“But after the computer’s zapped, you’ll be able to take back control?”
“Don’t see why not.”
Between sleeping, working for Lamont and searching Sector D4, I didn’t have much time for listening to the mics or forimplementing the other part of my plan—talking to Hank and Emek. I tried to think of a better way to organize my time.
Logan picked up the button mic I had brought and fiddled with it. He snapped it onto my uniform. “All you have to do is turn it once to the right and it’ll go to this receiver only.” Dropping a small earring into my palm, he grabbed the other mic, adjusted it and gave it to me. I placed the set into my tool belt.
When he handed me the other receiver, I went into the washroom. The cut on my earlobe had healed, but a tiny hole remained. It wasn’t big enough, but it was better than nothing. I pushed the receiver through my earlobe in one quick motion. It stung and I guess I could have waited until I returned to the infirmary and used lidocaine. Oh well. Waiting had never been one of my best traits. And looking at my reflection in the mirror, keeping my hair neat seemed to be another impossible task.
I contemplated cutting my hair as I untangled my messy braid. The knots in my hair resisted my fingers and I couldn’t find a comb. When I peeked out to ask Logan, he sat cross-legged in the middle of the room with one of his gadgets nestled in his lap. I noticed how he squinted and brought objects up close to his eyes.
The computer beeped. He hopped up and sprinted to the monitor. “Someone’s coming,” he said.
My cue to leave. “See you later.” I crossed the room and climbed up the wall to the open shaft.
“Trella, wait.”
“Why?”
“It’s not my keepers. Look.”
I glanced over and almost lost my grip. On the screen was a moving picture of Anne-Jade and Riley walking down the hallway. They kept peering back over their shoulders as if worried someone followed them.
“Wow, Logan that’s amazing! How did?—”
“They’re here to rescue me,” Logan said. He grinned, but an instant later alarm replaced his excitement. “If they mess with the locks, we’re done. They’re wired to set off an alarm if not opened in the proper order. You have to stop them!”
CHAPTER 12
“What’s the proper order?”I asked.
“No time and it doesn’t matter.” He waved his arm.
The tracer. How could I forget?
“Hurry,” he said.
I climbed into the air shaft and crawled the short distance to the hallway in front of Logan’s locked door. Anne-Jade’s hushed voice drifted up. Without hesitation, I popped the vent open and dropped down almost on top of them.
They both jumped back in surprise. Anne-Jade pulled her stunner. I braced for the sizzle slap of the weapon, but she lowered it.
“Trella?” Her shocked expression didn’t last long. “What are you doing here?” she demanded. “How?—”
I held up a hand. “If you try to open Logan’s door, you’ll set off an alarm.”
“How—”
“He can’t be rescued anyway. He has a tracer.”
“Really?” Anne-Jade didn’t sound convinced. “Yet you managed to circumvent the tracer in your arm.”
I noticed she didn’t put her weapon away. Although Riley’s gaze burned on my skin, I resisted glancing at him. “What I did won’t work for him.”
“I already anticipated the tracer. We’re planning to cut it out,” she said.
“And alert the Controllers?”
“We have a safe place to hide him,” Riley said.
