Lost Read Free Page B

put you down,” 457 said to the smaller man, still keeping his gun trained on the prisoner.
    Guard 501 looked the prisoner over. His eye twitched once. “Just let them go,” he said again. “If we get caught, we’re taking the fall. Remy and them have already split, you know.”
    The prisoner looked at 457, who betrayed himself by flinching at this last news. But then his grip tightened on the gun. “We can’t let them go,” he said. “We have orders.”
    â€œFine,” 501 said. Then, faster than the prisoner ever would have thought possible, 501 ripped his gun from his holster and blasted a shot, sending 457 reeling backward.
    The prisoner stood there for a moment, stunned and free, as 457’s gun clattered to the floor. The woundwas in his shoulder, but it was bleeding like a geyser. He didn’t even shout out. He simply looked surprised.
    â€œWell?” 501 said, the twitch wild now. “Run, you idiot!”
    That was all he needed. The prisoner took off through a door at the far end of the room. There was another hallway, and a guard came running toward him from the other end. He raised his arms and ran, ready to give the man a swift elbow to the jaw if he tried to stop him, but the guard just ran right past him as if he weren’t even there.
    The next door opened up onto a brightly lit room that was three stories high and made almost entirely of glass. He blinked against the harshness of the light, almost appalled by it. Until he realized it was sunlight. Until he realized that those spindly things on the other side of the glass were trees.
    Salivating now, he careened toward the exit door, across a marble floor dotted with black speckles and trimmed with gold. Every second he expected someone to jump out and tackle him to that floor. Every moment he expected to hear a shot ring out or a voice call for him to stop. But nothing came. There was no one. And in moments he was tasting fresh air.
    Outside, he found himself feeling almost drunk. There were birds. There was wind. There was grass and asphalt. A fast-food wrapper skittered across the pathway in front of him, its bright red color one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen.
    A slam sounded from the compound behind him, and he realized that he wasn’t yet free. He wasn’t yet safe. He ran toward the woods that bordered the building. Ran until the branches ripped through the soles of his soft slippers. He spotted a large rock and collapsed behind it, pressing his back up against its cool, uneven surface.
    His breath was harsh and ragged. He hadn’t had this much exercise in months, and it made his heart pound dangerously. He sat for a moment and waited, gasping as quietly as possible. Listening. Waiting for the army that he was sure would be sent after him. They couldn’t really all be gone. Most of them had to be there still. And when they realized what 501 had done, they would deal with him and come after the refugee.
    He waited. He waited until his breathing normalized. Until his nose stopped running. Until his fingers were so cold, he could barely curl them.
    No one was coming. Maybe no one even realized he was gone yet.
    He stood and started to run again, cutting through the woods, just hoping he was going the right way. All he needed was a road. That, at least, would be a start. He almost laughed when he heard traffic up ahead. He was on his way. He was on his way back to her.
    From: X22
    To: Y
    Subject is en route to hospital after minor delay caused by the girl. Nothing to be concerned about. Everything has gone as planned.
    From: Y
    To: X22
    Do not let the subject out of your sight. The girl cannot get in the way again. I need not remind you of the importance of this operation. I will accept no mistakes.

fresh cut
    All that was left of him was a bloodstain and a gold tooth on the sidewalk.
    Lobotomy
    ICU, ICU, ICU . . . Intensive Care unit. This is definitely not