M. Buehrlen - The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare

“You can?” Levi said. “How?”

“For all Gesh’s high tech medical gear, he’s not too smart when it comes to security. Nobody is. I’ve been paying attention to these doors and how they lock. It’s just a simple electronic strike system. You can bypass the key card stuff. All you have to do is cut power to the strike to shut it all down. Knowing Gesh, these doors are fail secure. That means if I cut the power, the door seals shut. Nothing can release the strike. No one will be able to get through these doors without coming down here and reconnecting the power. It’ll buy us loads of time.”

Levi stared at me like I just recited a sonnet in Mandarin.

I waved a hand in front of my face. “Never mind. Just give me your key card and tell me where I can find some wire cutters.”

“Wire cutters? Are you insane? We don’t have time for wire cutters.”

I glared at him. “If you have the keys to this getaway car Gesh keeps hidden outside, then by all means, let’s make a run for it. If not, then I’m going to have to hot-wire it. And honestly, I’ve only done that once so I consider myself a little rusty.”

Levi’s eyes went wide. “You know how to hot-wire a car?”

“Levi. Focus.”

“OK, OK,” he shoved the key card in my hands. “There’s a medical closet by the surgical lab. I’m pretty sure there are some tools in there.”

An invisible boot sank into my stomach. “The closet right across from Gesh’s office?”

Levi nodded. “Still think it’s a good idea?”

I fisted my hands and set my jaw. “I’ve got this. I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”

I flew down the hall, rewinding my way through the empty maze of tunnels, swiping Levi’s key card and slipping through the sets of double doors. Levi didn’t trust my idea, but it was a heck of a lot better than his “just run as fast as you can from a swarm of security guards” plan. I had to seal the deal. Cut Gesh off at the knees. Not at the freaking elbow.

When the surgical lab came back in view, I slowed down, skimming my back along the wall and peering around corners. When I came to the hall with Gesh’s office and the medical closet, I ran on the balls of my feet, not making a sound, and slipped inside.

My heart was in my throat. Where was Gesh? Still in his office? Murdering Argus? Had Porter already ascended back to Base Life?

My eyes darted around for any sign of a toolbox. I shoved boxes of needles and rubber gloves out of the way on the shelves, peering behind them. I tipped the lids off plastic storage tubs and rummaged through packs of plastic-wrapped bandages. Nothing.

I finally came to a bulky plastic grocery bag sitting on the floor near the door. When I ripped it open, I swore under my breath.

They kept their tools in a grocery bag? For real?

I knelt on the floor and rifled through them. They were the bare bones basics: a hammer, a screwdriver, a little box of nails, a plastic container of thumbtacks. Geez, who did these tools belong to? Porter’s grandmother? Levi obviously had no idea where the maintenance workers kept the real tools.

At the very bottom of the bag, my fingers closed around a pair of scissors. “Bingo.” They would have to do. I just had to hope and pray they’d be sharp enough to cut through the power cord for the electric strike.

Before I left, I grabbed the screwdriver and hammer to use when I hot-wired Gesh’s car. Then I spun the scissors around my finger like it was Shooter’s pistol. I wasn’t going back out into the hall without some sort of weapon in my hands. Not that a pair of scissors would do much good if Gesh really did have a gun, but it made me feel safer. Perception is everything.

I stepped out into the hall, looked both ways, and took a single step. The moment my foot met the floor, I heard the unmistakable clack! of a gunshot suppressed by a silencer. It came from behind Gesh’s office door. Then I heard what sounded like a massive body slump to the floor.

Holy crap. Gesh did kill Argus.

I bolted down and around the corner, and skidded to a stop in front of the first set of double doors.

“Nummer Firrrrrrre,” I heard Gesh call out. His voice tumbled and rolled through the halls. His office door closed behind him. “Hvor errrrr duuuuu?” Where arrrrre youuuuu?

I swiped my card, saw the green light flash, heard the beep, and darted through. By the time I got to the next set of doors, I heard Gesh open the set behind me. I had to move faster.

I raced through the hallways, but Gesh didn’t run after me. I could hear his Oxford dress shoes clomping casually down the hall. He was taking his time. He wasn’t worried about losing us.

By the time I skidded around the last corner and saw Levi and Blue, I heard Gesh’s voice echo after me. “Kommer ud, kommer ud, uanset hvor du er.” Come out, come out, wherever you are.

Levi’s eyes were about to bug out of his head. “Travlt!” he shouted. Hurry!

“Help me up!”

I tossed him the key card, the screwdriver, and the hammer. He hoisted me up to the drop ceiling by the door, my foot in his hands, the scissors pressed between my lips. I pushed the ceiling tile aside. I seized hold of a plumbing pipe and pulled myself up higher, Levi still steadying me by my foot. All I needed was that one dark gray wire. That one beautiful, lovely wire that would save our skins.

There were three wires coming up from the emergency exit door. The thick white one had to be the swipe card wire. The red was for the alarm. And the gray.

The gray was my power.

I pulled the scissors from my mouth with one hand. I reached my arm out and snipped the closest wire, the red one, shutting off power to the alarm. Now when Levi opened the door, it wouldn’t go off and alert the security guards.

“Swipe your card,” I said.

He let go of my foot. My arm slipped from the pipe and I fell a few inches before I grabbed hold with my other hand, clinging for dear life, my feet dangling in midair.

Levi swiped his card through the reader. The light. The beep. He shoved Blue and his wheelchair through the doors, then he held it open with one hand. “Travlt!”

I struggled to pull myself back up onto the pipe. I reached out for the gray wire. My entire body shook as I tried to hold steady. Sweat slid into my eyes.

“Ah.” Gesh’s Oxfords slid to a halt at the end of the hall. “Der er du.” There you are.

“Ivy!” Levi shouted.

I reached as far as I could. I strained. Stretched my arm muscles to the brink. The tips of the scissor blades brushed the wire. Hot sweat blurred my vision.

“Farvel, Nummer Fire.” Goodbye, Number Four.

In the time it took him to raise his gun, I wriggled the tips of the scissor blades around that wire and clamped down hard. It sliced through with a satisfying chunk.

I let go of the pipe.

Gesh pulled the trigger.

WILL YOU REMEMBER?

I dropped to the balls of my feet, crouching down to the floor to absorb the shock. The bullet missed as I fell – I don’t know by how much – and bit right through the glass of one of the doors, leaving a perfect hole. Spiderweb cracks spread out from its center.

I dove for Levi.

Clack!

Another shot. This time through the open doors, but I didn’t see where it hit. I was too busy trying to squeeze through and shove them shut behind me.

Gesh sprang for the doors and slammed his body into them. He snatched the back of my shirt and yanked me back. Levi let out a feral yell as he rammed the doors closed with his shoulder. They locked. I hurtled myself forward but my smock was still caught between the doors.

Gesh took a step back and aimed at me through the glass. I ducked, sawing through the fabric of my shirt with the scissors. Another bullet lodged itself in the steel frame right above my head.