Calm. So annoyingly calm. He stood in the middle of the corridor as if nothing was going on. As if there was not a screaming klaxon roaring. As if the red lights did not flash chaotically around them.
Jack wanted to punch him. Madelaine probably did, too. If she didn’t, Jack wanted to punch him enough for the both of them.
“What are you doing here? I thought the elevator was locked down.”
“It was. Things change quickly here.” Draven shrugged. “Besides, you weren’t trapped for an undetermined time in the unheated tower. The stairs were a viable backup.” He smiled in that annoyingly superior way he excelled at. “You didn’t think you were going to get special treatment going up and down from the tower, did you?”
Jack shook his head and decided this fight wasn’t worth the time and effort it would take. The juice really wasn’t worth the squeeze.
“Where is everyone?” Madelaine asked.
“Hopefully, doing what they’ve been trained to do. I’ll find out soon.” Draven stood perfectly still, hands clasped behind his back, as unmoved as if a klaxon wasn’t doing its best to deafen them.
The alarm didn’t seem to bother the warden. Neither did the flashing lights. Or what had to be the chaos within the walls of this prison. He looked like a man waiting for a train.
The warden’s eyes moved to the cardboard box. “You retrieved your package?”
“Yes.” Madelaine didn’t say anything else.
Jack knew they didn’t have everything they needed. They’d hoped to find out where they were supposed to go next. Winslow hadn’t known or the wily old man wasn’t able to tell them. Maybe the Red Harp Nebula would tell them, whoever or whatever that turned out to be.
Draven seemed to relax a small fraction. “So, you have what you came for.”
“Not exactly,” Madelaine admitted. “But I believe Winslow gave us everything he had.”
Draven’s eyes narrowed and he nodded. He looked over his shoulder at the corridor. The one Jack wished they were already moving through to the doors outside, so they could get to their ship as quickly as possible and leave.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked. “The truth.”
Draven nodded. “Unfortunately, your ship is no longer accessible. Outside, every route leading toward Landing Pad Twelve has been sealed.”
Now Jackreallywanted to punch him.
Draven’s radio buzzed and he pushed a button on his collar. “Go for Draven. Are we set?”
There was a tinny buzzy response that Jack couldn’t understand, but Draven looked animated. “Good. Clear the area. We’re on the way.” He did an about-face, waved for them to follow and started down the corridor at a fast clip.
Several guards hurried past at a run. Others moved toward security stations. Everyone seemed to know exactly where they were supposed to be.
Everyone except Jack. If they couldn’t get to their ship, why were they out here?
“What happened?” Madelaine asked. “What’s going on?”
Draven’s expression remained calm. “Technically, an inmate escaped.”
Jack blinked. “Escaped? Technically? What does that even mean?”
“It means he’s escaped only temporarily, which is standard operating procedure.”
“Temporarily escaped? And that’s your standard operating procedure? What are you talking about?”
Draven didn’t seem bothered by any of the chaos. “On this planet, every escape is temporary.”
The warden continued in the direction of their ship. They followed. Jack adjusted his grip on the cardboard box.
“Shouldn’t everyone be panicking or, you know, anyone?” Madelaine asked.
“No. This is all under control.” Draven kept moving.
