Page 117 of Tapeworld Induction

Think, Dylan, think.

The blackout. That must have been Sacha. She lifted Talia and dragged her out of the room, kicking her high heels off.

Talia moaned.

“Can you hear me?” Dylan said gently. “We’re getting out of here. Come on, come on, lean on me.”

The moaning stopped and her friend went quiet, her form weighing Dylan down.

She scanned the dark corridors. People were rushing to exit the building, but there was no sign of Astrid or Jewel. She held the phone torch in front of her, retracing their steps to the grand gallery room.

Lights from outside filtered in through the windows, providing a glimpse of a path to the main hall. It was empty now and darkness bathed the art displays.

After struggling through a few more corridors, she made it to a door leading to the staff area.

There was someone on the other side.

“That better be you, Sacha…” She took a deep breath and pushed the door open. It gave way to the kitchens, metal surfaces everywhere.

“Dylan! Talia!”

Sacha was standing there, a set of jumper cables trailing over the ground next to him. Electricity sparked from a panel on the wall. The blackout.

He moved Talia off Dylan’s shoulder and onto his. “They put the Sleeper on her? Fuck. We have to get her to Elodie.”

“I tried to stop her, but I couldn’t do anything.” Dylan took a heavy breath. “What the fuck is going on with Isaak?”

“You’ll see… Come on.”

They exited the building. The streets around them were chaos. Some of the guests ran past them, others gathered on the pavement by the front door, and some were getting into their rented auto-cars in a hurry.

They carried Talia, as sneakily as they could with the Crypterra Sleeper device firmly encased on her head, to the converted taxi. Sacha had driven it around the side.

As Dylan opened the sliding passenger door, she saw him.

Unconscious, drooling, head resting on the window glass.

“Isaak, fuck!”

“We don’t have time. Secure her on the seat next to him.” Sacha got in the driver’s seat as Dylan looped the belt around Talia’s frame, her hands moving as fast as she could, her friend’s expensive dress ripped and scuffed like hers.

“Done,” she confirmed. “Drive!”

The engine revved as he sped away, cutting corners and running through red lights. Dylan looked across the seat at the pair of them, unconscious, thoughts tumbling through her mind. Was Isaak trapped in there, or just taped in, rushing ahead like usual? And would they be able to free Talia in the same way they’d freed him?

A sense of loss and despair gripped her. Why would he tape in on his own? After slipping on the Sleeper, putting himself in danger so recklessly, it was unbelievable that he’d go and do it again. Though not surprising, in truth. Was it a death wish, or did he truly think she didn’t care for him? Despite everything they’d been through together…

Sacha drove fast, hitting every kerb there was to hit.

“Sit tight!”

He swerved hard to the right. Dylan shifted forward. Talia’s and Isaak’s unconscious bodies moved like rag dolls, arms and legs floating in the air with each of Sacha’s reckless manoeuvres. Dylan let her own arms go limp, the seat belt holding her in place. Everything was slow motion. Nothing else mattered but getting Isaak and Talia somewhere safe.

Sacha glanced in the mirror, then turned back to look behind them as though he didn’t believe what he’d seen. “Holy shit!” He kept accelerating, his breathing fast.

Dylan turned. Behind the car, a threnody of drones were swooping in to give chase. Their gunmetal bulk weaved by streetlights, lamp-posts, and parked auto-cars, lit by the gloom of the neon night.

“You have to stop them!” Sacha eyeballed her through the rearview mirror.