She stepped over the guard's body and walked to the next corner. No guard, but a monitor on the far corner. If she shut it down, Jack would know where she was. She didn't want that just yet.
She moved back to the vent side of the building. Where was the main power source? Did it come in off the State's resources, or was there a generator of some kind here? Her gaze came to rest on a small structure on the far side of the encampment, close to the parking lot. Generator, she thought, and housed in that building. Why she was so certain, she wasn't sure. Nor did she have the time to worry about it.
After squeezing back through the vent, she walked down to the cell that held the two women. Both glanced up expectantly when she opened the door.
"We heard the noise and hoped you would come," Lyssa said softly, rising from her bed.
"You're going to have to climb through a rather small vent." She glanced at Lyssa's stomach. "Though if you're a shapechanger, it might be easier to simply shift shape."
Lyssa rubbed a hand across her stomach. "I can't. No changer can, when they're pregnant. It's too dangerous for the developing child."
She raised her eyebrows, but didn't argue. "It's going to be tight."
"I would crawl across glass on my hands and knees, if that's what it took to get out of here."
Which was basically what she had to do. "Then follow me." She led them back to the vent. "Jan, you first."
The older woman got down on her stomach and slithered into the tunnel. It was a tight squeeze, and it was only after several minutes of indelicate pushing that Jan made it through to the other side.
"Okay," Jan whispered, and moved back from the vent.
Sam glanced at Lyssa. "Ready?"
Lyssa nodded and began to push herself through the small gap. Although she was much smaller boned than Jan, she was six months pregnant, and her stomach scraped firmly against the rough bluestone walls. She gasped several times, and slight smears of blood touched the blue-gray stones. But she didn't stop. Once her belly was free at the other end, the rest of her slid through easily.
Sam squeezed through after them, and as she climbed to her feet, she listened to the night. Nothing stirred. The strengthening wind bought with it no sound of movement. Safe for a few minutes longer. She led the two women around the corner and checked the pulse of the man she'd belted. Alive, but still out cold.
"You know how to handle one of these?" she asked, handing the laser to Lyssa.
Lyssa nodded, flicking the safety off and sighting the fence. Sam touched her hand, halting further movement.
"The fence is electrified. You shoot now, and they'll know."
"Then what do we do?"
Lyssa's blue eyes studied her for a moment, trusting and yet shrewd. Something in her gaze reminded Sam of Stephan. Even Gabriel. A determination to do what had to be done, perhaps.
"You do nothing but wait here. I'll turn off the power."
"And if we're discovered?" Jan asked, a hint of fear in her voice.
"You shoot. Don't hesitate."
Lyssa nodded. "How will we know when the power's off?"
Her smile was grim. "I intend to make a lot of noise once it is." Hopefully that would draw Jack's attention away from this area. "Once you hear it, you run, and you don't look back."
Again Lyssa nodded. Pain haunted her blue eyes.
"You okay?" she added.
Lyssa hesitated. "I scraped my belly pretty badly getting out." She shifted her hand, revealing a large, bloody tear on the front of her shirt.
"But the baby's okay?"
Lyssa smiled. "Oh yes. The child is an ox. It's just his mother who's the weakling."
"Will you make it up the hill?"