Justin's POV
This was it. This was our only chance.
I shoved the vent open, hoisted Number 12 up, and pushed her inside. My heart pounded against my ribs as I climbed in after her, just as the guard's footsteps echoed from down the hall. I barely managed to close the vent cover behind me before he walked past, muttering to himself.
We didn't stop. We couldn't stop.
"Crawl," I whispered harshly, urging her forward.
She was small, making it easier for her to move quickly through the narrow metal tunnel. I followed right behind her, my body tense with adrenaline. The alarms hadn't gone off yet, but I knew they would. We had minutes before they realized we were missing.
We crawled through the vents until we reached the trash room. The smell of rotting food, chemicals, and God knows what else hit us immediately, but I didn't care. This was our way out.
