On their dash up the stairs, she only allowed herself a swift glance at the door leading to the floor with her and Luka’s cells.
When they finally reached the top floor, she glanced around the deserted hallway nervously. Seeing no sign of life, she waved her hand behind her, motioning for the women to follow toward the large, silver door at the end of the hallway. According to the map, this was the way out. She had no idea what she’d find beyond that door, but its proximity made confidence at their escape flourish.
Ice ran through her veins when Helas and Sal stepped from the shadows and blocked the door.
Alice skidded to a halt, causing some women to collide into her.
Helas gave a cruel, humorless laugh when they turned back in the direction of the staircase, only to find Gishen blocking their path.
How the hell did they all get free?
“Did you really think you could escape?” Helas taunted with a sneer. “A group of weak females?”
A loud, familiar roar sounded nearby, and a wicked grin spread over her face. “Not just a group of females.”
The women behind Alice cried out when Luka’s enraged yell sounded from near the top of the stairway. Alice looked over her shoulder to see a marvelous and terrifying sight. Luka was standing at the end of the hallway, eyes pitch-black. His naked chest rose and fell rapidly, and his gaze was fixed on her.
Without looking away, he grabbed a cowering Gishen by his throat and threw him into the wall like a ragdoll.
From in front of her, she heard Sal whisper, “He has his markings. We need to get out of here!”
Alice glanced down to his wrists in surprise and saw that there were, in fact, blue markings she hadn’t noticed before around his bloody wrists and fingers, and new black markings stretching along his forearms.
She turned to Helas, hoping to see the same fear he’d been instilling in her light up his eyes. Instead, she witnessed his cowardice.
Using an electric prod, he stunned Sal and then bolted out of the main door. She turned to Luka, hoping she could make him understand. “Luka! Get Helas!” She pointed to the still-open doorway Helas had just run through. He couldn’t get away with this. Even if they all managed to break free and get to safety, it’d be a hollow victory if Helas wasn’t punished.
Luka looked toward her finger, then the door, and curled his lip. He sprinted, running faster than anyone she’d ever seen, and caught the handle before the door fully closed.
Seemingly the bravest of the group, Vanessa leaned toward Alice. “Geez, he’s fast. Do you know him? Is he a white hat or black hat?”
“It’s a long story, but I think we can trust him. They drugged him, so he might be a little out of it right now,” Alice quickly explained before motioning for the women to follow her to the door.
Vanessa gave a derisive snort from behind her. “Yeah, well, it seems like you have him whipped, drugged and all.”
Alice scowled, feeling heat spread over her cheeks, but chose not to think about how true that statement might be. If his marks had appeared, that meant Luka thought of her as his mate. Assuming what she’d learned about mates from Helas was true, she’d have to deal with a drugged, newly mated male very soon. She could only hope he’d remain “whipped” after the threat of danger finally passed.
Alice held the electric prod in front of her when they reached the exit, where a crumpled, unmoving Sal still laid.
Keeping one eye on him, she pulled at the door handle. Locked!
Alice felt like an idiot for not thinking of this before. Of course it’d be locked! It’s a top-secret facility—why would they leave the front door open?
“What now?” an older woman with flowing white hair asked from behind her.
Alice’s mind raced. She tried to think through how they unlocked her door, but most of the time she was inside her cell when they locked and unlocked it, and Luka’s room had always been open when they’d brought her to him. She didn’t remember seeing any keys.
“The control room,” she muttered.
“What?” said Vanessa.
“Sorry, I’ve gotten used to talking to myself these days. Help me move this guy and put his hand on the door.”
A few of the women eyed the man wearily and didn’t move. Others rushed over to help.
As they hoisted Sal’s heavy weight, Alice explained, “When they took me to the control room today, that guy Helas put his palm on the door to open it. Like a scan.”
Sweat beaded Alice’s forehead as they tried to keep the man’s hand in place on the door while hefting his upper body awkwardly.
The women cheered when the door buzzed and unlocked.
A sudden groan from Sal made the women drop him and jump away. His head hit the tiled floor with a loud crack. Vanessa and Alice looked at each other with matching guilty grimaces before Vanessa finally shrugged. “Well, he was a bad guy anyway, right?”
Alice nodded, still feeling a twinge of guilt, and held the door open so the women could pass through in front of her.
When the last woman was out and only Alice remained, she took one final look at the pristine white hallway. The world that awaited her beyond these doors would be alien and probably terrifying, but at least she’d never have to see these hallways again.
On the opposite side of the doors, Alice found a set of stairs leading up to an opened hatch. Moonlight poured in, illuminating the steps as she climbed.
Taking her first deep breath of alien air, she stepped into the night.
The women
