Chapter 6
345 Words
Chapter Six
The Impluvium, Prague Headquarters, Praha 1
‘Andrey, hurry!’ Marina said.
He was still busy in the High Priest’s walk-in robes, and with Purity on high alert, they needed to move now. Olesya was already moving back through the secret tunnel with Gleb and Xiu, and they were supposed to be only moments behind.
Andrey had been busy though. He was kneeling in front of the safe he’d cracked and searched through. The floor was sprawled with papers, old photographs and gold bars. He tossed a red velvet whip at her feet. ‘The High Priest had interesting tastes…’
She scowled, and he shrugged, producing a small armored case and popping it open for Marina to see inside. It was filled with syringes sealed in plastic and vials of liquid that looked just like those Jay had given the bioengineer to test—Argonautes. Except the liquid inside these were black.
Andrey grinned. ‘Not so pure, right?’
‘What are you doing with that?’
‘You mean what is he doing with that? Or was.’
Marina noticed now one of the vials was empty … and there was an exposed syringe next to him.
‘You … you didn’t,’ Marina said. ‘You could not wait until we leave?’
‘This is the Regen, Marina. This could be the only reason we can leave.’ He plucked another vial from the case and offered it to her. ‘Do you want to survive this or not?’
Marina shook her head. ‘It could be bad for you.’
‘If it was bad, he would not hide it in his safe.’ Andrey stuffed the case into his ruck. ‘And you know what? I don’t feel angry anymore.’
‘Angry? What is in those vials, I do not know, but you can’t be sure it’s the Regen.’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said, standing upright.
Marina checked her watch. The map showed red dots everywhere, and they were inching closer. It was only a matter of time before Purity soldiers got here, and she didn’t want to be around when they did.
‘I’m leaving,’ she said. ‘Are you coming?’
He smiled, a jagged grin that fit his face poorly, as though he’d forgotten how to wear it.
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