Reuben, be reasonable. I think me being the injured one is everyone’s preferred choice.
“How do we escape this place without going through the main entrance?” I steer the conversation away quickly.
“Find the doors that are marked ‘unauthorized’ or ‘staff’,” Aster’s voice is suddenly on the other end. “From where you are, there should be a few on the lower level. Turn left and follow the tunnel until you get to the sixth unauthorized door.”
I’m grateful he pulled up the camera feed quickly… I just hope no one saw my dodging bullet endeavour. Maybe from their end, it’ll only seem reckless and lucky.
I can work with reckless and lucky.
It’ll also explain why Reuben is mad.
“We’ve gotta move, okay?” I instruct Kai quietly and he looks up at me with a brave expression before nodding his head. It’s the first time he has nothing snarky to say.
I rummage through the dead men until I have two more guns and shrug them into my pants.
I pause with a look at Kai, “Can you use a gun?”
“I’m not some average nobody.” His glare is so scathing, I raise my hands in surrender as he takes one of my guns.
There’s the mouth. Almost missed it.
“Six unauthorized doors down this way,” I instruct him. “Go and I’ll follow you.”
He leads the way as we jog down the corridor. The men on the outside will realize what’s happened soon. We need to be gone before then.
The sixth door Aster pointed out leads us to an alley on the surface, near the main road.
Aster gives us directions swiftly, turning us this way and that through the streets, but even then, the voices of men are not far behind. They’re on our heels.
“It’s the cameras,” I’m slightly breathless when I realize it. “If you can see us, someone else can see us too. That’s how they know where we are.” I look around quickly, “Which alleys have no cameras?”
“The one to your right,” Aster’s instructions are immediate. “But we won’t be able to help you past that point.”
“Understood.”
I take Kai down the new alley. It’s a narrow strip of road that could only hold about five men from wall to wall.
“If Kai comes out of this alley, will they be able to see him on any cameras?” I ask.
“Not if he follows our instructions.”
I turn to Kai. My heart is pounding and my muscles are burning from the constant movement. He’s trying not to look breathless beside me, but the rise and fall of his chest is deep and desperate. There’s a glimmer of pride for how well he’s been pacing himself through this.
I hand him the phone, “You heard Aster. Take this and he’ll lead you away from here without being spotted.”
“What—about you?” He huffs with wide eyes.
My lips are pursed tightly, “I’m going to hold them here.”
Suddenly, Reuben’s voice is on the other line, “Christian, there’s more than fifteen men—”
“I can hold them here,” I assure him. “I can buy enough time at least for Kai to get away.”
“No—” Kai grabs the hem of my shirt. “We can go together. A—A Taiga doesn’t leave his men behind—”
“Don’t be afraid,” I scold him and his eyes become glassy. I grip his shoulders tightly, forcing him to meet my eyes. “And don’t waver, understand?Don’t look back.”
The voices of the men are getting closer and Kai looks between me and the direction of the voices with hesitation in his eyes.
