He tries wriggling free, so I tighten the hold on his neck, squeezing it until I cut off his oxygen. Then he starts doing a fun little tap dance like he believes waving wildly and patting me on the arm like we’re ol’ pals will save his life… and this time it does.
He gasps for breath as I reach the door.
“Could you keep the wheezing and coughing down a bit? We’re trying to be discreet.”
The look he gives me is honestly impressive.
I grab the doorknob but find it locked. “Where’s the key?”
“F-Fuck if I know. W-We never lock these doors,” he wheezes out. “I’m going to make you regret existing.”
“Me? You harassed my child and then dragged me here and ordered me to do your dirty work and now you’re mad atme? You jest.”
“Fuck you.”
The door I’m wanting to get through is locked and pretty solid, so I doubt I’ll be able to break through it, but I still throw Teo’s body at it. He smashes into it and I nod approvingly. “Nice solid doors. Only nice thing about this place.”
“What the fuck was that for?” he asks.
“I was just testing the durability of the doors,” I assure him. “It wasn’t at all me venting my irritation from dealing with you.”
“I think I saw it wiggle a little, test it again,” Sophia urges.
“I think I might,” I say before I test him on another door. This onealsodoesn’t open when his body smashes into it. Deciding that ramming Teo against the doors is only pleasing me and isn’t actually fixing anything, I pass him off to Sophia. “I have thisstrangefeeling that whoever did this is trying to drive us to a certain location, which they’re doing by locking all doors theydon’t want us to go through.” I quickly contact Cassel and check my phone for the next best path. The lock on the door looks like it’s resistant to lockpicking. That probably doesn’t mean that it can’t be done, but I’m not quite sure my skills are high enough to do it. I could waste time trying, but before going that far, I want to make sure I’m going the best way. “Cassel, I think we’re in a bit of a pickle.”
“I know. I’m doing my best. I’m trying to get into the system. They knew what they were doing when it came to security,” he says.
“I think there’s a third party here and they’re trying to drive us toward a certain area. I have to assume they’re here for Teo’s head, so I’m hoping I can simply roll Teo over to them and exit the estate with Cam intact. Maybe a quick high five and be on our way.”
“Don’t high-five strangers who may or may not want to kill you,” Cassel says, which explains why he’s never the life of the party.
“Low five?”
“No five.”
“So picky,” I say. I stare at the door that should lead us closer to Cam before looking back at the door they’re trying to direct us through.
“Sophia, how are your lockpicking skills?” I ask.
“I learned how to lockpick well before those kinds of locks were invented,” she says, eyeing the door with an electronic lock.
I take Teo back from her and move him toward the only door that appears to be unlocked. I pull it open and look over at the blood streaked across the floor. This time, there are no bodies to be found, which is likely a bigger problem than one would think.
If someone has time to murder this many people and then drag the bodies off… I’m not sure I want to deal with them. I feel like I’d rather take my people and get them to safety.
“Leland, you still there?” Cassel asks.
“Yes.”
“I’ve broken into their system… and it doesn’t look the best. Jackson and Henry have located the room Cam is in, but this third party… they’ve cut off Everly’s and Tavish’s exit. They’re herding them toward an open room.”
“Could Everly use Tavish’s body as a shield and get out of there?” I ask.
“I can’t connect to them. I think one of them is hurt since I see blood on them. Leland, you guys need to get out of there. The situation is too unstable. We’ve lost control of it.”
“The third party has Everly and Tavish?” I ask.
“Yes.”
