The Great Escape - part one

[renevatio]

To say that Lincoln had gone on auto-pilot the moment he could see the Door would be apt, in its way. He left Mary Anne Bell abruptly, and hurried through the Bar trying to balance speed and discretion. The last thing he needed was for Merrick to notice him going towards Jordan's room

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[got_a_number]

Roused from a troubled sleep, Jordan opens her door. She smiles at Lincoln, always in a hurry.

"Hi! What's--"

[renevatio]

He takes her hand and tugs urgently. "Come on, we have to leave. Now. I can see the Door. We haven't got time to lose."

She's wearing her outfit from the Institute already. Good. Lincoln's mind races: he'll have to get the censor's uniform from the Bar, and changing will take less than a minute, really--

[got_a_number]

Jordan follows along breathlessly, and not because she's out of shape. She just woke up to her friend at her door and been reminded of something dreadful.

"Lincoln...what are we going to do?"

[renevatio]

His adrenaline is so high he's barely listening, either to himself or to Jordan. "Dr. Merrick's in the Bar. We have to make sure he doesn't see us. Remember the plan? You get us to Merrick's office, and I get us outside. The Door should let us back into the room where you were being kept, right?"

He certainly hopes so.

[got_a_number]

Jordan nods though she isn't sure. It seems like so long ago she innocently climbed up into the ceiling. Going back seems...dangerous. But she nods because she isn't a coward.

"Show me the door."

[renevatio]

They hurry through the halls toward the Bar. "Hang on one second," he says when the arrive.

He orders a censor's uniform from the Bar, and writes an extremely quick note. He slips into a bathroom and changes as fast as his fumbling hands will let him. He's back in less than five minutes. "Okay." He points to the door. "There it is."

[got_a_number]

Lincoln looks different in black, like his video game character, almost dangerous himself. It comforts her.

She walks through the door, and finds herself in the cramped space of the ceiling again. "This way," she tells Lincoln, and gets down on her hands and knees, walking forward awkwardly between the narrow space.

After a time, she stops, peering through a vent. A white room is just below. She sees two censors wearing the same black jumper as Lincoln, and beckons him to crawl up alongside.

"I think we're here."

[renevatio]

Lincoln's not quite as flexible as Jordan is, but he tries to follow without much complaint. He peers through the grating, and is surprised by how calm he is. They're back, they're really back. He only wishes the guards would leave so they could--

"Wasn't there supposed to be a product in here?" says one.

Lincoln freezes, and looks at Jordan. This isn't good.

[got_a_number]

Jordan looks to Lincoln for her cue, but he's gone all stiff.

And just like that, the panic rising in her seems to infect the guards below.

"This is Henson at departure station. Looking for missing product, Jordan Two-Delta. Any sighting?"

Jordan's heart is in her throat at the sound of her name being spoken with such...it makes her shiver to hear them talk about her.

"Okay, we'll back track to locate product," the guards disappeared into the elevator."

She exhales with relief and counts to ten then turns to Lincoln, "Ready?"

[renevatio]

He takes her hand without thinking. "As I'll ever be."

After some difficulty, he swings open the grate and lowers himself out of the vent. He hangs about four feet off the ground for a moment, before dropping to the ground. He waits for a noise, an alarm, anything, but no one comes. "All clear!"

[got_a_number]

Jordan braces herself and swings down easily, hopping lightly to her feet and springing up again.

"They're going to be looking for me," she says, nervously, "we have to hurry." She nods at the door opposite the elevator. "Let's go."

[renevatio]

"Okay." He strides over, attempting to look official. Where would a censor keep Jordan, though? In front? Beside? Behind? Nobody's here at the moment, though, so they'll... figure it out in the elevator.

He pushes the down button, and the lift comes promptly. They climb on, and are faced with an array of buttons. "Which floor is Merrick's?"

[got_a_number]

"I'm not sure on the outside." She raises an eyebrow at him. "You're the one usually in trouble."

The door opens and they step inside. "Pick a number, any number." A beat then, "One that goes up, I think."

[renevatio]

He smiles, just a little bit, at the jab.

"...Eight." It feels as right as any other. They ascend in silence. Then: "Um, I think I should keep you next to me. So it looks like I'm escorting you."

[got_a_number]

"Makes sense," she says, remembering as if from long ago how the guards took her to that room.

Eighth floor, a female voice, like that of the community announcer, tells them, and she steps out first. She scans the layout and whispers, "Left, I think." When Lincoln pauses, she nudges him with her elbow. "You have to lead the way."

[renevatio]

"Sorry!" he whispers back. He masks his face with something he hopes looks authoritative, but the truth is, now he's getting edgy. People are walking up and down the halls now, and every person they pass might recognize them.

They wheel to the left and walk on wordlessly. Lincoln's not looking at Jordan, so he doesn't know what's on her face, but he imagines it's stoic. Jordan's tough.

Up ahead is Dr. Merrick's office. Sweat beads faintly on Lincoln's forehead. He can see the secretary and the row of chairs. If only they can get past them and into the main hall, he'll feel better.