for a leisurely brunch, but I suppose we can expedite for your circulation’s sake.”
Trinity stuffed the walkie in her back pocket, then looked at Connor expectantly. He sighed. “Yeah, yeah,” he said. “He did good, okay? What do you want, for me to give him a Medal of Honor?”
“If we pull this off, I’m buying everyone medals,” she declared as the elevator doors slid open. “Maybe even full-on trophies.”
They stepped out into a white hallway lined with doors fitted with barred windows. Thankfully there didn’t seem to be any guards on duty—maybe they were all dealing with the music fans out front. She and Connor’s gift to bend minds was vital to the mission, but it was also in limited supply. Too many minds and they’d end up out of spark. And they’d have to start taking out guards the old-fashioned way.
Trinity closed her eyes, seeking Scarlet again as they headed down the hall, Connor guiding her by the arm so she wouldn’t walk into any walls. Halfway down the corridor, she opened her eyes, turning to one of the nondescript doors. She peered into the window.
“It’s her,” she whispered to Connor. “At least I’m pretty sure it is.”
With a trembling hand, she reached for the door handle. But, of course, it was locked. She grabbed her walkie again. “Can you find the security system for the third floor?” she asked Nate. “We need to open cell door…” She scanned the area for a number. “Fourteen.”
“Hm,” Nate replied, and she could hear him typing furiously on the other end of the line, which couldn’t have been easy to do from inside a box. “I don’t think the doors unlock remotely. But I could cut power to the floor. It’d only be for a few seconds—before the emergency backup kicks on. So you’d have to move fast.”
“Okay,” she agreed, her eyes darting nervously down the hall. She didn’t know how long they had left before the guards stationed on this floor returned. And she didn’t want to be caught in the dark when they did. Drawing in a shaky breath, she wrapped her hand around the handle again. “I’m ready.”
“Wait!” Connor hissed. “I think someone’s—”
The lights cut out before he could finish, leaving them in total darkness.
“Hey!” a voice cried out. “What the hell?”
Startled, Trin let out an involuntarily squeak. Connor grabbed her hand—squeezing it tight, a signal for her to keep still. Her heart slammed against her ribs—so loudly she was almost positive the man in the hallway would be able to hear it.
What should we do? she sent Connor silently.
You get that door open, he returned. I’ll deal with this guy.
He let go of her hand, and she felt him move; he was sneaking down the hall in the direction of the shuffling sound at the other end. It was then that she remembered how good his eyesight was—from a lifetime of underground living—and felt a little better.
She turned back to the door, pushing down on the handle slowly, so it wouldn’t make a noise and alert the man to their presence. Fortunately, Nate’s trick seemed to have worked, and the door gave way easily. Unfortunately, it let out a loud groan when it did, despite her best efforts. A groan that echoed through the hallway.
“Who’s there?” the man called out. “What do you think you’re—”
Before he could finish, the emergency power kicked in, just as Nate had predicted, and the hall burst back into light. Trinity whirled around, just in time to catch sight of the guard—and Connor, who had managed to sneak up behind him. The Dragon Hunter slammed his laser pistol down onto the back of the man’s head, and he crumpled to the floor on impact, out cold. Trinity let out a breath of relief. Guess the old-fashioned way was pretty effective too.
Connor toed the guard, making sure he was truly unconscious. Then he looked back up at Trin. “Please tell me you were able to open the door.”
She grinned, bowing low and presenting him with the now-open cell. Connor raced back to her, and together they stepped inside. The emergency lights had only come on in the hallway, so the interior of the cell was still pitch-black.
“Who’s there?” a girl’s terrified voice rang out through the darkness. “Please don’t hurt me!”
Trinity’s heart flipped in her chest. It was Scarlet. It was really her!
“Scarlet, it’s me, Trinity,” she said, keeping her voice low, in case any more guards were lurking nearby. “Connor’s with me. We’re