Chapter 108 Unlikely Savior
Melissa and the others tumbled down the stairs, the elevator had been rendered immovable by the explosion and the entire hotel room was on alarm. She could hear a recorded voice speak through tiny speakers as they ran along.
"Please evacuate the facility as quickly as possible, this is not a drill!" the recorded voice repeated over and over.
All this was background noise to Melissa, all of her thoughts and focus were with the emotional link with Richard. She just kept discerning every subtle emotion he was making. She hated that she was leaving him behind, but she had no choice. As a leader, she needed to make rapt choices with a level headed view.
She was doing what was best for her crew. First, she needed to protect the asset and the important members of her court. It was just right for her bodyguard to stay behind and fight for her.
"I am good now," Beatrice said beside her. "I am good." She repeated, her eyes blank and expressionless. It had that same empty but determined look it used to have. Then Melissa couldn't even get a bearing of what was going on in Beatrice's mind but now that she could sense her emotions; it was better.
She tugged at Beatrice's emotion and a wave of disappointment hit her. "Beatrice," she glanced into her face and held her hand for a moment, the gesture stopping her in the tracks. This isn't anyone's fault," she gripped the hand tighter, trying to instil the words into her but she knew such words were not really going to be effective with Beatrice. So she added a little spice. "We only fail if anything happens to any of us today. So focus on keeping us all alive."
As she said this, Beatrice nodded and Melissa could feel the turmoil in her heart settle down a bit. That was how Beatrice was, she always needed to use an activity to cope, so telling her there was still a job left to do would certainly ease her mind.
They were about to continue moving when a scream rang from the floor above them. The floor they'd just left, but it wasn't Richard's voice. She drove through their telepathic link immediately, almost blasting him with her anxiety. "Richard, are you okay?" she asked.
First there was dead silence, both telepathically and physically. No one said anything, no one moved and time decided to move slower than natural. Melissa could hear her own heartbeat as it went faster than she thought it could ever go, her eyes were reddening and at last she heard the answer. "I am okay," he said through the link. "Heading over to you guys now."
It was impossible to discern emotions or tone with a telepathic voice but Melissa could sense his lethargy, he was tired. They needed to get out of here fast. They kept on walking down the staircase, Avalors at last coming back into consciousness.
"I feel as if someone slammed me into a concrete wall," he said as he groaned, telling Margaret to let him walk on his own.
"Someone did slam you into a concrete wall," Margaret replied to him with a smile.
"Where is Richard?"he asked, his eyes darting around.
Melissa glanced at him with a sad face, probably realising she had sent the wrong information with her look because Avalors' facial expression started to look depressed every passing second- so she quickly added. "He is fine, he is coming."
Avalors exhaled and shook his head and they continued their descent. The stairs were made in a spiral shape, each of the segments connected to a floor, so the moment a floor is passed you can glance down and see the other rows of stairs. Instinctively, just out of sheer curiosity, Melissa did and on the second floor, she could see a number of suited people rushing upwards.
She stopped and the others stared back at her. "What?" Margaret asked.
"They are here," she said, pointing downward.
The others glanced downwards in curiosity, confirming her fears. "Oh, we are toast," Margaret said. "I think, you should just hand me to them, I think that will make all this safer," she began.
"So why don't I throw you off the stairs myself then?” Beatrice snapped in annoyance, her voice clear and assertive.
"What do we do then?" she asked.
"You guys, keep coming," Beateice said. "I will clear the way," then she turned to Avalors. "The Luna is number one priority," she held his hand before jumping off the stairs, roaring as she went.
Melissa couldn't even say a word when she landed on the second floor. “Damn," she said, making for the side of the stairs herself, but then she heard his voice. "Stop," Richard said from above and she glanced up to see him peeping from the upper stairs, a floor above them.
As it would seem, everyone had evacuated the building now and the entire hotel was now a kill zone. Richard used his darkness, instead of jumping as Melissa and the others continued with running. By the time they'd reached the second floor, the men in black suits were on the floor, either unconscious or sprawling in pain with Richard and Beatrice standing in the midst of it. About a dozen people, rendered immobile by just two wolves.
Melissa could only smile , she reaffirmed that she was surrounded by powerful people. She smiled and they headed downwards together. They stood at the first floor and they could hear voices of people chatting outside. If they walked out now, their identity would be exposed to the civilians and it would raise questions. They all seemed to realise this at the same time as they all stopped walking at the same time.
"Over here," a voice whispered from behind them and they glanced back. Melissa raised her eyes in surprise. It was Arabella Clover standing at the door and gesturing for them to come. Behind her was a secret exit door that was opened widely. They didn't think twice before rushing towards her.