Drowning (Kaz Brekker)

xiv - Snapped

"A storm's coming." She called. Asra drew her damp collar over her mouth and nose. Nina dropped the pellet of chloro powder she'd stashed beneath the skin of her ankle into her waste bucket. A milky green mist bloomed over the bucket and spread throughout the room. The prisoners breathed it in with shocked gasps and fainted almost instantly. Then they were alone.

A little while later, Kaz and Wylan rushed into the room. They wore prison uniforms, same as them. Kaz was without gloves as he picked the lock on Asra's cell. She shouldn't have been surprised, but she always was when he peeled the leather from his palms.

The first thing that went wrong was Kaz. After unlocking Asra, Inej and Nina, he changed the plan.

"Where are you going?" Asra said.

"Nina and I are searching the cells." Kaz said.

Nina frowned. "We're meant to meet with Matthias and Jesper in the incinerator first."

"Change of plan. I don't want to waste time." Then he left, limping heavily down the hall. They all shared looks of exasperation, confused and worry. Then Nina sighed and went after him. Asra, Inej and Wylan kept on for the incinerator.

The second thing that went wrong was the incinerator. It was still warm.

Asra, Inej and Wylan huddled near the great iron doors and attempted to think of a solution. By the time Jesper and Matthias showed up, coils of rope thrown over each of their shoulders, they hadn't thought of one.

"We have a problem." Wylan told them.

"How bad?" Jesper asked, dumping his coils of rope on the floor.

Inej guestured to the incinerator doors. "I think they ran the incinerator this afternoon."

Jesper turned to Matthias. "You said they ran it in the mornings."

"They used to." Matthias said.

Jesper grabbed the leather-covered handles of the doors and yanked them open. A rush of searing heat hit them, stinking of coal and chemicals. He leaned in, sweat rolled down his forehead. "Wylan, give me a shirt from one of the bins."

Wylan rummaged through a clothes bin and handed Jesper a shirt. He tore off a sleeve and tossed it down the shaft. It didn't even reach the coals before it caught. Jesper shut the doors. "Well, demo is out. We can't take explosives in there." He turned to Inej. "Can you still make the climb?"

"Maybe." She said. "I don't know."

"What does Kaz say? Where is Kaz? And where's Nina?" Jesper asked.

"Change of plans." Asra said, doing her best impression of Kaz's rasp. It wasn't half bad, actually.

"He and Nina went to search the upper cells." Inej ssid. "He doesn't know about the incinerator yet."

Matthias scowl deepened. "Jesper and I were meant to go with Nina."

"Kaz didn't want to wait." Inej shrugged.

"We were on time." Matthias said. "What is he up to?"

"Idiocy?" Asra offered. "Insanity? I think he's finally snapped."

"He's certainly got timing, doesn't he?" Jesper grumbled.

"Inej," Wylan called, still by the clothes bin. "These are our clothes."

He rummaged through the bin and produced Inej's rubber soled, leather contraptions she just passed as slippers. Inej broke into a grin. Jesper matched her.

"What do you say, Wraith? Can you make the climb?"

"I can."

Jesper cradled the slippers. "If I didn't these might be crawling with disease, I would kiss them," he winked at Wylan. "Then you."