“Now it is safe for me to enter and finish the process,” said Jamais, and triggered the cage door, which whirred as it pushed out and slid sideways.
Shekalane distracted Parvus while Jamais examined the control board.
“I will need the young woman's assistance,” he said at length, and she quickly went in.
He was just about to power up the control box (which Milkweed had alighted on), when a group of Valdus’ men burst upon the scene—yanking Parvus aside and activating the cage door, which moved sideways and seated inward. They searched him for weapons roughly and found the key to the cage on his belt. A henchman held it up: “Is this for the cage?”
Parvus nodded, and the henchman used it to lock the door, looking up from the lock at the same time as Shekalane and making eye contact with h
