The Renegade

Chapter 24

 "Get down, get down!" Luk hisses, and we all drop to the floor. I grimace in pain as my damaged leg strikes the concrete and everything goes black. I bite my tongue to keep from screaming out in pain.

Luckily, Paul and Greer didn't hear us nor do they emerge from their office. Still, we need to get past them to the elevator hidden in a supply closet at the end of the hallway. We can't let them see us, but we also can't hide in the hallway until they decide to leave. If only we could still talk to Ior and Orrick, we would have had some warning.

I lean towards Luk and grab hold of his wrist. "Luk, we need to go. We're so close, the elevator is just up--"

"We've almost gotten rid of all the outsiders," a familiar low voice says, distant but clear.

Blitz. We can hear Father Paul. I freeze with my fingers wrapped around Luk's wrist.

"If this weapon works, we'll be--"

Mother Greer cuts him off, her voice as icy as I remember it. "The gas will work, Paul. I've examined it as much as I can without actually detonating it. It's extremely powerful--they'll be decimated in minutes." My stomach turns.

"Perfect," Father Paul says, a low chuckle emanating through the open door. I can't see into his office, but only a soft light glows inside which is how we didn't even realize they were there. "Once we've exterminated them and gotten rid of these outsiders my son has dragged in, we'll be just fine."

"How do you plan on doing that? Luk seems quite attached." I can almost hear Greer's smirk.

"He'll get over it. He got over his wife, didn't he?" Bitterness tinges Father Paul's voice. Maybe when he lost his wife, he lost whatever good was in him too. I don't look at Luk--he's not really over Addi. He probably won't ever be--she's always lingering in the background, a perfect shadow. Just like Greer, I don't compare to her and I certainly don't deserve Luk. Who would have guessed that the Mother and I have something in common.

"Once I convince him to join me," Paul continues, "We'll have an experiment go wrong in the outer dome and they'll all die in a tragic accident. Then we'll finally be safe."

Safe. I used to believe in safety, but now I know the truth. There's no such thing as safe, and Father Paul's about to learn that when we discover his secret vault and destroy the gas.

"We need to go," I whisper, my hand still on Luk's wrist. "He's not leaving, and we're going to run out of time."

Luk's face is pale, but he's not surprised. We all knew Paul wouldn't tolerate us for much longer, but Luk expected him to let the wilderness destroy us rather than getting his own hands dirty. I thought it would come to this--he wouldn't risk the tiniest chance of our survival with everything we know. We're a liability, and Paul doesn't like liabilities he can't use.

Luk nods at me and we rise slowly, every scuffle a chance at discovery. But Paul and Greer are too deep in conversation to notice us, too confident that they're safe. Hah. We'll show them.

One by one, we inch past the doorway on the far wall, careful not to disturb the shadows. I hold my breath as I inch past, using Ryke's arm and the wall for support, but I can still hear whispers of conversation as we retreat down the hallway. I don't release my breath until we reach the door.

"Blitz, that was close," Ryke murmurs. No one disagrees with him, and I try not to think about how we're going to get out of here. If we destroy the gas, though, it won't matter.

"Where now?" Luk asks.

"This is it," I say, gesturing to a shabby door that hangs crooked. "The elevator's in here."