Terrier knew Peter was right, but it didn’t make it any easier to hear. He didn’t know what to do. When he looked at the glass ceiling again, the generals were all in front of her, and there was no one to protect her.
“There has to be a way.” Murray came to stand alongside Terrier.
The former general’s forehead crinkled in thought. “Terrier’s right, they will kill her. Especially that prick Finn. I only stayed in charge so he couldn’t take over. The guy’s a monster.” He ignored Peter’s glare. “Maybe Samantha knows how to open the door. She was able to do it once when she tried to escape, and you rescued her.”
He was right—Samantha had done it once before. Terrier wasn’t sure. “That was before Advisor George messed around with the wires to override Afana’s system.” Terrier hung his head in disappointment.
General Murray shrugged. “She knew the numbers from watching, so maybe she was watching when Advisor George did the override. Worth a try, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is,” Mama Lou agreed. She joined the men in watching the ceiling. “Anything we can do to save Ryder’s life is worth a try.” She headed straight to the kids’ room and the men quickly followed.
Ryder didn’t have much chance on her own. She was a damn good fighter, one of the best Terrier had seen. However, Finn was a vicious bastard, one who served Afana’s evil will happily.
Mama Lou knocked on the door to the kids’ room, both because she didn’t want to startle them by marching in after the last few days, and also the door was locked as she’d requested. “It’s Mama Lou and my friends,” Mama Lou called.
Jasmine opened the door with her bed pole firmly gripped in her hand as though she thought a Mad would knock. She scanned behind Mama Lou and opened the door.
“Samantha, may I have a word with you?” Mama Lou asked gently, trying not to scare her. Samantha had been through a lot more than the rest of the kids. The child had witnessed some horrific sights on the higher levels when the outbreaks had happened.
Samantha gingerly walked over to Mama Lou with her head down. “You’re not in trouble. We need your help,” Mama Lou told her.
Samantha raised her tiny head, and her big brown eyes looked into Mama Lou’s. “M-my help?”
Mama Lou nodded and smiled at the little girl. “Yes, your help. Were you watching Advisor George when he was playing around with the wires?” Samantha nervously twisted her long brown hair between her fingers and Mama Lou patted her shoulder gently. “Really, you’re not in trouble. Ryder’s here and she wants to see us, but we can’t open the door.”
Samantha looked at Mama Lou oddly. “Mama Lou, you used the wrong word, silly. Ryder is a boy. You should be saying he, not she.” Samantha laughed, which warmed Mama Lou’s heart. She knew that Samantha would get through today and live a better life. Once they got her out of here, she’d be able to put it all behind her and not dwell on the past.
“Ryder was pretending to be a he so she could go outside,” Mama Lou explained, much to the joy of the children listening.
“I was thinking of doing that,” Rebecca announced proudly, “and he said it wouldn’t work!” She pointed at Luke, whose mouth fell open.
Mama Lou sniffed with emotion. “No one will have to pretend to be something they’re not once we get out of this level. Samantha, it’s really important. Do you know how to fix the wires?”
Samantha looked up at Murray with frightened eyes.
He knelt to be at Samantha’s eye-level. “I promise you won’t be in trouble, and that I will help you and your friends be free. I’m the one who should be in trouble for not helping you earlier. I’m sorry.”
Samantha stared at Murray like she was memorizing every wrinkle on his face. “Mama Lou says that if someone says they are sorry and they mean it, then you should accept it. I believe you.” She nodded. “And that if you make a promise, you can’t break it. Pinky promise,” she added, holding her finger out to Murray.
He remembered doing the pinky promise with Martin when he was little. The kids learned it down on Level Six, and they never forgot it.
General Murray’s stuck his little finger out, and Samantha wrapped her finger around his and smiled. “I know what Advisor George did to the wires, and I think I can show you how to fix them.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The generals who had been tied up regained their confidence when General Finn took charge again. They gathered in front of Ryder, who turned to make a snarky comment to Carter and realized that everyone had gone to Level Four, leaving her alone with the generals. They looked pissed, and so was Ryder. Did they really think they could get one over on her just because she was alone and outnumbered?
Ryder went for her spear. “Shut the fuck up, Finn.” She’d wanted to say that to him for years. That sharp, pointy nose was stuck so far up Afana’s asshole that when the vampire opened his mouth, you’d be able to see the tip of it. He had just been waiting for a chance like this when General Murray wasn’t here, so he could step up and be the biggest jerk.
“Get her,” General Finn told the remaining generals. Now that the odds were a little more favorable, they actually listened.
Ryder boiled with anger. “Don’t you touch me.” She pointed at the generals surrounding her.
They looked at her warily, then at General Finn, whose eyes were bulging. “What are you waiting for?” The men tried to grab Ryder, but she
