Page 89 of Peak’s Code

“Whether the Director wanted to kill whoever opened the door or collapse this entire corridor.”

Warden looked down at him. “That's comforting.”

“I'm known for my bedside manner.” Peak opened the small access panel beside the frame. Maeve looked toward the emergency display. 02:07

“Peak,” she breathed.

“I know, be careful,” he said.

“No, I was going to tell you to hurry the hell up,” Maeve admitted. His fingers moved carefully through the wiring. Maeve hated this. She hated standing still while watching Peak work. She hated knowing Captain might be ten feet away while a clock counted down over their heads.

“Peak,” she said again.

“Maeve,” he returned.

“I'm not trying to rush you.” She was, but that was beside the point.

“You're saying my name every eight seconds.”

“Because we have less than two minutes,” she hissed.

“I noticed.” Warden almost smiled before the red indicator beside the door went dark. Peak stood. “Done.”

Warden kicked the door open. “Captain!” Maeve followed them inside, and her heart stopped. Captain sat tied to a metal chair. His head hung forward, and blood covered the side of his face. For one horrifying second, Maeve thought they were too late, but then Captain groaned.

“About fucking time,” he mumbled.

Warden laughed. It was rough and full of relief. “You're welcome, Prez.” Captain slowly lifted his head. His swollen gaze moved from Warden to Peak and then landed on Maeve and Wren.

His eyebrows rose. “You found her.”

Maeve smiled through the tears filling her eyes. “We found her.”

Captain looked at Wren. “You must be trouble.”

Wren smiled. “So I've been told.”

Warden cut the restraints. “We're leaving.” Captain tried to stand, but his legs gave out. Peak caught one arm, and Warden grabbed the other.

“I can walk,” Captain growled.

“Clearly,” Peak said.

“Smart-ass,” Captain spat. Maeve laughed. She couldn't help it. The sound felt completely inappropriate considering the alarms, the collapsing criminal empire, and the countdown racing toward zero. But Captain was alive, Wren was alive, and Peak was alive. For one precious second, that was enough.

Wren looked at the emergency display and her face went pale. 01:19 “We need to run.” Nobody argued. Warden took most of Captain's weight, and Peak moved to his other side. Maeve grabbed Wren's hand, and they started toward the service elevator. The lights went out, and complete darkness swallowed them. Maeve froze, and her chest seized.

A flashlight clicked on, and Peak looked at her. Even with Captain's arm around his shoulders, he'd remembered. The beam found Maeve immediately, and their eyes met across the dark corridor. “You okay?” It was the same question he'd asked her in the motel in the darkness.

She tightened her grip on Wren's hand. “Yeah.” And this time, she meant it.

They kept moving. The elevator doors appeared ahead, and Wren hit the call button. Nothing happened. She hit it again, and still nothing.

Peak checked his tablet. “No power.”

Warden looked toward the stairwell. “How many floors to the surface?”

“Two,” Wren said.