Take Back the Light

Chapter 40

"So you guys are just hanging out at Stalagmite 17 until things cool down?"

"Yeah. It's not so bad when you're not in an actual cell," Alana noted. She was walking down the main hallway of the prison with Eli, heading for the entrance, where they'd gotten word that C.C., John Bull, Locke, and Lode were stationed at the banks of the island. In her earpiece she had a connection through to Sam, who was on break at Bonnie Springs.

"What are you up to right now? Just guarding Blakk's cell?" Sam asked.

"Actually, we're heading up front. Some of Blakk's lackeys are here to break him out," Alana said breezily. For a moment, Sam was quiet.

"Umm... you're not worried about that?" Sam asked.

"It's the ones like C.C. and Locke and Lode," Alana explained. "Not exactly the biggest threats, you know?"

"Ah, I see," Sam laughed. Then there was a small bit of static on her side of the line, and a new voice spoke.

"Is that Alana? Tell her I said hi!" Max called.

"Max says hi," Sam laughed. "She's been repainting some of the hallways in the kids areas. It's really nice to have her here."

Alana smiled. "I'm sure it is," she noted as she and Eli rounded a corner and approached doors leading to a balcony just above the prison's front doors.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"Oh, nothing, hey we're at the front doors gotta go take care of these losers bye!" Alana said quickly before hanging up. Eli glanced at her and raised an eyebrow.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Max is at Bonnie Springs, and Sam's pretty happy about it," Alana said cheerfully.

Eli frowned. "So?"

Alana rolled her eyes as the two opened the balcony doors. "I'll tell you when you're older," she joked, before directing her attention to the edge of the balcony. Trixie, Kord, and Pronto stood up against the railing with a half dozen Stalagmite 17 guards.

"For victory!" a voice called down below. Alana looked over the rail and watched as C.C. charged the prison, rapidly firing ghouls from atop his yellow horse Mecha. A Grimmstone and Harmashelt knocked two guards back i to the prison's wall. Alana felt a little sorry for them- they were used to controlling the prison and monitoring prisoners, not facing ghoulfire.

C.C. rode up to the front door, almost directly below the balcony. "I'm here for Doctor Blakk! Hand him over, or there will be consequences!"

Eli smirked and stepped forward, leaning over the side of the rail and loading his blaster. "We'll take the consequences," he said, firing a Hoverbug. The slug picked up C.C., flying him up into the air and dropping him at the bank of the stone island, where Alana could briefly see John Bull, Locke, and Lode.

"Haha! And stay out!" Pronto exclaimed.

"We're lucky they're too greedy to work together," Kord noted, turning back to the two security guards who got knocked back by C.C.'s ghouls.

"Stalagmite 17 may be nearly impossible to break out of, but it's not completely impervious to someone breaking in," one of the guards said.

"Never worry!" Pronto said. "Nothing can get thrown at us that Pronto and his merry band of heroes cannot stop!"

Alana snickered and rolled her eyes, and Kord turned to her and Eli. "We've got things covered here, you two. Better get back to your post."

"Fine," Eli said, his shoulders dropping. Alana knew he didn't want to go back just as much as she did. "Call us if you need any help."