Page 60 of Resolve
It doesn’t.
It turns without resistance, and when I tug gently on the door, it cracks open.
Holy shit.
“Kell...” I murmur, checking the crack and spotting a single guard. I carefully close the door.
It’s a trap, right? There’s no way that Charles just left the door unlocked with only one agent to guard us. That’s too careless.
But he wasn’t the last one in the room. It was one of the scientists. Did they forget?
“...which of you will have the advantage.”
No.
He was being cryptic about something again. There’s a nagging in my head that I should know what he’s talking about. He’dmentioned I could either watch or participate in something depending if I fought back. It’s safe to assume that trying to escape counts as fighting back.
This is probably a test.
I look over at Kellan. At his hunched over frame. His spread and chained arms.
I can’t let this continue. I don’t care if it is a test and I fail. If I can break him free and we can find the others, then we’ll fight our way out.
The only problem is getting him out of those chains. But I’d heard the crack when he’d been pulling on them. I just need to find it and chip away at it.
I start searching the room for anything hard or heavy, pushing things aside and checking drawers. Kellan doesn’t say a word through any of it, and I’m convinced he’s fallen asleep. It makes me try not to make too much noise so he can get some rest now.
Maybe it’s selfish and reckless of me to force us into this situation while he’s so worn out, but I can’t wait for the perfect opportunity. I don’t think things will get better with time. They’ll only get worse.
I pick up some of the knives on the floor around Kell and hide one in each boot and one at my back under my bra. The hammer that one of the scientists had been using is also still on the floor.
Perfect.
Kellan stirs when he hears the hammer striking the concrete where the metal loop for the chain is mounted. “What are you doing?”
“The door’s unlocked with only one agent out there. We’re getting out of here.”
He doesn’t say anything for a few swings. “You go. They couldcome back before you can get me free.”
“I’m not leaving without you.”
Clink. Clink. Clink.
The metal loop doesn’t budge.
“Pull on this side,” I tell him without stopping.
“Raegan...”
When I look up, he isn’t trying at all. I storm over to him, getting in his face. “If we stay here, I’ll become a breeding mare for Charles to build a mini army of destruction. Are you going to stay on your knees and let that happen? Or are you going to help me break you free so we can rescue the others and get the fuck out of here?”
Thatlights a fire in his eyes and he snaps his teeth together. He starts jerking the chain on the side where I was working, and I rush back to hammer at it at the same time. The loop starts to angle down, and I throw my strength behind every swing to keep it up.
Come on.
Comeon.
It flies free, ripping from the already-damaged concrete. I jump back to avoid it and then grin at Kell. “One to go.”
