19. Gone!

I launched into a full sprint. So many ways to get in, and the way she chooses is through the guard quarters? I reached the door, gun in hand. I quickly checked myself, buttoned the cuffs of the jacket then pounded the door with one fist. The light turned green and the metal slab slid away. I stepped in, smoke clearing from my eyes, and dozens of heads turned towards me.

I dropped the gun into the racks, with all the other guns, and coughed slightly. I turned back around, trying to act casual. All the guards returned to their activities. Though my acting was a bit rusty, it seemed that it was enough. I continued coughing and began heading for a door at the end of a hallway, hoping the guards would think I was going to get water.

"Hey, Kid!" I heard someone shout, and it shot me into another sprint.  "Weren't you that-" I slammed the door behind me hoping to slow my pursuers as much as possible. another hallway lay in front of me. I glanced around for a place to hide. I noticed a stack of white, metal barrels that almost completely blended into the bleach white walls. Above the top barrel was a trap door. I scrambled up as fast as i could, and burst through the door.

I yanked myself up and pulled the door closed, just as I heard the hallway door burst open. I glanced around my dark hiding place. It look as though it could be a storage attic but, nothing was stored in it. Though it was not lit, it was spotless. I noticed that light burst up in intervals in every direction as far as I could see. Except to my left because, I assumed, that was were the wall came up. I crawled over to the nearest vent and looked down. Kayla stood there in the doorway!

I almost shouted to her, but she seemed to snap out of a daze and continued down the hall. How could Kayla have come behind me? I thought I was following her! I thought in frustration, but I had no time to sit and ponder. I slid as quickly as possible along the ground, peeking down in each vent as I followed a string of lights that ran parallel to the hall. I passed over a wall below, and glanced down into a red room. Through the vent, I saw Kayla, siezed by two guards.

A guard came through the doorway. Grasping the radio on his shoulder, he calmly reported, "Commander Buxton, Sir, the intruder has returned and is ready for trial in room x3466"

Kayla kicked her captors and broke free. She jumped to her feet, but crashed into another guard coming in through an opposite door. Kayla screamed, and two other guards, heavily padded, snatched her up. Yanking her back toward the middle of the room, a stout man in black began talking. I then became aware of a rumbling that shook through my arms and shoulders. Suddenly a blast of wind shot all around me with cutting speed.

No wonder the place stays so clean. I fought to keep my grip, but it became impossible to hear anything other than whizzing pollution as it shot past me. And this is what makes this whole place a giant cloud of smoke. I thought, choking on the unclean air. I glanced down into the vent to see the guards start to drag Kayla out of the room.

I forced my muscles against the pounding wind, army crawling as fast as I could to the next vent.  I couldn't stand, so I continued my belly crawl. I did quick bursts of motion, as I made my way, from vent to vent, following Kayla and her captors.

The wind did not slow in the least. Instead it began creating a vacuum-like suction that made the vents start shooting air into my face every time I crawled over them. My eyes went dry, and it quickly became impossible for me to see into the vents. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to bring moisture back to them. Then, through the blur of pollution and air, I green light flashed on.

I squinted my eyes open, just enough to find the general direction, and followed it. I couldn't just sit and wait for the wind to stop. I pulled myself against the increasing blast, aiming for the green light... whatever it was. I got close enough to see that there was a circular wall that protruded from the otherwise endless, flat cieling.

The winds slowed slightly around this protrusion just enough for me to see in through the vents. I gasped with both excitement and dread at what I saw; Kayla was there, locked in a glowing green, glass cylinder!

Green lights swirled around her, and... she began to float! Her eyes were wide with terror, but her movements lessened as she floated higher. Her eyes darted around the bright room. Then, our eyes met! She squinted at me. She had seen me! I gasped, wondering what was happening and what to do. The wind, the bright lights, my dry eyes, all vanished from my mind. A low tone began to hum the pitch, slowly increasing. It wound higher and the green lights in the cylinder grew more dense, and faster as they swirled.

Suddenly, the note grew too high and sound like a thunder clap, erupted. I flew backwards, my hands ripped from the vent, and crashed to my back. A wave of green light flew through the vents, into the raging winds, and away into the darkness. Suddenly the wind stopped.

I jumped to my feet, flying toward the vent again. I peered through. The Cylinder was open, and Kayla... was gone!