Uprising by Jessica Therrien Page A

“We just have to find a way to open it.” William ran his hands along the rough stone, looking for a loose brick or latch.
    “I don’t know,” he said, frustrated. “I can’t find anything.” My hands began to clam up, and I couldn’t keep from looking behind me. With two members of Christoph’s team dead or missing, it wouldn’t be long before he realized we were here.
    “Maybe there is no lock or trick,” I said, desperate to move on. I pushed with everything I had against the wall, but it didn’t budge. “Come. On. Open.” I kicked the solid rock out of anger.
    “Elyse, it moved,” Kara said in amazement. “The rock moved.”
    I was on my knees in less than a second, prying the loose rock from the wall, but the brief moment of hope was crushed by what I saw behind it.
    “It’s a lock,” I sighed, discouraged yet again.
    “Well, let me see,” Mac said pushing me aside. I knew what he was thinking, that maybe he could use brute force to break it, but this wasn’t some flimsy padlock. It was a deadbolt that needed two keys to open it. We might as well be trying to crack a bank vault.
    “Maybe we can pick it,” William suggested. I looked over my shoulder, down the narrow passage, wondering how long it would be before they would come for Victor, for us.
    Kara realized it at the same time I did, maybe because she had seen the thought come into formation—Victor.
    “I’ll be right back,” I said, without asking for permission. “Victor might have the keys,” Kara answered William’s confused look.
    The body came into view within minutes of me sprinting, and even though the sight of him made me recoil inside, I moved forward without slowing. I tried not to look at him while I fumbled through his pockets, afraid if I did glance into his lifeless eyes, the image would haunt me forever.
    I’d found nothing and was starting to lose hope when I heard something not too far off. I froze, straining my ears, and willing the blood pulsing loudly in my head to cease flowing. When I realized what it was, my hands began to shake. Whispers.
    Think , I told myself. He has to have it . If it were me, where would I put the keys? I had to put myself in his shoes. Even through the fear, I smiled at the phrase. Shoes. It was my last and only option.
    I pulled them off of his feet and thanked Victor silently as I removed the double-pronged key he had kept hidden under his heel. The low raspy voices grew louder, but I had what I wanted, so I took off at full speed away from them. I just wasn’t fast enough.
    “Hey!” a man yelled after me, and as I looked back I recognized the Hunter from earlier.
    The air burned my throat as I pushed my body faster than it had ever gone. Something kicked in when I was running for my life. Instinct, adrenaline—whatever it was saved me.
    “I have the key,” I screamed while the three of them stared in shock as the Hunter chased me down.
    “Don’t let her get away!” the Hunter’s antagonizer yelled at him.
    “Kara,” I called out, knowing she could see my next move. I chucked the thick gold key with every ounce of strength I had, and she caught it in the air.
    As I bolted down the narrow hallway, the three of them worked to unlock the door. The wall swung open, heavy and slow, just in time for us to escape inside the dark room behind it. The door closed with a bang, separating all of us from the men at my heels.
    “They know we’re here,” I panted, still coming to terms with what that meant. Would they find us soon? Would they kill us when they did? Would they let everyone else go if I gave in willingly?
    “Elyse?” A meek voice sounded through the dim light, and my heart gave a leap.
    “Anna,” I answered back. “Where are you?”
    “Here.”
    I reached through the empty room with my hands trying to find her as my eyes adjusted.
    The two of them were huddled in a corner against the wall, too frail and disheartened to move. Anna still had some strength about