“They were,” Layela was calm, her mind forming a plan. “This one must have been built right before the new law, since the walls aren’t rusted.” Ardin nodded.
The gas that had been used to kill dangerous criminals was strong and acidic, especially since most of the criminals who had been gassed were ether creatures, who could breathe all but the most foul of atmospheres.
Like Bergandas. Layela felt a shiver go up her spine. But since most ethereal races’ powers had begun to wane, gassing had been deemed unnecessary and drugs and experiments had taken its place. She felt anger at the thought, at what could have happened and could still happen to her friend.
“If this was put in later, why did they still use the one-way door?” Ardin’s voice cut through her thoughts.
“Budget?” Layela replied, grinning as an idea came to mind. “They had back-ups back then, too. Remember the big jailbreak over on Thalos IV, when the guards were gassed? It was just a few years before the rooms were banned. And this one must have been built after.” Words tumbled out of her mouth as her eyes darted around the room. “They must have put in some sort of safety precaution, for guards to escape, just in case.”
Ardin was already looking around, having easily followed her thought. Layela guided her hands on and around the door and felt every nick — around the handle, the bottom, the frame…Something tiny snagged her fingers, just enough for her to recognize it.
She reached back and pulled another small pin free from her ripped coat’s left cuff, but it was too big to enter the snug hole. She stood up and looked at Ardin.
“Is that an actual prison guard uniform?” she asked.
He nodded, looking at her suspiciously again. She examined it closely, circling him once before focusing on the belt buckle.
“I don’t usually ask this on first dates,” Layela said, smiling up at him, “but may I have your belt?”
Ardin’s eyes lit and he handed her the belt without a word.
“Thank you.” She turned it in her hand. The back of the synthetic leather belt was bland, except for one cross section running parallel to its length. She folded it, pushed on it, and from a hidden compartment came a little pin, small enough to fit into the hole her carefully trained fingers had found. Finding the pin made her wonder why the government had not stopped giving their guards this safety precaution. As though they didn’t really believe the gassing chambers would remain obsolete.
She pulled the pin out and smiled victoriously.
“Ready to get out of here?” She held it up.
Ardin stepped to the door, listening.
“Sounds like it’s clear,” he announced as he stepped back and headed for Lang.
Layela found the small hole again, pushing the pin in without hesitation, and heard the latch release.
Carefully she opened the door, looking down both ends of the corridor before signalling to Ardin, who was shouldering Lang.
“This way,” Ardin whispered, and Layela gently closed the door behind them. She hesitated for a moment and wondered if her chances of escape would be greater if she continued alone. Incoming voices from the other corridor convinced her otherwise, and she quickly followed the rogue and the drunk.
i
Ardin’s trigger finger twitched on his gun as he hugged the corner, unspent adrenaline pulsing in his veins. Beside him, Lang fought to quiet his gasps. The girl was as quiet as a mouse, and despite her injuries, easily kept pace.
Lang began wheezing and Ardin fought the urge to knock him out. If he did so, he would need to carry him and, although he was certain the girl’s array of skills included guns, the thought of trusting their safety to a stranger’s hands left an empty pit in his stomach. Especially when that stranger was more than likely a thief. Not that he could boast a better background, but there was a reason he only trusted his own.
He took a deep breath and carefully looked around the corner. Three guards walked down an adjacent corridor and traded jokes, speaking ruefully of the colonel’s latest catch and what they would do to her if he left her in their care.
Ardin withdrew and looked back, the girl’s face bright red despite the emerging bruises. He caught her eyes and smiled reassuringly, nodding towards the corridor.
She understood right away and shouldered Lang, her face drawn but determined as they trekked down the metal hall. Ardin passed them and kept an eye out for more guards, his jaw tense with frustration. Gullwing’s guards certainly made up for their ill-discipline and lack of training with their sheer number.
The blue lights multiplied on the metal walls, their glow weaker as the three trekked down the furthest corridors. Ardin heard a shuttle fly over them, the walls almost fully concealing the familiar noise. He took a deep breath and allowed himself a quick smile. They were nearing the shuttle bay.
He cast a quick glance back. Lang’s left shoulder collided with the wall often as he stumbled forward, but he managed to keep pace. The girl, Lilac, kept a close eye on him, for which Ardin was grateful. One less thing for him to worry about.
She looked forward and their eyes locked for a moment. In the cold room, her eyes had already proved striking, but here, in the blue light, her eyes seemed to be lit from within and without. Even her long lashes didn’t seem enough to break the reach of the light, as though it knew no end in her.
Ardin forced himself to pull away, turning around just in time to see, in the reflection of the upcoming wall, two guards about to round the corner.
No time to get away! He aimed his gun and fired the second they crossed into the hallway, hitting the first guard in the knee. Blood exploded and he screamed in agony, throwing himself back. The second guard froze, his eyes wide as Ardin shot him in the shoulder.
