Free Escape (Chronicles of Hart) by Kat Murray

into his pockets, searching.
    “Here.” Steve stopped as Walt pressed something into his hand, “my emergency stash,” he joked through a large bite of something out of his own hand.
    Steve looked at his hand, smiling. Walt had handed him a granola bar. Steve was glad for once that Walt had an insatiable appetite. After years of Walt sneaking into his own lunch bag and stealing bites of his sandwich and drinking up the protein shakes they were supposed to be feeding to their prisoner, he had finally pulled through in a bind. He was finally willing to part with his precious food to provide his partner with sustenance to get them out of these tunnels alive, Steve was touched. He unwrapped the bar, bringing it up into the air in a toast.
    “Split it?” Steve asked, watching Walt’s greedy eyes as he devoured the last bite of his own bar, licking his fingers with satisfaction.
    “Nope, I got three. We’ll save one for later .” Walt confessed seeming smugly proud of himself for making such a diminutive sacrifice, Steve nodded accepting the small offer.
    Steve leaned against the wall, sinking in to the slick soft wood of the pillar behind him. He and Walt silently enjoyed a break in the dark tunnels until his radio beeped, coming to life on his belt with a series of flashes and clicks.
    “Do you have them yet?” The raspy voice of their boss echoed against the tunnel walls. Steve looked to Walt with horror. Not only had Hart sent them straight to hell for his little prisoner, but now he was demanding speed in the treacherous conditions below ground. It was like working for the devil himself. Steve slowly removed the radio from his belt, holding it an arms distance from his face.
    “What do we tell him?” He asked as fear washed over his face; making him even paler in the blue glow of their LED flashlight.
    “I’ll get this one.” Walt responded, taking Steve’s radio from his shaking hands.  The static cleared as he pressed the intercom, “Sir, we are hot on their trail. Over,”  He spoke in a professionally monotone voice, wincing at the thought of Hart’s displeasure.
    “Hurry .” the voice demanded. With a click the signal went dead.
    “We’re dead .” Steve whispered in a hollow tone.
    Walt nodded, frowning, as they both turned forward and started through the maze once again.
    ***
    Grace and Ethan sifted through the shelves of books, each starting on opposite sides. They were about to pass one another and still no dial or device had been found. They hadn’t a clue what they were even looking for in the towering library of lost literature. They had been in the tunnels for over eight hours now and Grace could feel from her exhaustion that they were well into the early morning hours. She stopped as Ethan reached for the same book as her.
    “We should rest,” she said touching his hand on the bookshelf.
    “I know .”
    He took her hand and stopped to look her in the eyes. Noting how her face, even in this dim light, had changed over the years. She looked pale to him, like she hadn’t seen the sun since that day in front of the school. She probably didn’t even know that he had been standing there, waiting to give her a flower, when the men took her and dragged her away. He hadn’t fought them he had hidden behind the tree and waited for help that never came; like a coward. He frowned, guilt welling up in him, guilt that had been eating away at him for ten years.
    Ethan led Grace to a pile of books, covered in loose pages. It was far from the entrance and the light breeze didn’t reach the alcove, making it seem warmer. “You rest and then we will continue on,” He said bravely, turning to the bookshelf to continue his search as Grace sat down on the pile testing it for uncomfortable protrusions.
    “No .” Grace said, grabbing for his leg. “We both rest, we’re safe. Finally.” she pulled Ethan back towards her, gently tugging to sit him down on the heap of manuscripts beside her.
    The