So, do you think they can do it? Read on…..

"Break him out," Dr. Amélie repeated slowly.

"Yes, break him out," I said firmly. "As soon as possible."

I saw her and my dad exchange looks.

"Are you sure about this, Mikayla?" My dad asked in a low voice, even though they couldn't hear us in here. There weren't any bugs or anything like that.

"Yes," I said again. "It's the only way."

"Yes, Mikayla, but you have to look at the big picture," he said. "This facility has probably the tightest security in the world, not to mention the most high-tech surveillance devices. And he's in Sublevel Eight, one of the most highly protected. Trying to break someone out of there, it's practically a suicide mission."

"I can do it, I know I can."

"No, you can't. And even if you can, where will you go? What will you do with him? No one can help you, he kills anyone who touches him. And when they find out… we'll both lose our jobs."

"Daddy, you don't get it, do you? I have to do this. Think of what they'll do to him. They'll kill him, I know they will. Since when has anyone left ASSULF alive? They kill these creatures after they test them. I can't let them do that to him."

My dad shook his head. "No, Mikayla."

I persisted. "Dad, what would Mom do? Would she just let them kill him, or would she help him escape?"

"Don't you dare bring your mother into this conversation…"

"Mason," Dr. Amélie spoke up, interrupting him. "She's right. I've been here for nearly twenty years, and I've seen it happen time after time. They test these creatures until they know they can't get anything else out of them and then they execute them."

I let out a squeak, my eyes automatically darting up to the screen across from me. The thought of Brady being executed was almost too much to bear.

"That doesn't mean we should break him out!" My dad said, his voice rising.

"Daddy," I said, my voice weak now. I was tried of arguing, and the thought of Brady being executed had sapped me even further. "Please."

"Mason, I don't care what you say, I am going to help Mikayla," Dr. Amélie said. "I sense something special about this boy as well, and besides that, no matter how strange he may be, he's only a boy. He doesn't deserve this end. No one does." She looked at him hard. "So are you going to help us or not?"

My dad looked from me to Dr. Amélie to Brady on-screen and then back to me. "Alright," he said finally. "I'll do it."

I jumped to my feet and threw my arms around his neck. "Thank you daddy!" Then I turned to the doctor. "So… what do we do first?"

~XXX~

Beep! Beep! Beep!

My eyes popped open and I threw the covers off my bed. I reached for my alarm clock and shut it off, checking the time as I did so. 2 AM. Perfect.

I hurried over to my dresser and pulled on jeans, a light pink tank top, and a flowery pink top. Then I slipped my feet into my shoes and grabbed my pack. Before I'd gone to bed last night, I'd packed clothes and food and pretty much all of my stuff. After we got Brady out, we'd have to make run for it, which meant I'd never becoming back here ever again. I checked to make sure I had everything, then headed for the door. I yanked it open, and was about to leave when I paused and turned to look back. Tonight I was leaving ASSULF forever. But I wouldn't miss it. Not even a little bit. I left, slamming the door behind me (not literally, I closed it slowly and silently, but with the same feeling).

I tiptoed through the halls, trying hard not to make any noise. These halls looked almost eerie now, in the dead of night. The lights that normally lit them had been turned down and tinted green, casting everything in strange green light.

It took longer than usual, but I finally reached Room 456001. I swung open the door as quietly as I could and entered, shutting it behind me. My dad and Dr. Amélie were already there.

"Mikayla, good, you're here," Dr. Amélie said. She looked strange, dressed in a lace blouse and pink skirt, her blond hair down in curls, instead of her normal lab coat. "Come over here. I need you to hack into Dr. Felton's earpiece."

I walked over to the computer and started quickly cracking and then typing in codes. Within minutes I had accessed Dr. Felton's earpiece.

"See, that's why you're the computer genius," she told me, shaking her head. "I don't know how you do it."

"Okay let's just go!" I said urgently.

"Alright, alright," she said, putting on her headset. "So you set it so the guards will get the signal from her earpiece?"

"Yes."

"Hello, Sublevel Eight guards, I need you to leave your posts at once and report to Room 539012. This is an emergency," Dr. Amélie barked into the headset, sounding exactly like Dr. Felton. Once she had finished, she pulled it off and said to me, "Okay, they've left. It's go time!"

I grabbed my bags and my dad's. "Come on, let's go!"

My dad opened the door and waited as Dr. Amélie and I left, then shut the door behind us.

"Okay Mikayla, remember the plan," Dr. Amélie instructed me. "Get Brady and then meet your father and I at the entrance."

I nodded, handed my bags to my dad, then turned the corner, heading down the stairs to the Sublevels. By now, the concrete stairs and temperature drop was completely normal to me, so I ignored them. When I reached the door to Sublevel Eight, the guards were gone, so I just pulled open the door and went in.

"Brady!" I exclaimed, running over to him. I fell to my knees beside him and grabbed his shoulder. "Brady, wake up!"
His head snapped up. "What Mikayla?"
"We're getting you out of here," I told him. "Come on!"
"What do you mean?" He asked.

"They want to run tests on you," I said. "Like some kind of lab rat. You know, because of your island and the lightning thing and all. Then they're going to kill you. But we won't let them. Me and my dad are going to get you out."

He frowned. "But won't you get in trouble? Lose your jobs?"

"Yes, but it's worth it. We can't let them do this to you."

"I don't want to live anymore," he said quickly. "Let them kill me, I don't care. Everyone I love is dead."

"Well, I care. I don't want you to die," I said. "Please come, Brady."

He looked up into my face, fear and distrust plain in those dark hazel eyes. "What if this is a trap?"

"You said you didn't care, so where's the harm?" I asked. "Besides, I already told you, you can trust me." I held out my hand. "Come with me, Brady. I'm begging you."

He looked at me for a few more seconds, then took my hands, still looking right into my eyes. "Okay, I trust you. I'll come."

"Okay, now we have to hurry," I said, sagging with relief.

He got to his feet and followed me out of Sublevel Eight, up the stairs, and through the halls of ASSULF Headquarters. It was harder to tell where we were going in the dark, but I was able to navigate us through and up to the entrance where my dad and Dr. Amélie were waiting.

Dr. Amélie visibly sagged with relief when she saw us. "Mikayla! Brady! Come, we haven't much time before they find out that we're gone."

I felt Brady stiffen beside me.

I squeezed his hand reassuringly. "It's okay," I whispered. "They're my family. They want to help. And I wouldn't let anything hurt you."

He nodded slowly but still didn't speak.

"Alright, we're all here, so let's go!" My dad said, his eyes on the hallway behind us. "Quick, we haven't much time!"

I felt a thrill of anticipation. We were leaving. We were going outside. I hadn't been outside in years!

The door swung open.

"Come on, let's go!" My dad exclaimed.

Dr. Amélie ran out, holding all of the bags.

I squeezed Brady's hand again. "Are you ready?" I asked.

He nodded slowly.

"Then let's go!" I cried, running out into the night, pulling him with me.

My dad followed us, shutting the door behind us.

We were out.

Yay! They did it! Review!