The MCB breachers ran down the slope and went to work on the main door. The report they radioed back was as bad as expected. “We’re drilling now, but this is thick, heat-treated steel. We’ll need a few minutes.”

“So what now?” Gutterres asked.

Cueto checked his watch. “Ask your boss for a miracle.”

* * *

Heather climbed up the ladder as fast as she could. Stricken was right behind her, and surprisingly enough, he was managing to keep up. After that was Renfroe, and even if she wouldn’t have been able to place him by the panting and gasping, the odd glow would have given him away. Behind that weird guy was the rest of the surviving STFU staff members, stretched across three floors’ worth of ladder clear back to where they started. Not that Heather could tell any of them apart because the scents drifting up the shaft were a confused mix of fear hormones.

They were right to be scared, because the Nemesis soldier had just broken the door down and was coming in after them. Heather could tell by the sound and the smell, but Renfroe could see it somehow as well. “They’re in!”

Supersoldier on top, more below, they were trapped in a vise.

“Mr. Stricken, Agent Franks is at the main gate with a bunch of MCB,” Renfroe reported.

Stricken didn’t respond. It was like he was focused on climbing, and that was it. That was odd. Normally he wouldn’t shut up, though she’d never seen him in actual danger before.

“Can you let Franks in?” Heather shouted.

“Sure, I can activate the hydraulics, but Franks will kill us,” Renfroe answered.

“He can get in line. The more Nemesis fighting Franks the fewer fighting us.”

“Okay, I’m on it. Out of my way, chumps. Autolocks released. Hydraulic cylinders engaged. Okay, Franks has an open door. I hope you’re right.”

Somehow whatever put Renfroe on the PUFF table made it so he could mess with electronics . . . That meant maybe she wouldn’t need Stricken to get the exit open after all. She was suddenly tempted to stomp on his fingers and watch him tumble down the shaft, but with her luck he’d domino the rest of them, she’d lose the other guy who could open the door, and she really didn’t have anything against the secretarial staff. Now, the armed guards, on the other hand, had been there when she’d been getting tortured, so screw those guys.

There was a loud bang at the bottom of the shaft. Nemesis had found the secret passage. They didn’t waste any time. There was a surprised shout as the last person in line got yanked off the ladder. The noise turned into screaming and violent thrashing.

“I’m coming for you, humans!” shouted the Nemesis soldier at the bottom.