Free Web NovelChapter 205: Chapter 205 - Entry
They came up without a sound and held close to the edge, keeping most of their bodies in the water while they steadied themselves.
Iyisha gripped the ledge and lifted her head just enough to breathe, and her arms shook from the effort while the current still pulled at her legs.
Malcolm checked his watch, then raised his head slightly and looked ahead before motioning with two fingers. They moved at once and swam the last stretch toward the shore.
Iyisha forced herself forward, although her strokes had slowed and her legs were starting to stiffen. She followed Malcolm as he reached the ledge where a cross fence ran along the shore just above them.
He pulled himself up first and kept low against the concrete, then climbed fully onto the ledge and took out a cutter, starting to work through the fence above.
Iyisha grabbed the ledge with both hands and pulled herself up just enough to hold on, then turned her head. Lance came up behind her, still in the water, and his movements were slower and uneven as he struggled to stay afloat.
She reached down and loosened the rope at her waist, then held onto him and pulled him closer to the edge.
After him, came Aljun, then Marybeth last, and she helped each of them reach the ledge while trying to stay quiet.
Above them, Malcolm kept cutting, and the metal gave slowly while the rest of them stayed pressed low against the wall beneath him. Iyisha kept still and listened, her chest tight as she waited for the fence to give.
The wire snapped.
Malcolm pulled an opening wide enough and slipped through, then reached back to help them up one by one. Their clothes clung to them and dragged at every movement as they climbed onto the shore and crossed through the fence.
He moved between the buildings at once, keeping to the shadows.
They followed close behind while trying to stay quiet despite their breathing and the weight of the water still on them.
Then footsteps sounded ahead, and they pressed themselves into the darker side of the wall as the sound grew closer. Iyisha held herself still and kept her breathing low while water dripped from her sleeve.
A guard passed by the opening, walking his route with steady steps, and they stayed hidden as he moved past.
Iyisha felt her chest tighten, but she kept it in until the sound of his steps began to fade.
When the guard moved farther and returned to his post, she let out a slow breath and looked at Malcolm.
He pointed toward a building ahead that sat dark and still, with no light and no sign of movement.
He moved toward it, and they followed.
They slipped in through a window one by one, and Iyisha dropped to the floor as soon as her feet touched solid ground. Her legs gave out under her, and she stayed there, breathing hard, her chest rising and falling as she tried to steady it.
Malcolm came in last after checking outside, and he closed the distance to the window before turning back to them.
Iyisha pulled the night vision from her face, and the dim light from the street filtered in through the opening, just enough to shape the room. Somewhere far off, music carried through the air, low but clear, a rap track she had not heard in years.
Marybeth sank down beside her, catching her breath. "Fuck," she whispered near her ear. "We made it."
Iyisha let out a breath that almost turned into a laugh, then she nodded and gave her a small smile, still trying to pull air back into her lungs.
Lance lay flat on the floor, not moving much except for his chest as he tried to recover, while Aljun sat nearby with his back against the wall, head lowered.
Iyisha started pulling at her gear with tired hands, trying to get it off, but her fingers slipped once before she tried again.
Malcolm stepped in and crouched in front of her, and he reached for the straps without a word.
Iyisha looked at Malcolm and reached up, brushing his wet hair away from his face. She paused, hesitant, then put down her hand.
"Really?" Marybeth muttered from the side. "Right in front of me?"
Iyisha let out a breath that turned into a quiet laugh.
Malcolm did not react and moved past her, going straight to Lance. He crouched beside him and checked him over without a word.
Iyisha pulled her bag closer and opened it with tired hands, and water dripped from the fabric as she reached inside and took out the clothes sealed in condoms. She paused for a second, then let out a small breath as she checked them.
They had finally used one of the boxes Mary gave them, and she almost smiled at the thought because Mary would not even guess how they ended up using it.
She shook her head slightly and got to work.
She moved behind a cabinet and changed out of her wet clothes, her hands slower now as the exhaustion settled in. She pushed the damp clothes into a drawer, then stepped back out.
Malcolm had pulled his shirt off.
She walked over and took the towel, then stood behind him and started drying his back and his hair, pressing the fabric into his skin to pull the water out.
"So," Marybeth said from the darker corner of the room, already in dry clothes. "What’s the plan?"
Aljun slipped into dry shoes and leaned back slightly. "Nothing," he said with a grin. "We got in. That’s the end."
Malcolm reached back and took the towel from Iyisha, then wiped the front of his body. "We blend in tomorrow," he said. "For now, we rest."
Iyisha let out a long breath and sat down again.
She’s exhausted.
She bet everyone was exhausted.
Across the room, Lance finally pushed himself up and moved slowly toward a corner, his steps uneven as he dragged himself there.
"Rest," Malcolm said. "I’ll take the first watch."
