Another scream. Well, he no longer needed to wonder.
“Done,” the Hareema said after flipping the last switch.
“Let’s get out of here,” Drake said, standing up and pulling Jamie towards him.
“Should I form the bubble again?” the Hareema asked.
“No need,” Drake said. “The shifters are about to be so overwhelmed, they’ll be spread too thin to worry about us.”
The group departed the control room, but Jamie paused before the exit to the massive chamber. She turned towards the cages.
It was pandemonium, with creatures of every shape and side flowing out of cages and wandering around in waves. Some were fighting, some coming together. Others were starting to move towards the exit.
Drake pulled Jamie to the side to let the first group of freed prisoners through the doors. “What are you waiting for?” he asked her.
“Herman! We can’t leave him behind!”
She cupped her hands in front of her mouth and let out a yell “HERMAN!”
They waited. She yelled again.
Drake’s skin was itching, his anxiety reaching a fever pitch. “We need to get out of here. Some of these prisoners might be dangerous.”
Jamie started to pull away from him, heading towards the now-empty cages. Drake tugged her back, his features tightening with anger. “There’s no way I’m letting you go after him.”
“HERMAN!!!!” she screamed again.
At last, the scrappy little ball rolled out of the melee, heading towards them. “Thank Noruma,” Drake muttered, moving them all towards the door. “Nice of you to join us, Herman.”
“Don’t yell at him!” Jamie said, her eyes full of fire. “He was just trying to help.”
“We’ve got to go,” Drake countered. “If you want this diversion to mask our departure, then we have to go right now.”
Jamie stuck her tongue out at him, then shoved her way through the exit door. He scowled, following right behind her.
The hallways were complete chaos. Herman led the way through the masses of alien bodies and the shapeshifter guards who were trying to get things under control. It was a losing battle, as wave after wave of prisoners rushed towards their freedom.
Drake fought his way through the masses, his fists and elbows becoming bloody in the process. It felt like an eternity before they reached the entrance to the hangar where his ship was parked.
They ran through the space, headed towards his craft, when there was a large explosion. Jamie screamed and he grabbed her, throwing her to the ground. Looking up, he saw that one ship was already in the air and it had used its weapons to blow a hole in the hangar. It shot through the hole, and another followed close behind.
“Get off me,” Jamie grunted from beneath him, and Drake hurried to pull her up and brush her off.
“Apologies,” he said, “but your safety will always be my first priority.”
“I thought being an asshole was your first priority,” she grumbled, but he thought he detected a hint of humor beneath the words.
Drake pulled her hand into his and tugged her towards his ship. He tapped against the entry panel and the hatch opened. Then he walked inside, and immediately froze.
The Hareema who had taken the form of his own brother stood there, a weapon pointed in Drake’s direction.
