Getting away was more important than covering her ass.
The Balcoan who had grabbed her, so quick and sure it seemed as if he’d known exactly where she was as the door opened, lifted her off the ground and began carrying her down the stairs into the tunnel.
The silver pendant had gotten twisted around her neck in the struggle and her abductor had a hold of both her arms, so it took until he made it down into the tunnel for her to successfully get a hand free, yank the necklace around, and pull the silver rod out.
She flicked it to extend it, the sound a satisfying whip in the air. The Balcoan was holding her in front of him, at an angle across his body, so she flung her hand up and back so the strike would land on his shoulder.
He screamed, right in her ear, and she gave a cry of pain herself as she twisted out of his hold and fell to the ground.
Both of his hands went to his injury, coming away dark with blood, and Fiona rolled a few times to get some distance from him and then came up on her feet.
The tunnel floor was hard-packed soil, compacted, and the walls were squared off with some kind of chain fencing as if to strengthen it and keep it from collapsing. The ceiling, too, she noticed as she glanced up at it.
The Balcoan fell to his knees and Fiona edged around him, back toward the stairs.
The gash in the Balcoan’s back was deep.
Concerningly deep. She would need to get him to a hospital.
Footsteps sounded above her and she turned to look, rod in hand, then relaxed when she saw it was Hal.
He looked grim-faced, but that eased a little when he saw her.
“All right?” he called.
She nodded. “He needs a hospital.”
Hal’s eyes widened a little. “Yes.”
“Eazi, have you got everything that belongs to Paxe from here?” Fee asked.
“Yes.” Eazi’s drone appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Then we’ll close ourselves in here and follow where the tunnel leads, if you can call in an anonymous tip about seeing people entering the warehouse after your drone leaves so Security comes.”
Eazi seemed to hesitate. “I don’t want you out of my sight.”
“Hal’s with me, and I’ve got protection.” She waved the rod. She looked back over at the Balcoan who’d grabbed her, found he was half-unconscious, lying on the floor. “This guy needs a hospital and if we call Security with the tunnel open, they’ll flood the place, take us for questioning, and we’ll lose the chance to see where this leads.”
Hal walked over to the Balcoan, looked down on him. “He’s going into shock. Let’s move him into the office and then we canclose the tunnel up. If Security didn’t find it before, I don’t think they’ll find it now.”
“You’re still getting lens feed from my lens?” Fiona asked.
“Yes.” Eazi moved the drone back. “I will also inform General Olna, so she knows where to come rescue you, if that’s needed.”
Fiona smiled up at the drone. “Deal.”
She walked over to the Balcoan’s other side, and she and Hal carried him up the stairs and laid him near the door into the warehouse. “Are you going out the back window?” she asked Eazi.
“I think that’s better. Less obvious,” he said.
She waved as the drone left, and then she and Hal moved down the stairs and looked up to see how the hidden entrance worked.
“Here.” Hal leaned over and hit a button on the wall and the floor just above their heads moved, turning silently as it fitted itself back into place.
Fiona stood halfway down the stairs and looked along the dimly lit tunnel, then turned to Hal. “Like old times,” she said.
He blinked, then followed her gaze. “The secret Tecran base near Kyber’s Arm, you mean?” He took a few steps down and stopped again. “Yes. Now you mention it.”
