“Move, now!” Jasper orders.
We sprint for the closing elevator, knowing if we don’t make it we’re stuck down here. But that’s not an option. Accessing my superspeed, I take the lead and reach the elevator just before the door closes. I slide between it and the wall and hold it open. It takes all the strength in my lanky arms to keep the thing from closing and crushing me but I manage to just long enough for Omar and Jasper to dive through. The door slams shut with a bang.
For a second we stand in the elevator not knowing what to do.
“Won’t they just stop the elevator from working so they can trap us here?” Omar says.
“Maybe,” Jasper says, running a thinking hand through his hair. “But if this fob was able to unlock a cell maybe it can override the elevator too?”
He swipes at another panel but it doesn’t do anything. The light blinks red, time after time.
“Don’t you have some alpha authority or something?” Omar asks, leaning against the back wall. “Can’t you override the system?”
“It doesn’t work like that,” Jasper says.
“Man, sucks to be you.”
Jasper turns in a circle looking for some way to get this dumb elevator to move but there doesn’t seem to be anything he can do.
“Nothing?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “This place will be flooding with gammas. There’s no way we can get past that many wolves.”
Omar lets his head flop against the wall. “Great plan, boyos.”
“Wait,” I say. “You said this place will be flooded with wolves, right?”
“Any second now,” Jasper responds.
“When we were upstairs I couldn’t sense anything, like the walls were built to block out any wolf energy. But down here it was different. If there are more wolves up there now though the energy will be stronger—maybe if I can latch on to it I can do something.”
“Do you think you’re up to that?” Jasper says.
No, no I really do not.“There’s no other option.”
“We can help,” Omar says. “Use our energy to amplify your own.”
“I can do that?”
“That’s how you were able to access the lunar plane. Yoki and I transferred some of our energy to you.”
“Is that why you fell asleep?”
“Nah.” He shrugs. “You were out for so long and I was mad tired.”
“Well,” I say, glancing between them both, “if you think it will help.”
“It will,” Omar says and holds out his hand.
I glance at Jasper, swallow, and then take Omar’s hand. I reach out for Jasper on my other side and he takes a breath before returning the gesture. Then Omar holds out his free hand, nodding at Jasper to take it. Jasper stares at it like it’s a dead fish.
“Come on, dude. We need to complete the circle.”
Jasper presses his lips together, settles his face, and takes Omar’s hand.
“Good,” Omar says calmly. “Now try and gather the energy in your core, channel your inner wolf, and when you have it centered, send it to Max. Max, you’ll know when the time is right. And uh”—he looks at Jasper once more—“it helps if you close your eyes.”
Jasper gives a subtle roll of his eyes first, but does what he’s told. Next Omar gives me a reassuring nod and closes his. Then I close mine.
