Page 10 of Hello, Nurse! (Ghostlight Falls #10)

Chapter nine

You Risk Your Life

Angelina

T here’s a commotion outside, but Rufus doesn’t seem to notice, too engrossed in something on his phone.

“Rufus, baby, why don’t you show me whatever’s got you so distracted? I’m so bored and lonely over here.” I bat my lashes at him.

He looks over at me, considering it for a moment, before he returns to his phone.

Worth a shot at least. Something is happening right now, and if I know Blabbo and Absurdo like I think I do, they’re involved.

It’s only a matter of time before they get here, but I wasn’t lying when I said I was bored.

They used to at least lock us up together, so we had each other’s company to keep us occupied, but they apparently learned their lesson with the escape.

Looking at these bars, though, they didn’t learn enough about us.

I rap my fingers on them in an annoying tune, hoping to bug Rufus into coming over here.

After about forty-five seconds, it works.

He turns his head to glare at me. I give him a look of mock innocence.

“I said I was bored!” He rolls his eyes. “What’s the harm in showing me what’s on your phone? You got me locked up, safe and sound.” He looks back at his phone, then wheels his chair closer, showing me an episode of some children’s show. I don’t know why I’m surprised.

“Who’s that?” I ask, pointing at the phone.

“Him?” He looks at me for confirmation.

“No, that guy.”

Furrowing his eyebrows, he looks closer at his phone. “Him?” he asks again.

“No, bring it a little closer and I’ll show you.” He rolls closer, showing me his phone. Once he’s close enough, I reach out, wrapping my arms around his neck, cutting off his air.

“Oh, Rufus, sweetie. You really never learn, do you?” I kiss the top of his head. Once he’s unconscious, I reach down, grabbing the keys from his waistband and unlocking my cage. Just as I finish locking him in, Absurdo opens the door to the room. He rushes over, pulling me into his arms.

“There you are, Lina.” He pulls back, giving me a once-over. “You okay?”

His fur is completely matted. “I look better than you.” Examining him more closely, I realize what it is. “You seriously took a sex break before finding me?” I give him a shove, but he doesn’t let me go.

“It wasn’t like that, Lina. I was saying goodbye to Blabbo and…”

I cut him off, stepping away. “Where’s Blabbo?” The three of us work better together, and it’s not like him to separate. Unless he doesn’t think his part of the plan will work. I start looking around the room, opening cupboards, seeing what I can find.

“Lina, what are you doing?”

“Where’s Blabbo?” I repeat.

“He went to the records room. We’re supposed to meet him out front once we get everyone else out.”

“Fuck,” I say, tossing what I find onto the table.

Encephalon had walked me through this before we left, saying that almost every room in the lab would have the ingredients we would need.

It was always supposed to be a last resort, only used in case of emergencies, but if this isn’t the time, then I don’t know when is.

“Lina, we need to go,” Absurdo says.

“He’s not planning on leaving.” I focus on my task, pouring ingredients into two bottles. “He’ll make sure we get out, but the idiot will sacrifice himself. Not this time.” I start rifling through drawers.

Absurdo runs his hands up and down his arms. “Okay, so what do we do? He promised this wasn’t it for us. I can’t leave him, Lina.”

“We’re not leaving him. Find me a match or something.”

He holds up a lighter with a grin. “Pinched this off a guard.”

“Let’s get Blabbo.”