Chronicles of the Uprising (Trilogy 1): Trilogy 1 by Katie Salidas, K.A. Salidas Page B

her mood, but dealing with the handlers was quickly souring it.
    “No talking,” the male handler shouted.
    “All right. All right. Sheesh. You people. So uptight.”
    “Shut up!” the male commanded again. He flashed his UV torch at the back of her neck.
    Heat singed her skin. Ten times brighter than outdoor light, the UV torch’s instant blast of pain took her breath away. Mira hadn’t intended to, but as she flinched, shrinking back from the sting, she snapped her cuffs in two. She swung her free arm wide and hit the female handler so hard Mira knocked her to the ground.
    The male had his torch at the ready, aimed right at Mira. “Don’t move.”
    With the female handler down, and the hallway empty, it was now or never. She would have to be quick. Once an alarm was raised, it would be all over for her. But if she was fast enough, she might just make it to an exit. A full face blast from the UV torch was worth the risk. She lunged straight at the male handler, overtaking him. Itchy as his trigger finger was, he couldn’t get a flash on her in time. She slammed him to the ground and then smashed his helmet a few times for good measure. He wouldn’t be seriously hurt — those brain buckets were good for something — but when he did finally wake up, he’d have one hell of a headache. That was karma enough for her.
    Secure in the knowledge that he was incapacitated and wouldn’t be chasing her down anytime soon, Mira took off down the long dark corridor. Down one dark hallway and up another, Mira ran without knowing exactly where she was heading. Everything looked the same – no signs, no arrows to point in any specific direction. Every corridor had the identical stark walls, unmarked doors, and annoyingly bright fluorescent lights. Another way to deter escape. The entire place was set up like a giant maze. Was she heading toward the exit, or back around to where she had just come from?  Still, hoping against all hope that she was heading in the right direction and not in circles, Mira continued on amid the blaring sirens and flashing red lights.
    Round one turn and then another, Mira was beginning to feel hopelessly lost. She’d been escorted to the arena, training hall, and prison areas so many times she knew the routes by heart, but she was well out of bounds now.
    Knowing she was short on time, Mira quickly rounded another corner and came face to face with a double set of guards.
    Surprised and not as prepared as the handlers, they did not have their UV torches to hand. Mira had no problem incapacitating them and left them quietly on the ground, unconscious but still alive.
    Before she had a chance to stand, the hair on the back of Mira's neck prickled. An uncomfortable weight of unseen eyes settled on her. Dread sank to the pit of her stomach. Busted...and so close to escaping. Someone else was there, watching her. She felt it, but what was more unsettling was the fact they had yet to announce themselves. Guards would shoot first and ask questions later. Someone lurking in the shadows… there was no telling what game they’d be playing.
    Mira turned around and stood next to the guard she had just felled. It didn’t take much for her to find the source of her unease. A pair of mossy green eyes scrutinized her from the opposite end of the hall.
    Heart pounding, she stared back at the man attached to those quizzical eyes. Human, no doubt. But he didn’t carry a weapon. Nor was there any fear in those green eyes of his. On the contrary, alone in a dark corridor, he stood his ground, lifting his head, and stared Mira down like an alpha from some long lost wolf pack.
    The strangeness of his manner caught Mira by surprise. For a few moments too long, she stood dumbfounded, trying to process who he was and what her next move should be. His face seemed oddly familiar, though at the moment she couldn’t place where she’d seen him before.
    The strange man was tall and well built, but that really didn’t