‘Where is the mare? The Mayor captured one last night.’
‘Not here. They’re being held near the Bubble. Next to the daberhashery.’ I stiffen. So the Mayor has kidnapped more than one.
There’s another knock at the door, more insistent this time. ‘Doctor Miller, I’m going to need you to come out.’
‘Coming!’ He moves towards the door, gesturing to me to hide behind it.
‘Wait,’ I say, ‘why me? Why did Salib want to protect me and stop me from coming here?’
‘Because you’re a dreamweaver of course!’
Before I can ask what that means, he thrusts me to the side and unlocks the door.
‘What have you been doing, Doctor?’ asks a suspicious voice.
‘I just needed some peace and quiet,’ he answers. ‘All I get from you people are complaints about why the serum’s not working. I needed a break.’ He walks out, closing the door behind him.
I press my back flat against the wall and close my eyes, waiting for Miller to sound the alarm and guards to burst in. Nobody comes.
Chapter Twelve
Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils.
John Stark
––––––––
It’s a while before I leave the room. When I do, the corridor is quiet and empty. I glance up and down, wondering where Miller went. I can’t worry about him now though; I still have to find the mares.
I turn his words over in my head. Everyone keeps mentioning dreamweaver to me but I’m still no closer to understanding what it actually means. I force myself to ignore it for now so I can concentrate on getting out safely.
I tiptoe to the end of the corridor and peer down the stairs. When I’m sure I can neither see nor hear anyone, I make my way down. When I round the corner, I finally recognise where I am: the large doors at the front and the uniformed guard make it clear.
I reach the bottom step and sidle round a corner so I can observe everything without being seen. All I need to do is wait until the guard is distracted before making my exit. Either that or wake up. Unfortunately, as I don’t know how to make myself conscious, I’ll simply have to be patient and hope someone comes through the doors so I can sneak past. No problem for Ninja Zoe.
I’m so focused on the lobby and what’s happening there that I almost don’t notice when a door less than ten metres away opens up. Only when I hear the familiar tones of the Mayor do I realise how precarious my situation is. The damn guard is still alert and there’s no way I can get out without making a run for it – which would be a stupid thing to do. I’d barely get three feet from the Department headquarters before being bodyslammed to the ground.
The Mayor is already coming out. It’s only because his head is turned into the room as he talks to someone there that he doesn’t spot me. I spin away. When I was brought here before and Bron led me out, we’d come up the staircase at the other end of this corridor. It leads down to the basement, which is the last place I want to go back to. Right now, however, I don’t have a choice. Keeping one eye on the Mayor (thank goodness he seems to enjoy the sound of his own voice) and one eye on the steps leading down, I run for them. I reach them just as the Mayor finally nods and begins to turn.
I stay motionless on the second top step, listening in case he starts heading in this direction too. Thankfully, I hear him move up the staircase I just vacated rather than along the corridor. I start to relax – just as a firm hand clamps round my mouth and another grabs me by the waist, pulling me backwards.
‘Playing hide and seek?’ Dante’s voice murmurs in my ear.
I jerk, biting his palm. He moves his hand and releases me. ‘You’re like a rabid animal,’ he says.
‘Piss off.’
‘What are you doing here?’
‘I have a secret meeting with the Mayor,’ I spit, keeping my voice low. ‘We’re planning to take over the world together.’ Without looking back at him, I stick my head back out into the corridor. The coast seems clear. Before I can walk out, however, Dante reaches out a warning hand.
‘Where are you going now?’
‘To tell him you’re here of course.’ I point vaguely down the stairs. ‘There are some comfy cells down there that I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to put you in.’
He looks at me speculatively. ‘He doesn’t know you’re here, does he?’
‘Does it matter?’
‘Either you’re playing both sides or...’
‘Or what?’
His eyes glint. ‘You really are a dreamweaver.’
I grimace. ‘So everyone keeps telling me. Look, Dante, I don’t have time for this. If you want to think I’m some sort of evil double agent, then go ahead. I have better things to do. I have to find the mares.’
He tilts his head to one side. ‘They’re not here.’
‘I know.’ I turn my back on him. I can’t see the lobby guard from this angle. I need to get closer.
‘You won’t escape that way.’ His voice is mild, which makes a pleasant change.