Winter's Warrior: Mark of the Monarch (Winter's Saga 4) by Karen Luellen Read Free Book Online

elevator doors.  Even as she futilely jabbed the unlit button, she realized the problem.
    “Oh, God!  The electricity’s out, so the elevator won’t work!” Her voice sounded shrill with desperation.
    “How are we going to get to the children?”  Sloan gasped.
    Evan and Creed frowned deeply, feeling responsible.  “Maybe I could rig it to work.  It is probably a standard hydraulic or cable mechanism.  If it’s hydraulic I could jimmy it to lower, but…”
    “But what?” Meg snapped impatiently.
    “But I wouldn’t be able to make it lift back up without electricity.”
    “Shit!” Creed cursed under his breath.  His eyes darted frantically around the corridor and in the dim red light a metallic box hanging on the wall glinted.  Rushing to it he used the butt of his gun to break the glass.  Shoving the gun in his holster to free his hands, he reached in and grabbed the emergency axe stowed there next to a fire hose. 
    Meg locked her jaw in single-minded approval. 
    “Back up!”
    Creed ran to the closed doors of the elevator and crammed the blade of the axe into the seam before yanking the handle up and to the left, twisting an opening wide enough to fit his strong fingers.  With tendons stretching beautifully, he forced one side of the elevator door wide.  Then he braced his back against that opening and used his powerful leg to kick the other side of the door open.  He did the same to the second set of doors, forcing his way into the elevator car.
    Creed and Meg stepped into the silent cube and scanned it only to see an emergency rooftop exit.  “That won’t help,” Meg seethed, but Creed wasn’t looking up.  His crisp blue eyes were studying the elevator’s flooring. 
    Without a word, he leaned down to pick up the axe and held it like a lumberjack.
    “Evan, there was a ladder in the facilities closet.  We’re going to need it.”  Creed’s voice was calm, calculating.
    “You’re not going to try to break through the floor, are you?” His green eyes glowed in awe at the realization of Creed’s impromptu plan.
    “Meg, you’re going to have to step out—I’m going to need room,” Creed glanced at his dark-eyed angel. 
    She obeyed immediately and turned to Evan.  “Do you need help getting the ladder?” she asked, prompting him to move.
    “No, I got it!” Evan shook himself before sprinting down the hallway and around the corner and back to the room in which they had destroyed the electrical transformers.   He didn’t even notice Sloan on his heels until he was dropping his duffle bag so he had room to squeeze into the small alcove that housed the six-foot ladder.  He yanked the old metal ladder off its wall brackets and was maneuvering it in the small space back toward the door.  Sloan held it wide for him, worry etched across her beautifully dainty face.
    “It’ll be okay, Sloan.  Creed and Meg know what they’re doing,” he whispered as he hurried passed her, hoping he wasn’t lying to the girl.  She ducked back into the room and came out with Evan’s duffle bag wrapped around her tiny frame.  The bag was nearly as big as she was, but she ran with determination to keep up with Evan’s fast pace back to the elevator.  They could already hear what Creed was doing.  Metal on metal screamed with every solid thwack!  
    When they rounded the corner they saw Meg standing guard, gun raised and ready as Creed stood in the doorway of the elevator and beat the heck out of the metal floor.  He had already removed one of the metal sheets that had been riveted to steel beams beneath.  Nothing was stopping the powerful swings of his axe.  Within three minutes, Creed had chopped the elevator floor to hell and a gaping three-foot hole was left in his wake. 
    “Get ready to pass me the ladder,” He said only partially out of breath from his efforts.
    He peered into the blackness of the elevator’s shaft. 
    “I’m guessing it’s about a ten-foot drop,” Meg