Tremble (Denazen #3)(76)

The agent let out a growl, still trying and failing to get to the bar. I was about to tell him we should work together, but my stomach lurched as the car began to fall again.

The guy screamed, losing his balance and lurching to the side—and over the edge. He caught the rim of the car, but by the time I crept toward him, his fingers had started to slide. “Here.” I extended my arm. “Let me help you!”

He didn’t argue, making a move to take my hand. But a terrible squeal filled the air, and the car jerked a few feet. The sudden shift dislodged his grip from the elevator.

I peered over the side and watched the darkness below swallow him. He didn’t scream, which made the whole thing more eerie. Despite the fact that he was an agent and had technically tried to kill me, I said a silent prayer for him. No one deserved to die like that.

Standing, I took a deep breath and was careful to move slowly as I inched across the top of the car to the wall. I had no intention of falling to the same fate as the agent.

The elevator had slipped a few feet and I saw a bar with a floor door beside it. There was a good chance I could reach it. If successful, I could swing to the small ledge and hopefully pry the doors open.

On tiptoes, I reached for the bar and prayed Kale and Aubrey were having better luck than I was. My fingers brushed the surface, but I was too far away to wrap them around for a good grip. The car shimmied, and I was sure it would continue its plunge, but it remained still. Deep breath. I could do this.

I tried leaning forward and stretching, but it was no use. I was a hair too short. My only chance was to jump and hope I caught it on the first try. Any sudden movements would send the car crashing down.

“Okay, Dez,” I said to myself. There was a slight echo and the hint of smoke. “This is just another stunt. Something they said you couldn’t do.”

I thought about Kale and how my life had changed since he’d stumbled into it. I wasn’t a believer in fate. We all made our own way—despite what Ginger would have me believe. And my way was to live a long, crazy life with Kale by my side. It didn’t end at the bottom of an elevator shaft in a Denazen building.

Bending my knees slightly, I arched my back, arms up, and jumped.

For a drawn-out moment, there was nothing but air beneath my feet. A bubble of panic formed in my chest, but it faded as my fingers closed around the cool metal, right hand locking like a vice.

A moment of victory, followed by one of terror as my left hand slipped off. The car beneath quaked as I used the tip of my sneaker to give myself the nudge I needed to grip the bar again—this time with both hands.

With an echoing scream and a rush of stale air, the car dropped from under me, disappearing into the abyss. There was a deafening noise and a reverberating rattle as it hit the ground. Judging from the distance, I’d gotten off just in time.

“Holy shit,” I gasped, and swung toward the small ledge. My feet touched solid ground again, and I pressed myself tight against the elevator doors with a silent prayer of thanks.

The doors weren’t as hard to pry open as I expected. I slipped through and fell to the floor to catch my breath as alarms wailed all around. I let myself rest for a moment. A short span from the count of one to ten—that was all I could afford. Kale was still here somewhere. And so was Aubrey. He’d helped us, and I wouldn’t leave him behind any more than I would have one of the others. Whether he liked it or not, he was one of us now.

I wondered what this would do to his relationship with Able…

By the time I got to ten, I was on my feet and running. The building had erupted into chaos. People were running down the hall—some with fire extinguishers and others with boxes and stacks of papers. They were all too busy to pay any attention to me.

Room after room was the same. People trying to put out little fires everywhere.

I stopped short as I passed the holding room where they’d kept me earlier. There was someone inside. Flash of flannel and a mop of unruly dark hair. “Vince?”

He looked up from the charred remains of the desk, startled. “Dez!” Stepping to me, he threw his arms around me and squeezed. “You’re all right!”

I returned the hug, slightly awkward, and pulled away. Vince was a nice guy and all, but we’d never been hug-friendly. “What are you doing in here? What’s going on? Are the others here, too?”

“Whoa. Slow down.” He took a deep breath. “We got a tip that the vial was in here. I’m searching while Sue and Dax and the others take the guided tour with your friend Aubrey.”

“Kale! Where’s Kale? Have you seen him?”

“He’s looking for you. I think Denazen figured out he was playing for the other team.”

“We should find the others. Regroup. This place is a madhouse, but that doesn’t mean someone won’t get bagged and tagged. Plus, whatever’s on fire is spreading. The whole place is liable to go up like a roman candle any minute now.”

Vince chuckled. “There’s no fire, Dez. This is the work of a Resident. Carley, I think her name is.”

Carley. The name sounded so familiar. It took me a moment, but I remembered where I’d heard it before. “That’s the freak-show who made me think they’d kidnapped Mom back in September.”

Vince nodded. “Apparently she’s done with Denazen.” He turned back to the desk. “Go find Kale. I have a couple places left to look, then I’m right behind. I want to be sure we don’t miss it.”