Page 27 of Chosen By the Alien King
At the state of him, white-hot rage boiled up inside me, but I shoved it down as I crossed toward the control panel that would lift the cage.Except the bunker had no power.
“Rain.”I heaved a breath, my voice coming out too shallow.“Any chance you can direct a little bit of power to the brig control panel so I can free Pete?”
“Let me see what I can do.”A pause while a few lights blinked to life on the panel.“Try it now.”
I hit the correct button and waited for what seemed like forever for the cage to lift upward.“It worked.Thanks.”
My whole body jolted at the realization I’d just thanked my child’s murderer, but I squashed those roiling emotions down.She was helping me.More importantly, she was helping Pete.For now, that was what mattered.
I rushed toward him.
A long, long pause later, Rain said softly, “You’re welcome, Nera.”
“Hey, Pete,” I whispered, trying to sound as reassuring as possible even though my voice shook at seeing him like this.“I’m here to get you out of this mess.”
His eyes widened in recognition, and he tried to speak through the gag, but all that came out was an unintelligible mumble.Carefully so I wouldn’t brush the ugly cuts on his face, I removed the gag from his mouth.
He breathed in deeply, relief flooding his face.“Guess what?”
“What?”I bent to untie him.
“I planted the scale and got the entire torture scene on film,” he rasped.
Torture?My insides wilted.Tears scorched the back of my throat.
“Even better is that I didn’t tell them shit.”
I couldn’t find my voice, and even if I could, there were no words to convey to him how sorry I was about sending him in here, so I just hauled him to his feet and hugged him.
Unsteady as he was, he hugged me right back.“Thank you, Nera.I knew you’d come for me.”
Still at a loss for words, I wiped the tears from my face and then guided him toward the door.He winced as he put weight on his bloody leg, but he didn’t complain.
“I’m so sorry, Pete,” I managed to get out.
He leaned on me for support.“I’m not.You know what I told them while they were peeling off my fingernails?”
Oh.My.Lord.I would forever be making this up to him.
“I told them, ‘I don’t sweat under pressure; I make pressure sweat.’God, I’m good at this!This video will be my audition tape for the movies.Universal Hollywood, here I come.”
I stopped in front of the door, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps while basically carrying him.“That’s awesome, Pete, but we still need to get you out of here.Do you think you can make it?”
“I can make it…anywhere.”He sounded like he was either about to pass out or was still imagining Universal Hollywood.
“All clear, Rain?”
“All clear,” she confirmed.“The others are straight down the hall, third door to your left.They may be a tad jumpy, so I would suggest you knock first.”
I opened the door, my heartbeat rioting with each step out of the brig, aware that danger lurked around every corner.Half dragging, half carrying Pete straight ahead, we finally made it to the third door on my left.I knocked lightly, and it immediately opened to a pair of eyes I’d never been so relieved to see.
“Maxx!”I said, practically falling through the door with Pete into his arms.
He caught us both and sighed heavily into my hair.“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.Pete isn’t.”
“I’ve got a black belt in justice and a PhD in kicking butt,” Pete muttered and then promptly passed out.
