Aurablade

10

In less than twenty minutes, the next subway will be tearing through here.

From my pocket, I draw out a rope. The end of it has a small adhesive that when I toss at the building, it sticks to the glass. I pull the rope taut and secure it to the tunnel's side. Then, I grab onto the rope and walk my hands along it. The muscles in my arm burn from the exertion, the same feeling I get whenever I train, and rope fibers dig into my palms. A steady stream of adrenaline leaches into my bloodstream. My heartbeat quickens, yet it remains steady, even at its faster pace. I power along the rope, one hand at a time.

Finally, I reach the end. I swing myself onto the building, my foot landing on a metal beam surrounding a dark-brown glass panel. My arms reach above, and my fingers find another ledge. Though the metal is slippery and smooth, I manage to grasp it, hoisting myself up higher and higher, until I reach the top of the building.

A metal fence surrounds the top landing. I peer through the bars, at the three guards posted in a triangle. Immediately, my eye is drawn to the blindspot their position leaves, and that's where I maneuver.

Three guards is always better than four. At least, for any Elyminai.

I peek over the top again. One hand dips to my side, leaving me hanging off the roof with one arm. Fire builds in my muscles, but I grit my teeth against it. My other hand finds the trigger on my gun. I place the gun against the top of the building, aiming for the nearest guard's heart.

I squeeze the trigger. A blue pellet shoots through the target's black uniformed shirt. He collapses as I shoot the next guard, then the third just when he was turning around.

The three thud to the ground with barely a grunt. Any sound made is lost to the wind.

I haul myself onto the roof, then check-in with Talc.

"Guards subdued."

"The cameras are off," Talc replies.

My eyes drift to my watch. Twelve minutes left.

I turn one guard over. He has a security pass in his shirt pocket, right below where a red stain blooms on the fabric. I take it, then pull open a trap door in the ground. It leads to a staircase descending into the building. I hurry down unfinished steps until they end at a door. Holding the pass up to a small, black box on the side, the lock springs open, allowing me entrance into an office area.

A woman exits an office on the side, and I dive behind a filing cabinet right by the door. She approaches, heels clicking as she rounds the corner, headed away from the cabinet.

My eyes drift to my watch. Ten minutes. There's no way I can get back before the next subway. And if someone on board notices the rope and open panel and reports it to the CryoFuture...

Time to move. I peer over the top of the filing cabinet. No one passes by, so I slip past the open office area, headed to where the corridor is lined with offices.

"Headed to room 2304," I whisper. Several doors pass by before one flickers the neon digits '2304.' It cracks open, and I push inside the dark room, shutting the door behind me. I duck behind the desk, where the security camera has a blind spot, and remove a screwdriver from my pocket. I twist the bolts off an air vent, set the grate aside, then crawl inside.

My head scrapes the top of the shaft. Dust gets in my eyes and fills my lungs. I fight the urge to cough by keeping my breathing steady, by not thinking about the tiny particles floating through the air.

A holographic light shines from my wrist, illuminating the passage. I crawl to the left and right, forcing myself to go as fast as possible. Sweat beads on my skin. My black shirt and pants cling to me, trapping more and more heat as it builds from my exertion.