Bane of My Existence

Chapter 30

Inwardly grumbling, she relented and let him lead the way to the caged elevator in the back. She asked him to stop on the first subfloor. It wasn't until the elevator locked and went back up after they had stepped off when Barnett peered back at her and frowned, looking for something. "Say, you said you were making casts? Where's your stuff?"

Kinsey didn't have an answer and was lucky enough that he hadn't questioned her earlier, so she remained silent as she went into the closet and pulled out a small metal canister, pretending she hadn't heard him. She continued down the hallway, glancing at the cells. Most of the people were sleeping; those who were awake flinched when they saw Barnett, one woman even tucked away into the corner as far as she could go to hide from him. They feared him more than they had feared Victor. Victor wasn't the kind of man to get his hands dirty, though; Barnett looked like someone who enjoyed inflicting pain. Especially when a sick smile spread across his face when the shifters flinched away from him.

She found the man she was looking for and stopped. Krous was free of his chains, sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. He was already staring at the glass panel with ire, but when she stepped into view, fury burned in his eyes.

He stood suddenly, growling in her face. "Come for more, bitch?"

He showed her his hand--the three fingers that were left, anyway. His pinky and ring finger were slowly growing back, only small stumps at his knuckles at the moment.

Her heart was pounding in her ears, the nerves in her stomach twisted her to pieces, and the sweat down her back was seeping through her shirt to her lab coat. But she didn't wince. Didn't let Krous faze her. Too much was riding on her success to let a little fear consume her.

After all, he was part of the plan.

Barnett came to her side, examining Krous closely. "He's the one who attacked you, right?"

"Yes."

Her mind raced with ways to deal with Barnett. None of them were good enough. Too slow. Not effective. Not easily done.

"We never found out why he attacked you." That sick smile crept up his face again. "If you'd like, I could give it a try?"

"Really?"

He nodded, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. Letting him touch her was one of the hardest things she had ever done. Not as hard as what she was about to do next, though.

Barnett gestured to the camera in the corner and started up the cattle prod.

The cell door opened.

She had three minutes left. According to her plan, she was supposed to be downstairs with Damon already.

Time to go.

Before Barnett could lay a hand on Krous, she grabbed the back of his head and shoved him into the nearest wall head first. She threw all her strength into it. She didn't need to. Being a Mutant now, she had the strength of a shifter, and when he hit the wall, his skull crumbled against the concrete.

He was very dead.

She'd only meant to render him unconscious.

Just when the hysterics threatened to take the reins, a calm, methodical voice sounded in her head. No time to panic. Too many people depend on you. You need to move.

So she did.

She slapped her map on Krous's chest, who stood stunned and gaping at Barnett's disfigured form. "You're all escaping tonight. Follow this map and guide everyone out of here."

In the next second, he pinned her to the wall, snarling viciously. "You're dead, bitch."
His hand tightened around her throat.

"If you kill me, you won't make it out alive," she croaked. Her attempts to pry his fingers free were feeble compared to his strength; if she couldn't talk him out of killing her, she would most assuredly die tonight.

"I'll be fine."

His grip cut off her airways.

No! Her plan depended on him. She needed him to help everyone out of here while she saved Damon.

Black dots swam in her vision.

Suddenly, he loosened his hold, sniffing her. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You smell like a shifter now. . . . What did they do to you?"

Kinsey was in the middle of catching her breath when her timer went off. A second later, the lights turned off, leaving only the emergency lights on. A pneumatic sound rang down the corridor. The cells were open and all the prisoners were very aware. Cheers and moans alike filled the hallway.

A blaring alarm soon followed.

She was out of time.

Mind whirling from the lack of oxygen, Kinsey took Krous' shoulders and looked him in the eye. He needed to understand how important his role was. "I need you to show everyone the way out."

"Why should I trust you? I tried to kill you."

"And the man I love betrayed me, but I'm still freeing his ass from this Hell hole. Can you do it?"

"Why me?"

So many questions!

"You're a bear shifter, strong. You can easily help the injured and weak. If you follow my instructions on this and call the number once you're out, you'll be safe. Please, will you help me? You can kill me later, if you want."

If she was still alive by the end of tonight.

He glanced at the map then nodded.

"Thank you. Cera can help you too. She hasn't been here long; she'll be strong."

He opened his mouth to ask more questions, but she just pointed at the map, the list of instructions on the side, then slapped her cellphone in his palm.

Then she ran.

"Kinsey!"

She snapped her head down the corridor towards the elevator she had taken down here. She locked eyes with Victor.

What is he doing here? She swore he had already gone home for the day and there was no way he could get here that quickly from his place. Weirdly, he had changed into the suit he wore yesterday.

Never mind that, now.

She ran the opposite direction from him, for the stairwell on the other side.

"No! Kinsey! It's me!" He kept calling after her, but she was too busy weaving through the chaos. Thankfully, the chaos neatly funneled into the ventilation shaft with Krous in the lead and Cera helping everyone to the exit.

She reached the stairs in record timing.

On the landing above her, the door slammed open and piles of men with guns came rushing down the stairs.

"Kill on sight!"

And then, because her night couldn't go any more awry, they looked down and immediately saw her. They wasted no time shooting at her.

She turned and ran down the stairs. Molten hot pain flared in her shoulder. Crying out, she gripped her shoulder, felt the warmth of her blood spill over her fingers.

Don't stop. Can't stop.

She pushed forward. She reached the fifth landing-

Victor came barreling out of the door on the first landing, looking a little worse for wear. He saw her first, the blood on her shoulder, then looked at the guards coming after her. "Stop!" he called out to them. "Let me handle this."

Below her, a creature roared. It was unlike anything Kinsey had heard before. A chill crept into her bones and threatened to root her in place if she thought about what kind of creature would make that sound.

The door on the seventh subfloor went flying off its hinges and flung across the landing into the wall opposite it.

"Kinsey," Victor called to her. "Come here. Now."

Ignoring Victor and the horribly terrifying monster only one floor below her, she rushed for the sixth subfloor and booked it for Damon's cell.