To Be A Killer

Chapter 49: Dynamite

"Runner Five, catch!" Paula tosses me a metal bar, and I wedge it into the door handle. My head is pounding from the alarm that keeps going off. They know we're here. They're coming for us. "That should hold then off for awhile."

"You're gonna be okay," Sam assures. "You've just got to cross this ship, which we think is uninhabited anyway, and then a couple more walkways and you'll be in Louise's boat."

"Waiting here for you. The engine's revving," She says.

"What about Caleb?" I ask. "I still have to go get him. I can't leave him here."

Sam lets out a small noise. "Five, we-we can't-"

"No, they won't let me go," Maxine says, struggling in Paula's arms. "They can't!"

The redhead frowns. "The drugs have made her woozy. We haven't had time to go through the recovery sequence." She looks at Maxine with gentle eyes. "You'll have some temporary memory loss, darling, but one thing to remember is how I'm very determined. Maxi, they might not want to let you go, but nor do I. So we'll see which one of us wins."

The curly-haired woman still shakes her head in protest, but still Paula continues to carry her along the corridor. I look down at the gun in my hand. I got it after knocking out one of the guards when the alarm first went off.

I think I may have broke his nose-as in completely shattered in. The sudden rush of adrenaline caused my swing to be much powerful than I meant it to be. So, thanks to Van Arks treatments, I broke a man's face with my knuckles only slightly swollen.

Fortunately for me, with the panic of everything else going on, no one noticed this. Good. I don't want them too. It's already weird enough with what we've already saw on these ships. No need to add more mind boggling things that are really hard to explain.

"We've got that door wedged shut, which should keep any guards from coming in, but I guess this can still come in handy," I state, looking down at my gun.

"You really think we'll have to kill someone?" Paula asks, and I almost roll my eyes at such a stupid question.

"You heard the screams. You really think they won't do that to us if we're caught? I'm been poked and prodded enough in my life, thanks."

"Avoid firing that weapon you stole if you can, Runner Five," Janine says, and my jaw drops in shock. Is she serious? "After that thing we saw on deck-"

"Person," Paula corrects. "He was a person."

"We don't know what experiments they've been doing or what they might have available to fire back with. Don't draw attention to yourself. Just get out of there."

"Don't draw any more attention to ourselves, you mean. How many are after us?"

Sam hums, the sound just barely audible over our footsteps and the alarms. "Yeah, that's uh-that's weird."

"What?" I ask.

"Janine, look. I don't have great cams, but look. Can't see anyone following. There are people moving on the decks of all the ships, but away from you."

Paula and I share a look. "That's... ominous."

But then a small smile crosses my face. "But... it's also good, right? If no one's following, then I can run into the next ship and get Caleb."

"I-I'm not sure," Sam stammers, and I'm sure he's rubbing the back of his neck like he does when he's nervous or unsure. "I don't have the greatest feeling about this."

My face falls. "But-"

"We'll just-we'll see, alright? For now, just-just get back onto that science boat you were on-the Ariadne. Go."