Page 13 of Omega Ruined

Several rooms still had the doors closed, the sounds of rutting echoing from inside and making me nauseous. None of the other omegas spoke, but I was used to the silence after the ORC. We just trailed along the hallway and down the stairs.

The cafeteria was on the first floor, in a huge room with windows that looked out onto a patch of grass. A massive concrete block wall stood just a few feet away, topped with razor wire. Was it meant to keep evil out or the omegas in? Probably the latter.

The row of omegas filed past the counter where three beta women in hairnets plopped food onto our trays. At least the food looked better than what we'd been given at the center. My tray held a baked potato with cheese, salad with creamy dressing, and a piece of chicken breast covered in fragrant herbs when I stepped away to find a table. It smelled good, too, even with my stomach churning.

No one seemed to have an assigned table. I picked one at random and sat down without a word.

The other omegas didn't bother looking up as I started eating. They were all thin and pale, obviously having spent far too much time indoors. Was it because they'd been in the center too long or was it just that awful here? The emptiness in their eyes frightened me. All too soon, I'd be like them if I didn't get out of here.

Chapter eight

First Attempt

It only took me two weeks to figure out an escape route. Everything was so regimented in the heat den that the guards were as predictable as clockwork. I watched them from the cafeteria window every meal, memorizing how many there were and how long between rounds. After all, there was nothing better to do than sit and stare out the window while I chewed my food.

There was one beta who smoked and he always left the stairwell door ajar when he ran out to smoke. He left the exit door open as well. And he smoked at least six times a day.

When the guard left me in my room for the night, I slipped inside and put a piece of paper over the latch so the door didn't auto-lock. Then I waited, holding the paper in place until I was certain everyone was gone. They only left the one guard on each floor and tonight was the smoker.

It was nearly eleven when his footsteps walked by my room. I gripped the knob so when he tested it, the knob felt locked. He always did a quick check before going for his smoke and tonight was no different.

Once the guard was gone, I slipped out of my room and scurried down the hall, trying to stay in the shadows. There were cameras here, but hopefully no one was manning them right now.

The door to the stairwell was open, so it was easy to get to the ground floor where I listened carefully, then slipped out and down the hall to the exit. The scent of cigarette smoke filtered through the cracked door and I knew he was right outside. There was also a janitor's closet next to the exit, which I'd spotted when we were taken outside for our obligatory hour of sunlight per week.

As soon as the guard came inside and his footsteps passed the closet door, I opened it just enough to toss a wad of tissues into the gap where the exit door was slowly closing. I wasn't even certain it was a locking door, but considering how carefully we were kept, it made sense to keep it from closing.

Finally, everything was quiet and I crept to the exit, waiting until the guards walked past. I had fifteen minutes before they'd pass around here again. Grabbing my tissues, I slipped out and let the door close quietly behind me. Now the hardest part, getting out of the actual compound.

This involved getting to the staff parking lot, which was on the other side of the building. I walked carefully, timing myself to avoid catching up to the guards ahead and staying half a building behind them until I reached the path by the cafeteria that led to the parking lot. The path was surrounded by trees and shrubs, giving me lots of cover and I was finally able to almost relax.

I took my time checking each vehicle until I found an unlocked car. The backseat was dark and shadowy, so I could curl up in the footwell and wait until morning. If all went well, the staff member this car belonged to wouldn't check the backseat and would just pull out. If my luck held out and no one checked onme until morning, I might make it out of here. Usually, they didn't, so I was counting on that being the routine tonight.

My entire body was trembling from nerves as I lay there, the carpet tickling my bare legs. The night stretched on and on and the anxiety was exhausting. Every sound, every scratch of a branch on the building, made me jump.

Finally, the sky began to lighten. At any point, the night staff would start walking out to their cars. To make sure I was as hidden as possible, I curved my back and tucked my head down. Then it was just more waiting. And more waiting.

Voices sounded in the distance and I tensed, but they seemed to be chatting like normal as everyone left. Car doors slammed, engines started. And I was still in an empty vehicle.

More noises. It was impossible to tell who was where now, since I could hear footsteps all around. There was a click and suddenly, someone opened the car door.

"See you Monday, Sawyer!" A male voice sounded before he closed the door and started pulling on his seatbelt. A bag was tossed into the back seat, nearly hitting me.

The man turned on the radio and started to hum along. "Thank fuck it's Friday," he muttered, pulling out of the parking lot.

My heart leaped. It was going to work. I was going to get out of here!

The last big hurdle was the front gate. There were security guards there who kept an eye on everyone who came and went. It seemed they just waved the driver through, though, because he called out "Thanks, guys!" and then sped up, hitting the smooth asphalt a moment later.

All I had to do was remain unseen until he got out of the car and I could slip away. My heart was almost pounding out of my chest, but it was going to work. It was just a matter of figuring out where to hide now.

The driver's phone beeped and he turned down the music. Suddenly, the phone audio filled the car.

"Jasper, we have a code orange."

"Okay, I'm off duty, so don't think you can call me back. I earned this weekend," he snapped.

"She's in your car."