He paused. Karla’s voice boomed through the sounds of panicked scrubs, ordering them to get out of her way. The sizzle slap of a stun gun increased the noise level.
“She can handle a couple of scrubs. You should worry about yourself.” He reached for his handcuffs with his right hand. “You’re under arrest for?—”
I stabbed my needle-nose pliers into his left forearm. He yelled and let go. I continued, gaining another meter closer to the vent before he lunged for me. I managed to roll away, but he snaked an arm around my waist, pinning me down. He grinned as I searched for another tool.
“You’re out, but I’m not.” He pulled a knife.
The ruckus in the other hallway spilled into ours. The LC was caught in the middle of stampeding scrubs. It would have been comical if I didn’t have an armed Pop Cop wrapped around me.
Taking advantage of the distraction, I grabbed the comb from my belt. I poked the teeth into his eyes as the crowd reached us. He let go of me, and I lost track of him as we were stepped on, kicked, and crushed. The comb was knocked from my hand, but at that moment, I didn’t care as I closed the distance to theheating vent. Removing the cover, I wormed inside and replaced the metal grate.
I pulled my aching body through the semi-dark shaft until my arms shook with exhaustion. Laying my head down, I listened as the clamor from the hall died and the angry voice of LC Karla echoed.
Only a few of her words were coherent, but two stood out. Injured and blood. Then the grating sound of a metal cutter vibrated. I turned my head. In the faint light, a thin black trail shone. I wasn’t in pain, the lower half of my body remained numb. Running my hands along my skin, I stopped when my fingers encountered wetness.
The Pop Cop’s knife had sliced a gash near my hip. I couldn’t tell how deep, but I needed to staunch the blood. The rumble of the cutter stopped and a bright light glowed behind me.
The slide step rasp of a person in the shaft reached me. I continued, but I still left a blood trail. When I arrived at an intersection, I tore a part of my coveralls and made a make-shift bandage which was soaked in no time, alarming me.
Not much more I could do, so I kept moving. If LC Karla knew about me, she must know about the others. I wondered what tipped her off. Concentrating on losing my tail, I glanced over my shoulder. I no longer left a smear of blood. Good. Next I needed to figure out where I was.
The light had changed from weak gray to blue. Bunks were visible through the slats. I had reached the scrubs’ barracks. Trying not to make a sound, I removed a vent cover and slipped out of the shaft. I replaced the cover and peered around. It was hour seventy-six and most of the bunks were occupied with sleeping scrubs.
My legs remained numb, which, by the amount of blood pouring from the gash, was a good thing. I swam across the barrack to another vent on the opposite side. This one wouldtake me to Domotor’s hide out. Once inside the shaft, I rested. My arm muscles burned with fatigue.
The trip to Domotor’s room seemed unending. By the time I reached his vent, I didn’t have the energy to remove the cover.
“Domotor,” I called. No answer. I yelled louder.
“Trella? Where are you?” he asked.
“In the heating duct.”
He rolled into view. “What’s the matter?” He bent over and yanked the cover off.
I stayed in the duct. “LC Karla tried to arrest me. She knows.”
“How much does she know?”
“I didn’t hang around to find out.”
Concern and fear filled his expression but not surprise. He had come from the right side of the room. “What have you been doing?” I asked.
Guilt flashed before he covered it. “Cleaning.”
“You haven’t tried to access those files?”
His gaze dropped to the floor. All the answer I needed. “Domotor, I told you to wait!”
“I was careful. There has to be another reason Karla’s after you,” he shot back.
“I doubt she’d bring along three Pop Cops if she wanted to follow up about my reprimand.”
“You were reprimanded?” His voice held an accusatory tone.
“For failure to finish my shift. Which is pretty damn good, considering all the extra curricular activity I’ve been doing for you.” This wasn’t productive. I drew a breath. “If she knows where you are, she’ll try and cut through the door. At least you’ll have a warning. Once you’re in custody, hold out for as long as you can before naming anyone. Give her Cog’s and Roddie’s name and then mine. Hopefully, she’ll be happy with us.”
“What are you going to do?”
