Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky, #3)(29)

He ushered Kirra through the entrance to the central corridor. Roar lifted the fallen man over his shoulder. He rushed through the door just as it slid closed.

They’d made it. They were another step closer.

“Who’s she?” Soren asked.

“I’m Kirra.”

Aria raised the pistol. “Hi, Kirra.” She nodded to the man over Roar’s shoulder. “Tell us where to dump him.”

Kirra’s cheeks flushed, her temper heating. “In there. It’s a utility room. No one will find him until tomorrow.”

Quickly, Roar disposed of Sable’s man.

“Now Cinder,” Perry said to Kirra.

“This way.” She led them down the hall, this one made of black rubber panels, more a tube than a corridor.

“Time, Soren,” Perry said.

“One hour.”

They were at the halfway mark. An hour ago Soren had posed as Hess and sent the false message to the Dragonwing. In another hour that security breach would be discovered.

“Cinder’s in here,” Kirra said, stopping at a door. “There should be four other people inside. One Guardian by an observation room at the far end. Three doctors.”

Soren made a face, looking from Aria to Perry. “Am I the only one wondering why she’s helping us?”

“She’s telling the truth,” Perry said. He scented it—and that was all he needed to know. They needed to find Cinder and get out of there.

Roar moved to the door, ready to be on point. Despite their falling-out, every move Roar made was exactly what Perry wanted—exactly how they’d always fought and hunted. Reading each other’s minds, no need for words.

Perry pushed Kirra to Soren. Then he nodded at Roar, who slipped inside. Perry followed right after. They took swift control of the room. Roar overpowered the Guardian with a burst of speed, stripping the man of his weapon and pinning him to the ground.

A wall of glass divided the room into two chambers. In front of the windows was a line of desks and some medical equipment with monitoring screens. Three doctors in white coats stood there—all frozen in shock.

Looking for security cameras or alarms, Perry never broke his stride as he crossed to the windows of the observation room.

Inside, Cinder lay strapped to a hospital bed, his eyes half open, skin as pale as the sheet that covered him.

Perry fired at the hinges until the door popped loose; then he tore it open and rushed to the bed.

“Cinder.”

A thick, chemical scent came from the various bags and tubes that fed into Cinder’s arms. Perry had barely drawn a breath, but already his throat felt scraped raw by the strong scents.

“Perry?” Cinder rasped. When he blinked, Perry only saw the whites of his eyes.

“Right here. I’m going to get you out of here.”

Perry pulled out the wires and tubes attached to Cinder. He tried to be gentle, but his hands—usually steady—were shaking. When Cinder was free, Perry lifted him up, his gut twisting at the weight in his arms—too little, too light. Not enough for a boy of thirteen.

In the other room, Soren and Roar finished binding the doctors to chairs with rope. By the door, Aria had a pistol trained on Kirra.

They rushed out to the central corridor, retracing their steps as they headed back to the south end of the Komodo. Perry carried Cinder, and Roar shepherded Kirra along.

“Soren, we need pilots,” Aria said.

It was the only missing piece, but Perry’s instincts told him to abandon that part of the plan.

“Seriously? You think I can find four pilots right now?” Soren said in disbelief.

Perry caught Aria’s eye. “We’ll have to figure it out later.”

“I’m setting off the alarms,” Soren said, as they passed the equipment room from earlier.

Within seconds, the wail of sirens exploded into the air. This was part of their strategy for leaving. The alarms would signify a breach on the Komodo’s north side, where they’d just been. They hoped the diversion would draw attention away from the Hover they were about to steal on the south side.

As they reached the heavy double doors that led outside, Soren stopped short. He cast an anxious look behind him. “My father’s in here somewhere.”

“Soren, you can’t go back,” Aria said. “You have to fly us out of here.”

“Did I say I wouldn’t? I just thought I’d see him. I thought—”

“Think later.” Perry handed Cinder to Soren and moved to the doors. Not sure what they’d run into outside, he drew his gun and nodded to Roar. “Go. I’ll cover you.”

Roar released Kirra. “No. I’m staying here.”

For a moment, Perry couldn’t make sense of what Roar said. Then he scented Roar’s temper, scarlet, burning, bloodthirsty, and knew he hadn’t misunderstood.

“I’m not leaving,” Roar said. “I’m not going until I’ve found Sable and watched him die. If I don’t end this, he’ll come after Cinder again. He’ll come after you and me until we stop him. You have to cut off the head of the snake, Perry.” Roar pointed down the corridor. “The snake is in there.”

Perry couldn’t believe what he was hearing. They were seconds away. Steps from making a clean escape. “This is about revenge and nothing else. Don’t act like it isn’t.”