Reluctantly, I hold my palm out. Three tiny sparks of electricity crackle and pop across my skin like dying fireworks before snuffing out. “Yeah, but nothing helpful.”
He nods absentmindedly and begins pacing. “Okay,” he finally says, grabbing my arm and dragging me through the halls at a fast clip. “I’m going to need you to trust me.”
What’s up with everyone in this city expecting trust from people they've only met once or twice?
I don’t think they really mean trust, they’re asking for a chance to prove themselves worthy of the leap of faith. But seeing as I might have inadvertently condemned him to death and he hasn’t offered me up to save his own skin, maybe it’s my turn to prove I’m worth taking a chance on.
“Fuck, fine. What do you need me to do?”
“Cover your eyes, and hang on tight.”
I barely manage to do so before there’s a rustle of curtains and a grunt like Torin kicked a guy in the side. He grabs my hand and tugs me along, and I don’t bother fighting him, letting him race me through the worst that this floor has to offer. While it’s nerve-wracking knowing that there are people and animatronics popping out at us I can’t see, after the clown adding new fuel to my nightmares, I’m happier not having visuals. If he’s content to drag me along and handle the threats, more power to him.
“Each floor’s ventilation system is on its own circuit because of the different climates,” he announces as we round a corner, “but they connect to a center shaft for maintenance access.”
We come to a stop and he drops my hand. A second later, there’s a grunt, the clattering of a few screws hitting the ground, and I finally open my eyes. Setting the metal grate on the ground at our feet, he gives me a hard look that brokers no argument.
“Follow the path until you get to the center shaft, and there will be a ladder to get down. It should take a while until the fire breaches that section of the building, if we’re lucky, but at least it’ll get you to the main floor safely and quickly.” He tilts his head, listening for a moment, before rushing, “Climb down until you reach the bottom, but don’t open the door. I’ll meet you there, and you’ll know it’s me if I knock twice, pause, then once more. Donotopen the door otherwise; the maintenance room is one of the most secure rooms in this building, it’ll hold up against most shifters trying to break in.”
Most, he says. Super comforting.
“What if you can’t get through the door, or the stairs are impassable? How long do I wait before I take my chances and make a break for it so I don’t burn to death?”
He does a mental assessment. “Ten minutes.”
“Why can’t I just go with you?”
He grimaces. “For starters, if you’re right, it’s possible there’s someone out there looking for you. We don’t want to walk right into his trap if he set the fire to smoke you out. Two, even if you’re wrong, it’s going to hurt like a bitch to run through a burning building. Plus, there are so many people here right now, it’d be easy for us to get separated and wind up in much worse conditions. The smoke inhalation could take you out of commission faster than you think, because, not to be a dick, but if you can’t shift, I’m guessing you’re a little less resilient than the rest of us. The air ducts will buy you some extra time. Unless you have a better idea?”
Reluctantly, I shake my head. He grabs my sides, lifting me up and helping me into the ventilation shaft. “The longer you wait, the hotter it will get in there, somove!”
Shimmying my way deeper, the grate brushes against the bottom of my shoes as he fastens it back in place. It’s smart; hides the fact that I’m in here in case anyone walks by. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.
Trapped. Even if I could turn around, there’s no way out. I’m locked in, no one but Torin knows where I am, and he won’t be able to come after me if I get stuck.
It’s a tight fit, the walls brushing both of my shoulders, and they seem to get smaller with every breath I take.
Lifting my hips, I work a hand into my pocket and clutch the emergency alert keychain in a death grip, mashing my thumb down on the button.
One, two, three.
Holding it another two seconds for good measure, I squirm to free my hand and start army crawling. There’s nowhere to go but forward, and the sooner I get out of here, the better. If I linger, I’m going to freak the fuck out and hyperventilate, and get roasted alive in the makeshift oven.
Escape, it's what I do best. I can do this.
Everything is pitch black, but there’s only one way to go, so I keep inching forward. My heart thundering in my ears and shaky breaths are deafening in the cramped space, but it’s better than being trapped in silence. The crushing weight of darkness presses down on me until I’m convinced I’m being buried alive, will be trapped down here until I eventually run out of air. The only bright side is that if the fire keeps raging and burning up all of the oxygen, I won’t have to suffer for too long.
Following a slow curve, the temperature rises, so I must be near the stairwell. As much as I’m sweating my ass off, I’m beyond grateful for my long sleeves offering a buffer between me and the hot metal. Pushing myself into moving faster, my forearm suddenly meets no resistance and I almost plummet head first into the gaping pit waiting to swallow me whole.
“Shit!”
Scrabbling for purchase, I spread my legs as wide as possible to brace myself on the sides of the ventilation shaft. My palm finally finds the ledge, and I shove myself backward with a grunt. On the verge of a heart attack, I try to catch my breath.
“Okay,” I pant, gulping down air. “Need to find the ladder.”
Lifting a trembling hand, I try to bring enough electricity to my palm to see, but the best I get are a few weak sparks.
“Oh comeon,”I growl, shaking out my hand before trying again.
