCI agent. As the minutes passed, he wasn't sure if he should let himself hope that they would make it out without trouble or prepare for all of SCI's forces to confront them at the same time.

The sound of footsteps coming their way made him lean toward the latter.

"Brace yourselves," Summer warned as they approached the next corner.

Eric's mind raced. If they wanted to win this fight, the others had to avoid getting hit by shockers. And even if they managed that, they were still exhausted from what they'd been through. Especially Sam. Maybe Eric and Summer could fry the shockers before they hit anyone. Would that work?

When the six turned the corner, they were greeted by another group of kids. Familiar ones.

Familiar in a good way.

"Hell yeah!" Summer exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air. "The Fortuna Guard is here!"

Ten altered from the Fortuna had broken into the SCI facility, presumably to rescue Eric and the others. But—

Sam frowned. "How did you guys know we were here?"

A ferrokinetic, Elle, spoke up. "Malcolm knew, somehow," she said. "He told a guard that SCI had captured you. And how to find this facility."

"No way," Veronica muttered. "Why would he help us?"

"Show of good faith?" Even as he said it, Sam sounded skeptical.

"Still, how did he know we were here?"

Sam's expression darkened. "Did he say he wanted anything in return?"