Soon, she felt the tension on the chain increase. Detrius had jury-rigged some kind of pulley system, that actually gave Madison some extra leverage, but how long she could keep this up was anyone's guess. She pulled tight on the chain, then pressed her feet on the other side of the tube, jamming herself inside as best she could.

Despite knowing that she would get blasted again, she asked, “Alvin, are you all right?"

The blast came, but Alvin did not respond. Detrius did.

"Your brother is gagged. I will not allow him to try to sway this judgment. You, and only you, will decide his fate. Why fight it? Did he not torment you for years? I have heard about what has transpired. He denied you your birthright. He denied you what you were owed by birth and blood.

Why save him?"

Madison gritted her teeth and held on to the chain, even as she felt her skin growing warm under her makeshift gloves. She had no answer to give her captor that would satisfy him or herself. But still, she held on.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Joanna asked.

Heda gave the front door one swift kick, sending it flying inward.

"I'm pretty damn sure."

“Campus security will be here soon," Billy said.

“Start looking for stairs that go down, particularly anything with a maintenance sign on the door. Those are our best bets."

“What about elevators?" Sasha asked.

"Check them, but elevators would probably not be used in case of nuclear emergencies, which is what these shelters were designed for.

Nukes screw with electronics, so stairs would be safer."

The crew split up into three small groups and started scouring everywhere. Joanna and Anthony both shifted into their animal forms and started to sniff. It was the skunk-shifter who quickly shifted back and said, “Found something! I'm pretty sure this scent is Madison's."

“And she wasn't taking any classes in this building," Heda said, her voice betraying her excitement.

"Lead the way."

Anthony went half-form, giving everyone a view of a bipedal human with soft black fur, a skunk's head, and a bushy white-striped tail.

He led them to an unmarked door next to the elevator. He couldn't speak in this form, so he just pointed.

Heda tried the door, but found it locked, and this was much thicker than the previous door. Billy started undressing, then it was his turn to take on a half-form.

“He's a fucking tank," Heda muttered appreciatively.

As an alligator snapping turtle, Billy was probably about 3@ inches long and weighed in at 230 pounds. His half-form was six and a half feet tall, had a snapping turtle's head complete with a nasty beak, and hardened shell over his back and chest, as well as on the major muscles of his arms and legs. He grabbed the door and quickly ripped it off its hinges.

"Sasha, call my brother and tell him that we're following Madison's trail, then wait for him to show up and tell him where we've gone,"

Heda said.