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I expected to see Draw’s guards standing with weapons drawn and aimed at our heads.
I expected to see them clearing up the remains of their friends, either or both of whom could already be dead.
What I did not expect to see were the armed guards speaking to three prison officers, and a pair of drones floating above their heads.
The drones snapped to attention faster than the guards, but they weren’t much slower.
The shuttlecraft sat to one side and there was no doubt in my mind we weren’t going to reach it if we attempted to bolt across now.
I slammed the door shut as the drones whirred, charging up the bolts of plasma that would fire from their underside.
The door could withstand the blast from their weapons but I took Agatha’s hand and led her away from it anyway.
I slipped the lock into place and backed away.
The attack on the door didn’t come.
“What are they doing here?” Agatha said.
“Their drones must have found something,” I said. “Or they’re only here asking questions.”
Well, they certainly got their answer when they saw us standing there.
“Come on,” I said.
I took her by the hand and led her back up the stairs.
Two flights and we were on the second floor.
The drones buzzed below like angry hornets.
They would first check the empty doorway opposite that led to the other side of the building.
It wouldn’t be long before they realized we’d headed back upstairs instead.
We ran to the window that looked out on the main clearing.
I eased it open.
Peering down, the fall wasn’t a long one but it might be enough for us to slip past the guards of both stripes.
I pulled the security device from my pocket and stabbed at the buttons before thinking better of it.
“Computer,” I said into the device. “Deactivate all security protocols on the shuttlecraft in the hangar.”
“There are multiple shuttlecraft in the hangar,” Computer said. “Please specify the model.”
I did, and Computer paused for a moment.
“All security systems are disengaged,” it said.
“Activate the engines and bring the shuttlecraft up to us,” I said.
“Negative. The shuttlecraft is not plugged into my system. It cannot be activated remotely.”
Damn.
“We’re going to have to get down there ourselves,” I said.
