Marked

Chapter Twenty-Five

Find the armory. Get guns. Go back and rescue Juan and Hector. 

These were the words that went through her mind, over and over, as she stormed through hallways to reach the armory. 

It was like a game, where she played out every possible scenario in her mind. But in this game, failure was not an option, not when Juan and Hector's lives were at stake.

As she went, the silence of the ship became unnerving, as if everything down there had somehow died. She had to forcefully remind herself that it was quiet because everyone had been ordered to the deck. 

Lost as she was in her thoughts, she didn't notice the person rushing toward her until she'd smacked into them. Immediately, her gun went up and settled over the person's chest. 

At the other end of the gun, a wide-eyed Lexi stared back at her, her mouth slightly agape.

"What are you doing?" She breathed. "And why aren't you wearing any shoes?"

Rachel let out a shaky breath, glad that it was her and not a poacher. "Lexi, you have to hide."

"Hide? Why? What's going on?" She allowed the dart gun to fall from Lexi's chest. Realizing that Lexi had no idea what was going on, Rachel struggled to find words to explain it to her.

"There are poachers all over the ship. They found us--"

"Oh my, God!"

Rachel nodded. "I know. But we're going to fix this. I don't know how yet but we're going to fix it," she swallowed. "Right now I just need you to go and hide somewhere safe, okay?"

"I was on my way back to the nursery. I left a twelve year old girl in charge! Oh my, God, what if they found them? What if they took the kids?"

"Then they already took them and all we can do is fight to get them back."

"I-I have to go back. I need to, uh, I--I need to hide them. I need to hide them all."

"Lexi--"

"No. I need to do this."

Rachel sighed and released Lexi's arm. She knew the kids had most likely already been taken. The nursery was, after all, on one of the uper floors, with easy access from the deck. There was no way the capital would pass up a room full of future soldiers. She knew this and knew, with the same certainty, that Lexi was headed straight for capture.

But she let her go anyway.

Lexi needed this. It was her mission and who was she to stand in the way of it? 

Once the other girl was out of sight, Rachel mentally slapped herself for standing there wasting time. 

Taking another left turn, she came to the stairs that lead down to the armory. 

She'd anticipated that the door would be locked but she found that it was, by some type of miracle, already open. As her eyes traveled further, she saw that it was only because the door was being propped open by a body. 

She came to a skittering halt, her socks silent against the cool floor.

A ship guard lay motionless on the ground, two darts sticking out from his chest, his eyes darting back and forth with fear. Rachel put a finger to her lips and motioned for him to stay quiet.

She heard rummaging coming from the weapon's room.

Drawing in a deep breath, she descended the stairs until she was close enough that the stainless steel of the armory door reflected back a smudge of white moving within the room.