the doorknob on the outside, that might give us enough time to get rid of him and get away. And if he can’t get out, he’ll have access to protective gear, which means he should be okay. It’s only a gas cloud we’re worried about, right? No fire or anything?”
“Um, I think so?” I took a deep breath. Surely Dorian would be okay. We were well into the corporate section of the building now. If there were a gas cloud, it wouldn’t be like Dorian would be stuck at ground zero. “We don’t really have a choice. I say that’s the plan.”
Dorian came to another fork in the hallway and stopped again. “Which way now?”
“What’s the fastest way back to the storage tank area?” I asked.
“Straight,” Dorian said.
I felt like I had no choice but to believe him, so I did. “Okay, go.” I waved my gun, motioning for him to move forward.
We walked this way for several minutes, with Dorian pointing the way at each turn. We had to be close. Maybe I was imagining things, but I felt like I recognized some familiar landmarks from my journey in. It was time to start looking for a supply room.
We turned one more corner, and I found one.
Nash spotted it, too. “Stop,” he said.
Dorian did.
“Open the supply room door and go in,” Nash commanded.
“Aww, come on,” Dorian said. “You’re not on board with this, are you Chloe?”
I ignored him. “You get him in, I’ll get the chair,” I told Nash, and ducked into an empty office across the hall.
I emerged from the office with a chair just in time to see Dorian disappear behind the supply room door. I rolled the chair past Nash and toward the closet.
Just as I was about to securely place the chair under the doorknob, the heavy door flew open and knocked me backwards.
The chair spiraled down the hall.
I went flying into Nash, who simultaneously caught me and popped the door back so hard that it slammed into Dorian as he was trying to escape, temporarily disorienting him.
I flung my full weight on Dorian and bulldozed him back into the supply room before he could catch his balance.
The two of us careened into a metal supply shelf, and it toppled.
Boxes of masks, suits, and various other supplies slid to the floor.
I fell on Dorian, who fell on the shelving. I heard a crack, and Dorian groaned.
I immediately rolled off Dorian, not wanting to physically touch him for longer than I had to.
It appeared that Dorian had broken some ribs, because he didn’t move. He had fallen directly on top of the edge of the shelf, which meant it could be a pretty bad break.
Or, the crack I had heard might not have been his ribs at all. It could have been caused by any number of things hitting the floor. Would it be wrong of me to hope for a bone break?
In the scuffle, I’d lost my gun.
I backed away slowly, scanning the floor for the gun. Nash stood in the doorway, covering me.
I felt guilty for having to leave Dorian like this, but what else could I do?
Dorian continued to lay across the downed shelving unit, wincing with pain.
I finally spotted my gun lying on the floor by Dorian’s hand between the shelving.
I consciously refused to look at it, for fear that I would alert Dorian to the fact that it was there.
Pretending concern, and wanting to get closer to the gun so I could pick it up, I stood and stepped back toward Dorian.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I think you broke my ribs,” he moaned.
“I’m sorry,” I said, and I think there was a small part of me that actually meant it—but only because he looked like he was in so much pain.
“Chloe, get away from him!” Nash warned. He clearly couldn’t see the gun from his angle. I had to recover it, or we’d be at a huge disadvantage.
I ignored Nash and stepped over the shelving to lean over Dorian.
Involuntarily, and despite my best intentions, I glanced at the gun. Dorian, being an expert people reader, followed my eyes and saw it too.
I lunged for it, but Dorian was closer and quicker. In a flash, he had me by the hair with the gun pointed straight at my temple.
Nash swore. “You never listen, do you?” he said.
“Let me guess,” I said to Dorian. “Your ribs aren’t really broken. Nicely played. You fooled even me.”
“About time. I was beginning to think I couldn’t