The couple quickly made their way through the winding corridors of the high-security prison, avoiding any patrols along the way. Anna had changed into a more practical outfit, ready to move fast and fight if necessary.
However, they didn't need to avoid the guards for long as a series of explosions followed shortly after, distracting the guards. Mazton's men had arrived at the scene!
"About damn time!" Ashton smirked as the two rushed towards the cell their prisoner was in.
As they approached the cell, Ashton inserted the Warden's keycard into the lock. At the same time, Anna used the Warden's retinal scan and fingerprints to unlock the door. The cell door slid open with a beep, and they stepped inside.
Ashton and Anna cautiously approached the cell, their hearts pounding in anticipation. They had come a long way and risked a lot to get here, and they couldn't afford to mess up now.
Inside the cell was a thin, frail-looking man with dishevelled black hair and a thick beard. He was huddled in the corner of the cell, his arms wrapped around his knees, and he looked up at them with a mixture of confusion and fear.
"Dr Tarek?" Ashton asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The man nodded slowly, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"It's okay, Dr Tarek," Anna said softly, her voice low and soothing. "We're here to get you out of here. Can you stand?"
Dr Tarek slowly got up, his body stiff and weak from years of imprisonment. He was a tall, thin man with sharp features and deep-set eyes that seemed to have lost all hope.
Ashton offered him a hand, and Dr Tarek grasped it tightly, his fingers trembling.
"Thank you, I've been waiting for someone to come for years," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But how did you get in here?"
Ashton held up the Warden's biometrics. "We have a little help from a friend," he said, smiling slightly.
Tarek nodded in understanding and quickly gathered his things. He was dressed in a ragged prisoner's uniform, and his hair and beard were unkempt. He looked like he hadn't seen the light of day in a long time.
"We need to hurry," Ashton said. "The longer we stay here, the greater the risk of getting caught."
Anna nodded and took Tarek's other arm, supporting him as they made their way out of the cell. As they made their way back towards the prison entrance, Tarek filled them in on what he knew.
He was a scientist who had been working on a new weapon for the Xyrans, but when he discovered what they planned to use it for, he tried to speak out. That was when they arrested him and threw him in prison.
"They're planning to use my weapon on innocent people," he said, his voice filled with anger. "I couldn't let that happen."
Ashton nodded sympathetically, finding yet another reason to hate the Xyrans, but what Tarek said next turned all attention away from the Xyrans.
Tarek looked up at them with a pained expression before he muttered weakly. "Then I made the worst decision I could and started working for the cult, thinking they'll help me in my fight against the Xyrans."
Ashton and Anna froze. Their expressions turned to shock and confusion. Ashton confirmed Tarek's words through [Heartbeat Sense] and determined he wasn't lying.
"The Cult?" Ashton acted clueless, trying to drag more information out of Tarek.
Tarek nodded weakly. "After I realised what the Xyrans wanted to do with my research, I turned to the Cult. I thought they were the lesser of two evils, but they're far worse than the Xyrans could ever be."
Ashton and Anna exchanged a look. They knew they got the right person. However, it also made him a target. If the information about Tarek's escape leaked, the Cult would stop at nothing to hunt him down.
It was essential to get all the secrets out of Tarek before the Cult made its move. Just in case they failed to protect Tarek in the long run.
[If it came to worse, you could always use Raphael to store him somewhere no one will ever find him.]
'That's a brilliant idea!'
Before Ashton could put the plan into action, they could hear the sound of alarms ringing and guards shouting. Ashton and Anna exchanged a worried look, and Tarek's face paled.
"They must have realised I'm gone," he said. "We have to hurry."
As if things couldn't get worse, a group of wandering guards found them.
"Stop right there!" one of the guards shouted, his weapon pointed at them.
Ashton reacted quickly, stepping in front of Anna and Tarek and holding up his hands. "We don't want any trouble."
He had no intention of surrendering, but acting as if they were scared should buy them enough time to analyse the situation.
"Then you shouldn't have broken into a high-security prison," The guard snorted.
Ashton scanned the area, taking note of the guards' positions and weapons. He knew that he could take them down. He then looked at Anna, who nodded, knowing what Ashton was about to do.
Ashton didn't hesitate and charged forward, his movements fluid and precise. He dodged a shot from one guard's blaster and knocked the weapon out of his hand with a swift punch.
He ducked under another guard's swing and delivered a powerful kick to his stomach, sending him stumbling backwards.
Anna had also jumped into action, her hand-to-hand combat skills just as impressive as Ashton's. She threw a series of punches and kicks, taking down the guards with ease.
Tarek watched in awe as the two of them fought off their attackers. He had never seen anyone move like that before, and he knew he was in good hands with these two.
Within seconds, the guards were all lying on the ground, unconscious. Ashton and Anna quickly checked to ensure they were all still breathing before turning to Tarek.
"Are you okay?" Anna asked, concern etched on her face.
Tarek nodded, a slight tremble in his voice. "Yes, thank you."
"No point wandering about," Ashton said with urgency. "Let's go!"
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