I glanced back at Joshua wondering what the next part of the plan would be. We saved one girl, how was this any big mission? Any great step?
“Come with us, please.” Joshua helped her stand. She had the same dazed look on her face I had when I’d first woken in the basement.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked, standing up unsteady on her feet. I helped her walk as Joshua opened the door and we rushed across the hall towards the next room. Sitting her down in a chair opposite the bed, I kept an eye on her while Joshua administered another dosage to a different patient. The same steps repeated themselves and we disappeared with her towards the third room.
By the time we’d finished the twelfth floor Joshua and I had rescued fifty-two women. Most had questions, unsure where they were and what had been going on. All had been in a dream-like state where they’d been promised wealth and fortune.
“What’s going on?” a red-haired woman asked me. “Where are we?”
I didn’t know how to explain it. I was glad Joshua offered an answer. He raised his arms to get everyone’s attention, the commotion and chatter hushed to a minimum. “Did any of you volunteer for the pregnancy initiative?” A murmur moved through the crowd. No one said yes. “We’ve provided you an antidote to the medication you’ve been given. It will take a few hours to run its course.”
“What did they do to us?” another voice echoed through the crowd.
“They put you all under a heavy sedation. They did the same to me,” I offered, trying to quiet the crowd.
Hunter stepped off the elevator. “We’re done. Let’s go!” he announced gesturing towards the elevator. “Ten at a time. We’re going down to the second floor. Olivia you’re with them.”
I gave him a curious look and glanced back at Joshua.
You’ll be fine. Go, Joshua told me. I squeezed into the elevator with the other women, heading down to the second floor. I had no idea what awaited us.
The elevator chimed and I stepped off first. Hundreds of women crowded the hallway. Hunter stepped out behind me, grabbed my arm and led me down the corridor through the massive pack of women and towards a long mirror attached to the wall. “We need you to do your thing.”
“My thing?” I asked already suspecting but not sure it was the best idea.
Gavin chimed in. “Yes, Olivia. They need a safe place to hide out for a while. Spade seems like the place to transport.”
I’d never held a window portal open long enough to accommodate so many people. I had to try, though: They all deserved a second chance. My hand reached out, touching the mirrored image and within a few seconds the metal shifted and rippled to a silver glow. The shimmer expanded as I stepped aside leaving the window between here and Spade open. I glanced around. “Where are Henry’s guards?”
“I’m here!” chimed the tallest one. “You go through first,” I announced. “I need you to secure the other side. Make sure they know we’re coming and we need help.” The guard hesitated before he stepped through and vanished. “Come on, all of you, one at a time.” I instructed sending them through the portal.
The line of women never seemed to end. From a distance I could hear the elevator ding and another group of ten followed to the back of the line. My attention focused on the window, the open portal between points to ensure it stayed open.
The building shifted with the slightest quake. “What was that?” A woman’s voice echoed in the crowd as gasps and screams erupted around us in fear.
“Quickly!” I ushered them through faster. Isaura must have been close. I eyed the far end of the hallway. I hadn’t heard the ding of the elevator and hoped everyone had already made their way to the second floor. Joshua where are you?
He pushed through the crowd coming to stand beside me. “Right here,” he announced beside my ear. The hallway was filled with fearful chatter and though it was loud I could hear him clearly. “Come on!” He helped them through while I focused my attention on steadying the mirror with each quake.
“What’s going on?” another woman shouted from the back of the line. A third tremor erupted through the building sending everyone bouncing on their feet. “What was that?”
Joshua steadied their hands, helping them into the shimmering portal as I hoped they made it through safely. One by one they all made it to the other side. Gavin and Hunter followed then Joshua. “I’m right behind you,” I promised, waiting for him to step through. He did and as I stepped forward the portal shut, the mirror fell to pieces at my feet, tiny slivers and then vanished. A steady laugh erupted through the corridor.
“Hope your boyfriend made it through safely,” Isaura laughed and as I turned around I took a step down the hallway, backwards towards the panel window.
I gritted my teeth and spat back, “He’s my husband.” I couldn’t think about Joshua right now. I couldn’t concern myself with the fact the portal had been destroyed while he’d crossed through to Spade. All I could do was hope he’d made it there safely.
“Soon to be a widower,” Isaura cackled as a wave of smoke spun around her. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Her eyes narrowed as I tentatively took another step backwards and closed my eyes. I imagined Spade once again, but a different room, my room. The chambers where I’d stayed and felt safe and warm. I crossed my arms and threw myself backwards against the window, flying through it and tumbling downwards. My back hit the floor hard as I gasped for air, relieved to see a castle ceiling staring above me.
Joshua! I screamed for him, knowing he couldn’t hear me if I used my voice. I’d brought them all to Spade but a larger location, the city square. I tossed the door open, running from my room. I ignored the cuts and scrapes that burned my skin where glass had pierced through me. It didn’t hurt. Not like the feeling had when I’d witnessed the portal close on Joshua.
Olivia? Although he hadn’t answered me right away, the moment he did a wave of relief washed over me. I ran through the tower, spiraling downhill as I threw myself into the city square scouring the town for Joshua. I hadn’t seen him yet. Hundreds of women lined the square, some sitting and others standing.
The moment my eyes caught sight of his mop of brown hair and blue eyes, I rushed forward. Throwing my arms around Joshua, he embraced my small frame. “I thought you were right behind me.”
“I was,” I gasped for air. “Isaura destroyed the mirror.”
I felt his lips descend on mine and my fingers weaved through his dark locks. “How did you get home?”
“The window at the far end of the hall.” I took a chance that paid off. It could have been a suicide mission, but it wasn’t. His lips grazed against and my eyes closed, savoring the moment knowing it wouldn’t last.
CHAPTER 16
The women we’d brought back from Torv were given temporary quarters, bunking up with other families. Henry, Joshua and I sat in a room together studying the familiar maps I’d snuck a peek at just days ago.
“What do you suggest?” Henry asked letting out a heavy breath. “There are too many mouths to feed. I can’t make room long-term for an additional three hundred people.”
“I know that,” I agreed. “We have two options. We expand the borders of Spade or we form a new town.”
Henry raised an eyebrow. “Expand Spade how?” He didn’t oppose growing the community. He was right though, space was limited. There had been room for guests but not more than the entire population of what Spade had been.