Tool

Chapter Twenty-Three

Her heart was beating hard, and for once, Aurelia's logical brain deserted her. She had no plan, zero chance of escape. This was it; it was all over. She couldn't help but think of Jonathon, the man who hadn't betrayed her, the man she loved. The man who would now be arrested and probably injected because she would be forced to give information about the resistance. Moreover, there was absolutely nothing she could do. She was paralyzed, tied; all she could do was wait until that door opened, and the sec Workers came in, their green uniforms glinting in the light, to take her away.

All these thoughts spun through her mind. The footsteps outside stopped, and she knew they were here for her. She took a breath but did not close her eyes. No, she would see this. She'd played a dangerous game, and she wasn't coward enough not to look her fate in the eye.

The door opened, revealing a large man holding a stunner at waist height. He moved, but Jason was fast, yanking his own stunner out of his belt and half-raising it. Too late, though. The device in the man's hand hummed, and a bright blue light flashed. Jason writhed, the light swallowing his body as it danced. Just as suddenly as it had started, the light disappeared, and Jason fell to the floor. He twitched, but Aurelia had seen enough death to know that it was a biological response to the electricity still flowing through his system and nothing more. Then he was still.

Her eyes flew from the body on the floor to the man in the doorway and back, and then to the man again. How? How had he been so fast? How had he gotten here when Tara had barely had a chance to call him?

"Nice shot, Jonathon," said Nicholas approvingly.

"I thought so," said Jonathon, grinning. "Should I untie you, or would you prefer to remain as you are?"

Nicholas pretended to think. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe freedom for me, Aurelia?"

She could only nod as Jonathon got to work untying her. Elza pushed into the room, ignoring Jason's body on the floor. She picked up items and shoved them into a bag. Finished with Aurelia, Jonathon offered her his hand and helped her stand. Then she was in his arms, feeling his warmth, his soft skin, his lips kissing her face.

"Hey!" said Nicholas. "You're not done yet!"

Jonathon grinned down at Aurelia and went to untie the clone.

Elza thrust the chess set into her bag and looked around the room, nodding. "I have everything," she said. "Let's go. Fast."

There was no time for questions or answers; Aurelia knew they were racing to get out of there before the sec Workers arrived. Jonathon grabbed the two travel bags, and they hustled from the room, breaking into a run to get up the stairs and out the door. Nicholas was the only one who spared a second to glance at Zak, but with his own life on the line, he didn't have time to mourn.

It was dark outside, and a transport pod hummed, waiting close to the exit. Jonathon opened the doors, flung the bags inside, and waited while Elza, Aurelia, and Nicholas climbed in before getting in himself. He fastened his safety belt and pressed an icon on the control panel at the same time. The pod hovered and departed. As they turned the corner, Aurelia looked out of the back window to see lights appearing at the other end of the street. They'd done it.

She heaved a huge sigh, but as she turned back to the others, she caught a glimpse of something in an alley.

"Stop!" she cried.

Jonathon heard the panic in her voice and didn't question her, immediately hitting the emergency halt button as Aurelia flung the door open.

"In here!" she shouted. "Fast!"