I slid my right hand under Melissa's thighs and my left arm behind her back, lifting her carefully off the blood-slick floor. Her body was light, almost weightless, but her head lolled against my shoulder for a second before she forced it upright with a small, sharp inhale.
The room stayed sealed in silence. Somewhere beyond these walls the rally was still happening—or I assumed it was—because none of the noise reached us. That was how the place had been built. Whatever happened inside stayed inside. Whatever happened outside stayed out.
Code was already gone. I wasn't especially worried about the crowd. If anyone stood in the way, he'd clear it the same way he cleared everything else.
My boot caught a body. I stumbled, weight shifting hard, and corrected instantly, tightening my arms so Melissa wouldn't feel the jolt. I carried her to the doorway where Bagins had greeted us earlier.
Outside stopped me cold. The entire compound was down.
