Page 94 of The Last True Hero

Nothing.

"No wonder Vex wasn't worried about anyone escaping," Ellie said softly. "She knew no one could get through this door. What do we do now?"

"Stand back?" Mia aimed the shotgun at the door, near where the hinges ought to be.

Zarina made a gurgling sound behind the gag.

Mia pointed the gun at her face. "Shut up."

Zarina bared her teeth around the gag, then tilted her head

"I think she's trying to tell us something," Ellie said hesitantly.

Mia jerked the gag from the other woman's mouth. "What?"

"If you untie me, I can get you through that door," Zarina panted. "All you'll do with that shotgun is invite ricochet. It's bulletproof. I'd rather not die from your stupidity."

"Mia," Ellie murmured, grabbing her by the wrist.

She didn't take her eyes off Zarina, but she nodded. The other woman's motives were unclear, and she certainly wasn't acting as Mia had expected. Zarina wanted something. She just had to find out what.

"You make any sudden moves," she warned, drawing the knife at her belt, "and Ellie will shoot you."

The ropes cut off the circulation in the other woman's hands. As soon as Mia sliced through them, Zarina stifled a groan, trying to rub her hands together. Color flooded into the pale skin. "I had my doubts when you first called on my mother, but now I know you're not here to buy slaves. You're here to rescue them."

"That's my sister in there," Mia told her. "And Ellie's girlfriend. The two girls are from our town."

"And the others with you?" Zarina asked, "They're not wannabe reivers either."

"Bounty hunters," Mia muttered. "Jake's my brother-in-law. Why do you care?"

Zarina looked at them thoughtfully. "You're going to get yourselves killed. The general's two hours away, and he's got fifty men riding with him."

"Then we'd better get out of here quickly," Mia countered.

There was a tense moment.

"I can open the doors," Zarina said. "And help you get out."

"Why would you do that?"

Zarina rubbed her hands, loose strands of hair framing her face. "There is a condition."

That made more sense. Mia lowered the shotgun. "What?"

"You take me with you," Zarina replied, quite seriously.

Silence. Both she and Ellie looked at each other.

Mia didn't understand. "You want to come withus? Why? Is this a game?"

"Do you think you're the only one who wants free of this toxic dump?" Zarina snarled. "I want out and I am willing to do whatever it takes to escape. And if you take me with you, I can show you how to get out of here without getting killed. Vex's got warning systems in place. The second she finds something is out of place she's going to turn the sirens on. That pack of rabid dogs out there isn't smart enough to find their way out of a wet paper bag, but they'll hunt at her call, and there's enough of them to make sure you don't get three miles away from here. They'll be tripping all over themselves to bring you back. Though you might not survive. Or you'll wish you didn't."

Warning alarms. It made sense. Mia froze. She'd thought Vex seemed complacent about leaving this place virtually unguarded. "How do we know that we can trust you?"

"That warg skin my mother wears? It belonged to the man I once loved," Zarina replied, and a flash of anger lit over her features. "She made sure he was infected, and then she skinned him alive in front of me. For daring to disobey her."

Jesus. Bile burned in her throat. She couldn't even imagine....