“Run!”
P8 burst past her to take the lead. The rest of them remained close behind as they raced toward decom.
The lone guard was taken completely by surprise at their sudden, unexpected appearance. He automatically reached for his weapon, when P8 threw up a hand in the man’s direction. The guard froze in place, eyes wide, and they rushed past him without a second glance.
They managed to all crowd into the small elevator car. Inserting her key card, Cydney pressed the button. As the door slid shut, she looked at P8, pointed to the roof, then to her ear.
“I’ve got both audio and video suppressed,” he assured out loud. “But I won’t be able to do the same once we get up top.”
She nodded to show she understood. “We go left as soon as we get to ground level. Head out the door as fast as you can. We have to use the card to get into the building, but not to leave, so there’s nothing to stop us except the security guard. Once outside, take a right and follow the walkway to the garage. I’m parked on the first level, slot seventy-seven. It’s a silver Eagle SUV.”
“Is it locked?” F8 asked.
“Yes, but I’ll unlock it before we get to it.”
They gave her a questioning look. She answered with a grin.
“Trust me. You have decades of technology to catch up with.”
The door dinged as the platform beneath their feet jiggled slightly. When it slid open, they rushed for the front entrance. Along the way, P8 threw his hand up again in the face of the lone security guard sitting behind the desk. Like the other man, the guy froze in his chair, unblinking.
N8 saw Cydney extract a little device from her jeans pocket. She aimed in front of them as they neared the parking garage. A loud honking sound, along with flashing lights, went off inside the structure.
“It’s over there!” she yelled.
Reaching the vehicle, they dove in according to her instructions. N8 took the front passenger seat. K8, F8, and P8 crowded into the back seat as G8 and T8 climbed into the rear. Behind the wheel, Cydney pressed a button to close the liftgate and drove toward the entrance.
“You said my ID probably has a tracking device embedded in it?” she yelled over her shoulder.
“It definitely has a listening device in it,” F8 answered.
“Then it’s not worth taking the chance,” she countered. “Keep your fingers crossed they haven’t deactivated my card yet, or we won’t be able to get out.”
Pulling up to the kiosk, she inserted her card. When the light went green, and the reinforced gate started rising, she let out a sigh of relief. Pulling out of the garage, she tossed the lanyard into the shrubbery lining the driveway.
“Now let’s see them try to find us.” She glanced into the rearview mirror. “You guys good back there? Sorry if it’s a bit cramped. I wasn’t thinking I’d be hauling seven adults in this thing when I bought it.”
“We’re good,” T8 reassured her.
She made certain to keep to the speed limit. N8 noticed her constantly checking the speedometer as they drove down a main boulevard. Behind them, the guys were gawking like little kids at their first glimpse of the real world, and he chuckled.
“Now you know howIfelt.”
“This is incredible!” K8’s voice hitched, and she covered her mouth with her hand. F8 reached over to hug her.
“It’s all right to cry. We all are,” the woman told her.
“I can’t believe how warm it is,” P8 remarked. “Why isn’t it cold?”
Cydney snickered. “It’s the middle of the summer. If you think it’s warm now, wait until the sun comes up. It’s supposed to be in the nineties tomorrow.”
N8 glanced around. No longer hindered by having to look only where her eyes would let him, he craned his neck to catch the passing scenery. “Where are we going? Back to your apartment?”
“That wouldn’t be wise,” G8 commented. “We don’t know how long it’ll take before they sic their dogs on us.”
“I thought the same thing,” Cydney agreed. “P8, what did you do to those guards?”
“Nothing that would hurt them. I just neutralized their neurons for a few seconds. Just long enough to give us some time.”
