Not needing to be instructed twice, Isla nodded. She then gripped Bea by the hand and hurried toward her. “Cathal?” she asked.
“He’s being freed,” Jenna replied. “We’re meeting him and the others downstairs … come on.”
They emerged into the corridor, where Isla let out a startled cry and shoved Bea behind her, shrinking back at the sight of the hulking battle-droid.
“It’s all right,” Jenna gasped, making a grab for her sister-in-law. Of course, Isla would have already had a few encounters with some of these droids since the tower had been stormed. It wasn’t any wonder that the sight of another one terrified her. “This is Obsidian … and it's going to ensure we get out of here.”
“What?” Isla croaked.
“Questions later, remember?” Jenna replied, shoving her ahead of her. The thunder of running feet, and shouting to their right, warned her they’d soon have company. “This way!”
The four of them made it halfway up the first corridor when Mir-Ferrin soldiers caught up with them.
“Behind me,” Obsidian ordered.
Its three companions obeyed, shielding themselves as laser bolts scorched the wall. Their protector whipped around and returned fire.
When she peered around Obsidian, Jenna’s heart lurched in her throat.
The Mir-Ferrin soldiers weren’t alone—tall battle-droids, their bronze carapaces glinting, flanked them.
The wail of claxons began then, vibrating through the tower.
Jenna’s gut clenched. If Mican Mir-Ferrin didn’t know there were intruders before, he would now.
Another laser bolt detonated overhead, and she ducked, yanking Isla with her. “The service elevator that’ll take us back down to the landing bay isn’t far away,” she told her sister-in-law. “When I say so, run!”
Malik drew to an abrupt halt at the high-pitched alarm that shattered the dull silence in the underground detention block. Like his companion, he was wearing earplugs, yet even they couldn’t block out the noise.
Next to him, Vic sheathed his laser-blade and unslung a rifle. He then pointed forward.
Nodding, Malik followed suit, even as his pulse kicked up a notch.
He and Vic hadn’t set the alarms off—which meant Jenna and Obsidian had. Not for the first time, he doubted his decision to send Jenna with the battle-droid. His instinct was to always keep her close, yet Vic’s plan made sense.
The detention block was the most dangerous of the two destinations; Malik knew that. In truth, he was letting his feelings for the woman he’d been charged to protect cloud his judgment.
Now that he’d admitted to himself he wanted Jenna, that he’d longed for her for years, it felt as if he’d just let himself out of a self-imposed prison. But emotions were dangerous, especially at times like these.
He had to stay focused and trust that Obsidian would keep Jenna safe.
At present, he and Vic still hadn’t located the clan-lord’s cell.
Nonetheless, things had gone smoothly enough so far. They’d killed the four guards they’d encountered in the security entrance to Level 3 of the detention block, bringing down one of them, a woman who’d moved laser-fast, an instant before she reached the alarm.
They’d just jogged past Cell 750, but with the blaring claxons, there wasn’t any time to lose. Both men broke into a run.
Rounding the corner, Malik saw two battle-droids standing guard before a large window.
His pulse accelerated further, adrenaline spiking.
He’d hoped they wouldn’t have posted droids in front of the cell. However, both he and Vic had readied themselves for the eventuality. It was why they’d put in earplugs.
Vic dropped low onto one knee, firing on the battle-droids.
The guards raised their own weapons, advancing on them—and the moment they’d moved away from the front of the cell, Malik withdrew a pyro-grenade from his belt, pulled out the pin, and tossed it at them.
Both he and Vic hit the ground, covering their heads with their arms as the floor buckled and shuddered underneath them. Even with the earplugs in, the explosion vibrated through Malik and made his ears ring.
