Desperate Rescue

**Angro’s POV**

We had been hiding for what felt like an eternity, counting every second and praying that no one would find us. Now, the time had come. Zania and I crawled out of the ventilation duct, our bodies stiff from being cramped in such a small space all night. The air in the fortress was colder than I expected, and as we moved through the corridors, the sensation of danger clung to my skin like a second layer.

Zania was now wearing Shaira’s uniform. She had tied her hair back the way Shaira usually did, and for a moment, I almost believed it was her. But the determination in Zania’s eyes reminded me of the gravity of the situation. She wasn’t pretending to be Shaira for fun. She was risking everything for me, for this mission.

We had to move fast. I played the part of the captured prisoner, keeping my head down and my hands clasped behind my back. Zania walked beside me, gripping my arm firmly as if leading me to an interrogation room. I knew enough of the eteri language to give her the necessary instructions as we moved through the military complex.

“Turn left here,” I whispered, barely moving my lips. Zania gave a small nod, keeping her composure as we moved through the base. Everything felt surreal: the white, sterile walls, the metallic scent that filled the air. Each time we passed an officer or a soldier, my heart pounded harder.

We were close—I could feel it. Shaira had to be somewhere near the medical wing, where they would be removing the device from her head. Every step felt more crucial than the last. Then, just as we turned another corner, I saw a man in a higher-ranking uniform approaching us. He looked at us with cold suspicion, his attention fixing on Zania.

“Sub-lieutenant,” barked the officer, using the eteri term for a second lieutenant. I saw Zania freeze for a second, realizing she hadn’t saluted him properly. Her hand moved slightly, but she didn’t know the protocol. This wasn’t part of our plan.

The officer stepped closer, his gaze hardening with distrust. He began speaking rapidly in eteri, asking why a second lieutenant was leading a prisoner through the administrative halls of the fortress. Zania didn’t understand a word, and I saw a brief flash of fear in her eyes.

I had to act fast.

I began shouting in false protest, acting like the rebellious prisoner they believed I was. “This is a mistake!” I yelled in eteri, but the words were meant for Zania. “He’s asking why you’re taking me through these halls. You need to make it convincing. I’m going to attack him, and you need to take me down. Do it now!”

Zania’s eyes widened for a second, but she trusted me. I lunged toward the officer, pretending to make a break for it. Zania reacted without hesitation, slamming her elbow into my side and twisting my arm behind my back with a quick, painful motion. I had to stifle a groan as she locked it tighter than I had expected. Everything felt too real.

The officer seemed surprised, taken aback by the sudden violence. But it worked. He muttered something under his breath, clearly irritated by the “savage” behavior he had just witnessed. He barked a quick order to Zania, pointing down the hallway.

Through the pain, I whispered to Zania in eteri: “He’s telling you to take me to the interrogation room. We need to move now.”

Zania tightened her grip on my arm and nodded to the officer, then began dragging me down the hallway without saying a word. We moved quickly, trying to get as far away from the officer as possible. I glanced back once, seeing the man walking away, convinced we were just another pair in a routine patrol.

But time was running out.

We continued down the halls, trying to stay calm. Every corner we turned felt like another opportunity for disaster, and the walls seemed to be closing in around us. I didn’t know how much longer Shaira had before the surgery ended, but I felt the weight of every second pressing down on me.

We reached a corridor with a large holographic map projected on the wall. Zania slowed for a moment, scanning the projection until she found what we were looking for: the medical wing. It wasn’t far. We could make it, but only if we didn’t run into any more problems.

We hurried down the hallway, and there it was: the entrance to the medical area. I felt a wave of relief, but it was brief. Two soldiers were guarding the entrance, both armed, both watching every movement in the corridor. There was no way we could just walk through. They would interrogate Zania immediately, and we couldn’t fool them twice. These guards were too alert, too ready.

Zania looked at me, questions in her eyes. I had no answers. Attacking the guards would blow our cover and attract too much attention. But time was running out.

What were we going to do?

Zania looked at me intently, her mind working quickly as she observed the two soldiers guarding the door. We knew we couldn’t just cross and hope they would let us through. These guys were well-trained, and any attempt to deceive them would only raise more suspicion.

Then, Zania gestured towards me and whispered, "I have an idea. You’re going to hit me and pretend to escape. That’ll get their attention, and they’ll chase after you. When they do, I’ll follow and ambush them."

The idea was as simple as it was dangerous. Any small mistake, and we’d end up in custody—or worse. But we didn’t have many other options. I nodded, understanding that this was the only way forward.

"Are you sure this will work?" I whispered, though I already knew the answer inside.

"We don’t have a choice," Zania replied with determination. "Hit me hard enough to make it look real. Make them believe you’ve escaped."

I took a deep breath, knowing what I had to do. Without thinking too much, I raised my hand and struck her lightly in the stomach. Zania fell to the ground, letting out a sharp cry and clutching her midsection as if the blow had been much harder than it really was.

I didn’t wait another second. I started running down the hallway, my feet echoing against the metal floor as the soldiers, just as we’d anticipated, shouted and began chasing me. "Stop him!" one of them roared as he drew his weapon and sprinted after me.

Zania quickly got back to her feet, leaving no time for the soldiers to realize it was all a ruse. She followed at a safe distance, keeping her calm as the guards focused all their attention on me.

I ran as fast as I could down the halls, feeling the adrenaline pumping through my veins. Finally, we reached a more secluded, empty corridor—the perfect spot for our ambush. Just as the soldiers were about to catch up to me, Zania appeared from behind. One of them barely had time to turn before she delivered a precise blow to the back of his neck, knocking him out instantly.

The second soldier tried to react, but I tackled him before he could raise his weapon. I pinned him to the ground, and within seconds, both soldiers were unconscious.

"Come on, we need to move fast," Zania said as we started stripping the soldiers of their uniforms. We quickly changed my clothes, swapping out my prisoner garb for the soldier’s uniform. We hid the bodies in a dark corner, making sure they wouldn’t be discovered immediately.

"This should buy us some time," Zania muttered as she adjusted her belt. "But we need to get to Shaira now."

I nodded, feeling the pressure of time tightening around my chest. We headed back to the entrance of the medical wing, now dressed convincingly. As we approached the door, the guards didn’t seem to suspect anything, at least not right away.

We entered, and the first thing I noticed was the solemn, controlled atmosphere of the place. Officers, soldiers, and subordinates were everywhere, watching every detail. We moved through them, trying to blend in, though my heart was pounding in my ears.

Finally, we reached a large glass window that overlooked the operating room. There was Shaira. My heart lurched at the sight of her unconscious on the table, completely exposed as the doctor finished closing the small incision in her head with a laser.

Zania and I exchanged looks of bewilderment and panic. We hadn’t anticipated that she would be unconscious. The plan had been to get her out quickly, but in these conditions… how could we move her without attracting the attention of all these officers?

"This isn’t going to be easy," Zania muttered, her voice reflecting the same concern I felt. We hadn’t counted on this many obstacles.

At that moment, a high-ranking officer approached us, suspicion in his eyes. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" he asked in the eteri language, his gaze sweeping over our faces and uniforms.

My mind raced, searching for a convincing answer, but the words wouldn’t come. Zania tensed beside me, waiting for my reaction. I knew that this was the kind of moment that could derail everything if we didn’t act fast.