The Restored Girl

CHAPTER 21: The Evacs

SONYA'S POV
Time: 16 02
Time of detonation: 16 30
28 minutes to detonation
Floors to evacuate: 30

We are each in charge of evacuating six floors. Newt and I have the bottom floors, while Amy, Adam and Harriet are taking the top floors.

As we walk into WICKED, in our WICKED uniform, I slip on my helmet. No doubt they'd recognise us as their test subjects in the Maze.

I see everyone else doing the same. We don't talk much. Harriet gives me a nod and heads over to join the group of WICKED Guards heading into the elevator. I catch sight of Dylan, walking around in a suit and placing bombs around. I know that Trevor and Curtis are here, too.

Dylan doesn't show any signs that he recognises us.

"Go," Newt whispers to me, and I nod, leaving to head up the stairs.

We decided to give Newt the bottom six floors to do because of his limp.

I make my way up the stairs two at a time, getting to the twelfth floor in a matter of minutes. I'm slightly breathless by then, but I manage to push open the door leading out of the stairwell.

As Rhea said, Level 12 is a science lab. It's easy to evacuate science labs, Rhea had told us. They have a very strict protocol that the moment there's an accidental spill of a toxic substance, they'll immediately clear out to the first floor and await for the cleaning staff to get rid of it with proper equipment.

I pull out a vial from one of the many pockets in this stupid uniform. Teresa had given it to us. Told us that it has the appearance of a toxic substance, but is actually harmless.

There are detectors that will sense if any toxic substance enters the air. I make my way into the science lab and head directly under one of those detectors.

The Scientists are so busy that they don't even see me when I tip the vial over onto the floor. The chemical spills out and immediately the sensor lets out a shrill sound. I quickly duck behind a shelf containing goggles as the warning sounds out:

"WARNING: A TOXIC SUBSTANCE HAS ENTERED THE ATMOSPHERE. PLEASE EVACUATE TO FLOOR ONE IMMEDIATELY. WARNING: A TOXIC SUBSTANCE..."

The scientist are already leaving the lab. They head out a door to get to the emergency stairwell, rushing to leave.

I shake my head, going over and locking all the doors so that the cleaning personnel can't enter.

I head back into the stairwell and take a floor down, glancing at my watch. Twenty four minutes left.

As on the blueprints, Level 11 is a research facility, filled with people behind computers. The easiest thing to do would be to release them for an early lunch break. Now that the Flare has been cured, no doubt they'd be heading out of the facility. Right Arm will do the rest from there.

Following Rhea's instructions, I head over to the front of the room and say, "According to WICKED board of directors, Level 11 staff break hours has been rescheduled. Please proceed out of the facility for break hour."

Surprisingly, it works. How stupid does one have to be to fall for that?

They leave without question, shutting off their computers.

They behave almost like robots.

Level 10 is the same thing, and when I get to Level 9, it's a library. I quickly make sure that no one is present. Not even a librarian is there. I finally lock all the entrances to the library. Sixteen minutes left.

I head down to Level 8. Only two more to go, I tell myself.

Level 8 is filled with meeting rooms. Once more, I check everyone, locking them from the outside to make sure no one enters. It's all empty, which cuts out my work.

Heading down to Level 7, I see that it's another Science Lab. I repeat the trick with the toxic substance. These people are more hasty, more freaked out than the others, but they get out quickly, anyway. I lock the doors and head out, relief filling me. Thirteen minutes left.

I run downstairs, to the first floor.

"Sonya, wait up!"

I see Harriet running down to me and sigh in relief. She must have taken off her helmet and discarded it somewhere. I do the same with mine, tossing the helmet onto the stairs.

"Come on," I say urgently. We run down the stairs and to the first floor. There, I see Amy, Adam and Newt.

The first floor is empty. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the whole building is empty save for the 31st floor, where Rhea, Thomas and the board are.

"Let's go," Amy says the moment we reach them.

"Not so fast."

We spin around and I groan. I recognise the faces from Group 5A. This really isn't the time.

There's two of them, both guys.

"Listen, if you don't want this building to go crashing down on you, you've gotta follow us," Adam says in a reasonable voice.

One of the guys laugh. "Well, we could also take you guys down with us."

He makes a move forward, but suddenly he slumps to the ground. Dylan stands behind him, smirking.

"Who didn't invite me to the party?" He says.

"Daniel!" The other guy exclaims, looking at his fallen teammate.

The other guy lets out a yell and charges at Dylan. Adam rushes forward to help out. After landing several blows, they finally knock the other guy unconscious.

"Come on, we only have ten minutes," Harriet says anxiously.

"Okay, let's go," Amy says.

"We have to bring them along!" I say, pointing at Rogers and Daniel.

"Give them to Right Arm," Newt says, "we need to get onto the Berg."

Adam and Dylan manage one of them. We run out of the building, and Gally is there, waiting.

"Have the others come out?" Newt asks, and I know he's thinking about Thomas and Rhea.

Gally shakes his head. "No. Who are those?"

"Problems," I mutter, as Adam and Dylan pass them over to the Right Arm.

"Get them out of here," Amy says, then turns to us. "Where's the twins?"

"Getting our ride," Dylan says, just as a WICKED van pulls up in front of us.

"Let's go!" They yell in unison from the front.

We hop into the van quickly, Newt sliding in beside me. Before we can even properly shut the doors, the twins have taken off.

I can't exactly tell which one of them is driving, but whoever is is a daredevil.

If the bombs aren't gonna kill us, their driving just might.

I see the berg approaching when we reach the borders, and I exhale in relief. I'm just hoping that Quill and the rest are already inside.

Whichever of the twins that is driving pulls the car to a stop outside the berg, and we all hop out, running up into the cargo bay. I notice another WICKED van there, and I'm hoping that that's Minho's and Quill's.

Looking at my watch, I see that there's two minutes left.

Come on, Rhea. Come on, Thomas.