neck.
I remained silent. The next few minutes were crucial in my plan. I didn’t want to kill Stadden, but I needed him to open the door to let Manik out. The concoction of drugs I’d given him gave me a small window of time when he’d be disorientated and I could lead him into doing what I wanted. I just had to wait for the drugs to take effect.
He rose from his chair and towered over where I was still sprawled on the floor.
“Seeing as you want the pirate so badly, I think I’ll put you in the cell right next to his.”
Stadden reached down and grasped my arm, squeezing tightly as he pulled me to my feet. He started to drag me out of the room.
Pulling back I tried to get away. Being put in a cell wasn’t part of the plan. I had to stall him for just a few moments.
I twisted and pulled, wrenching my arm painfully. His hand squeezed my arm as he yanked me forward and I cried out at the pain.
Reaching out, I grasped the doorframe as he pulled me through and hung on with every bit of strength I had. Stadden slowed and his hand relaxed around my arm just a fraction before he looked back and yanked me away from the door. Pain ripped through my hand as I was pulled away from the door.
His steps were slower, more measured as he pulled me down the hall past the closed doors and through the security guards’ storage area where they kept weapons and other equipment, past the lockers and to a wide doorway at the far end. I fought him all the way, pulling and trying to get him to let go.
Stadden faltered as we reached the door. Shaking his head, he tried to pull me through the door, but the strength had gone out of his hold. He leant one hand against the wall right beside the door and shook his head again.
“What did you give me, Merty?”
His voice was slurred, but he managed to regain his bearings and pushed me through the door.
The first cell had an active energy field sealing it closed. Manik lay on the bed, his back facing the room. Stadden stumbled behind me and almost pulled me off my feet. By the time we reached the second cell, his steps had slowed to a crawl. The slight hum of the energy field seemed louder than I knew it was.
If he put me in one of those cells, it would all be over. Manik and I would have to hope and wait for his crew to come and rescue us. If his crew came and rescued us.
I needed a little more time, but I was out. We were at the cell and Stadden was pushing me inside. The minute he let me go, I dodged around him and danced back out of the cell.
He looked at me, confusion on his face, “What are you doing, Merty?” His words were even more slurred than they had been. He teetered on his feet, swaying dangerously close to the energy field.
I stopped a few feet away from him, far enough that he couldn’t reach me.
“You were bringing me down here so I could see Manik,” I told him.
His head swung around to look in the first cell. I looked, too, because Manik needed to be awake to escape. If I had to waste valuable time waking him up and explaining to him what was happening, we might not get away.
Manik was looking back at me, his eyes wide open and alert. A little bit of relief flowed through me, but we weren’t out of danger yet.
“You just need to lower the force field for me.” I pointed at the control pad on the wall between the two cells.
Stadden turned and looked where I was pointing, but made no move towards it. Confused eyes turned back to me. His pupils were dilated and his eyes had started to glaze over.
“What are we doing here?” He looked around him, a frown creasing his ridged brow.
I walked over and took his hand, leading him towards the panel on the wall. He swayed on his feet and almost pulled me down. I had to get under his arm and support him. It took but moments to get his hand on the control panel—then the panel beeped and the energy field blinked off.
Manik was beside me in an instant, pulling me away from Stadden.
I wanted to hug Manik in
I remained silent. The next few minutes were crucial in my plan. I didn’t want to kill Stadden, but I needed him to open the door to let Manik out. The concoction of drugs I’d given him gave me a small window of time when he’d be disorientated and I could lead him into doing what I wanted. I just had to wait for the drugs to take effect.
He rose from his chair and towered over where I was still sprawled on the floor.
“Seeing as you want the pirate so badly, I think I’ll put you in the cell right next to his.”
Stadden reached down and grasped my arm, squeezing tightly as he pulled me to my feet. He started to drag me out of the room.
Pulling back I tried to get away. Being put in a cell wasn’t part of the plan. I had to stall him for just a few moments.
I twisted and pulled, wrenching my arm painfully. His hand squeezed my arm as he yanked me forward and I cried out at the pain.
Reaching out, I grasped the doorframe as he pulled me through and hung on with every bit of strength I had. Stadden slowed and his hand relaxed around my arm just a fraction before he looked back and yanked me away from the door. Pain ripped through my hand as I was pulled away from the door.
His steps were slower, more measured as he pulled me down the hall past the closed doors and through the security guards’ storage area where they kept weapons and other equipment, past the lockers and to a wide doorway at the far end. I fought him all the way, pulling and trying to get him to let go.
Stadden faltered as we reached the door. Shaking his head, he tried to pull me through the door, but the strength had gone out of his hold. He leant one hand against the wall right beside the door and shook his head again.
“What did you give me, Merty?”
His voice was slurred, but he managed to regain his bearings and pushed me through the door.
The first cell had an active energy field sealing it closed. Manik lay on the bed, his back facing the room. Stadden stumbled behind me and almost pulled me off my feet. By the time we reached the second cell, his steps had slowed to a crawl. The slight hum of the energy field seemed louder than I knew it was.
If he put me in one of those cells, it would all be over. Manik and I would have to hope and wait for his crew to come and rescue us. If his crew came and rescued us.
I needed a little more time, but I was out. We were at the cell and Stadden was pushing me inside. The minute he let me go, I dodged around him and danced back out of the cell.
He looked at me, confusion on his face, “What are you doing, Merty?” His words were even more slurred than they had been. He teetered on his feet, swaying dangerously close to the energy field.
I stopped a few feet away from him, far enough that he couldn’t reach me.
“You were bringing me down here so I could see Manik,” I told him.
His head swung around to look in the first cell. I looked, too, because Manik needed to be awake to escape. If I had to waste valuable time waking him up and explaining to him what was happening, we might not get away.
Manik was looking back at me, his eyes wide open and alert. A little bit of relief flowed through me, but we weren’t out of danger yet.
“You just need to lower the force field for me.” I pointed at the control pad on the wall between the two cells.
Stadden turned and looked where I was pointing, but made no move towards it. Confused eyes turned back to me. His pupils were dilated and his eyes had started to glaze over.
“What are we doing here?” He looked around him, a frown creasing his ridged brow.
I walked over and took his hand, leading him towards the panel on the wall. He swayed on his feet and almost pulled me down. I had to get under his arm and support him. It took but moments to get his hand on the control panel—then the panel beeped and the energy field blinked off.
Manik was beside me in an instant, pulling me away from Stadden.
I wanted to hug Manik in
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