Cridex

Chapter Eighteen

"Run!" I immediately screamed, and everyone started running towards the exit.

"Hey! Stop!" A loud, commanding voice ordered, but I didn't dare to look back as my feet pounded against the linoleum floors. Many of the cyborgs that we let out mustered enough energy to follow us, but most fell against the floor. They were coughing and pressing their bodies against the cages to avoid being stepped on.

Camden was the first to reach the exit, and he shoved the bobby pin into the lock, twisting. "Hurry!" I yelled at him, and he grunted.

"It's not opening," He replied. I frowned and tried myself, except the door wouldn't open. "Ellery, it's no use. There's a keypad over there. We don't know what the password is," Camden said, frustration coating his tone as he glared at the keypad on the wall.

"The other exit then!" I nearly all but screamed, paranoia invading my body in waves that shook my body.

"Hey, hey," Camden said quietly. "It's going to be okay, we're going to be okay," He soothed, running a worried eye over me. "Oh no, you're panicking."

I closed my eyes. "It took you that long to realize?" My voice grew higher at the end of my sentence.

"We don't have time for this, Ellery!" Jonas screamed as he ran past me. "We have to move, now!" He was leading us now, running past the corridor and turning to the other side. The cyborgs in the cages stared at us as we sprinted past them.

We entered the dark hallway again, but I didn't feel the cold anymore. A cyborg slave fell down, her knees cracking against the floor, and I quickly scrambled to help her up, looking back once to see the officials catching up to us.

"Hey! Let go of me!" Imogen exclaimed, and I watched as the official dodged her punch that was intended to collide with his face. "Let go!"

"It's you," The officer stated. "Oh, imagine how happy my manager will be once I turned you in."

"No!" Jonas yelled as he ran back towards towards Imogen, kicking the official in the shin and pulling Imogen out of his grasp. "Run! Run, Imogen! All of you!" He said as he fought the official off, trying to subdue him and to buy us time.

Imogen ran up to us, her eyes glittering with unshed tears. "We-" She choked on her words and gestured towards Jonas.

"We know," Camden nodded as he started running. "We'll come back for him, of course. But we can't let his efforts be in vain. We need to get out and let these cyborg slaves out." I nodded in agreement with Camden's words, and that seemed to bring Imogen to her senses.

"Right," Imogen muttered as she picked up her pace and led the way.

I stayed behind in order to help the fallen cyborgs up, and quickly pushed them in the way Camden and Imogen were heading. Hopefully they would get out of here first with the cyborgs, but I had to help the ones who were falling behind first.

"Up, up, get up," I murmured as I pulled one up, and she gave me a grateful smile, hobbling down the hallway and disappearing into the darkness. "Follow them. Go down the path. We are here to help you escape." I stated in short bursts to another male cyborg.

I look at Jonas, who has managed to push the official backwards. But there was a second one, and he was running down the path. I closed my eyes and tried to stop my panicking. I just had to delay the official from chasing after Imogen, Camden, and the other cyborgs.

I stared down at my fingers, which were now coated in blood, dust, and grime. Holding my hands up, I ran in front of the official, pushing on his chest. He stumbled backwards, and I watched as he tried to regain his balance. I quickly pulled up another cyborg and sent him on his way.