Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
I’m goading him on purpose because I know this particular soldier likes to threaten up close. And that’s exactly what I need to take advantage of the knife I’m hiding behind my back, unfolded and ready to be used.
He smiles over at me, but it’s a sinister one as he says, “Oh, there are uses for a woman’s open mouth that are so much better than speaking useless words.”
He comes closer to me and Zarah pants for him to leave me alone. Of course, he ignores her, getting to close that I have to lean back.
“Not so brave now, are you?” he taunts.
Poor choice of last words, really.
I bring the knife up so fast that he barely has time to turn his head to see what it is before it’s buried into his neck. His eyes widen as blood begins to fall to the front of my gown. I twist the knife in his neck and his hand shoots there, trying to dislodge it. Too late. I yank the knife out, and just as his body begins to collapse, I hurry to push him to the side, so I don’t get trapped beneath him.
His body hits the floor loudly and he lets out a weak groan. That’s the only sound, though, because when I sit up and look down at him, his eyes go still, staring at me even in death. Good. I’m happy I was the last thing he saw, but I don’t have long to bask in the first part of my plan going right. I have too much to still do.
“Come on, Zarah, we have to go,” I say as I get off the bed.
I crouch down to get the key card that’s pinned to his front pocket. It’s the only way to get the doors open here. The only way out.
“You go, Luna. I can hardly walk. I’ll only slow you down.”
“What did they do?”
“Well, when I told the lieutenant that I’d rather walk on hot coals than discuss my husband, he cut the bottom of my foot in retaliation. It’s … it’s bad.”
“Worth it, though?”
“Very.” She smiles for a moment, but it quickly falls. “Go, Luna. Please. If you get out and find your father, then you can come back for me.”
We both know that isn’t true. When I escape, if I escape, they’ll move her to another bunker if they don’t altogether kill her. I’ll never find her.
“We have to go. Both of us, right now. It’s our only chance, Zarah. I know it will hurt, but we have to go.”
She nods and places her feet to the ground. Even that makes her flinch and I feel so bad. But I know much more pain awaits her if we stay. I help her to stand by wrapping my arm under her arms, key card in that hand, bloody knife in the other. She groans with each step, but we walk to the door. I swipe the card and the door silently opens. I peek into the long hallway and find it empty.
“Come on,” I whisper.
We’re halfway down the hallway when the door right in front of us suddenly opens. A soldier steps out of the room, looking down as he straightens his tie. He’s clearly one of the higher up soldiers, the gun at his hip evidence of that. More than a glorified guard, he has some actual authority down here and carries more on his belt than the knife and baton that the others do. Which means, he stands in my way much more than the now dead guard in my room did.
I quickly bring my hand with the knife in it behind my back. My mind races with what to do, although, what I’ll have to do is clear. When the soldier looks up, his brows furrow in confusion, but then his eyes cast down, surely noticing the blood covering the front of my gown. His face becomes severe as his hand begins to drift the gun at his hip.
“Where is your escort?” he asks.
“He hit his head in our room,” I lie. “There’s blood everywhere. I tried to help him, but—”
“How are you out of your room?” he cuts me off, taking a step closer.
“He left the door open. I just wanted to get him some help.”
“Let’s go,” he snaps. “We’re all going back to the room.”
I nod as he comes beside me, and turn when he begins walking, so he can’t see what’s behind my back. I don’t follow him, though, pretending Zarah is slowing me down.
“Just a few more steps,” I tell her.
It works, taking the soldier just a little ahead of me. Zarah grabs onto the wall, so I don’t have to support her, and then I bring my hand from behind my back. Just as the soldier begins to turn to see why we’ve fallen back, I come behind him, reaching around to stab the knife into the middle of his chest. He shouts, so loud that I’m sure someone will have heard, and reaches back to grab my hair. Even as he pulls my head to the side, I draw the knife out and stab him again. He yanks so hard the second time that I go flying sideways, but I make sure to keep my grip on the knife even though the handle is slick with his blood.