The hairs stirred on the back of his neck as he neared Neve and Cameron\u2019s cot.\u00a0 The door stood slightly ajar and he could hear Marin\u2019s voice among the speakers within.\u00a0 Matt shivered slightly and tried to ignore the stirrings of power that he could feel more than sense.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t the same feeling he\u2019d gotten the day the radio exploded, so it couldn\u2019t have been anything that horrible.<\/p>\n
Hope not, at least.<\/i><\/p>\n
He closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the sound of Marin laughing ahead of him.\u00a0 If there was something wrong, she wouldn\u2019t be laughing, would she?<\/p>\n
Matt shouldered the door open fully.\u00a0 \u201cWhat\u2019s going on in here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust a little bit of insanity,\u201d Marin said cheerfully, shaking her head.\u00a0 \u201cTrying to figure out how we\u2019re going to get Neve down into the tunnels.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not sure how that\u2019s funny or insane, but it\u2019s probably better not to ask.<\/i>\u00a0 Matt nodded, glancing between Cameron and Neve.\u00a0 The latter was still sitting in bed, one leg stretched out and bulky under the blankets, her hair tousled from sleep.\u00a0 Cameron was up and dressed, his own hair in equal disarray.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s probably something we should have thought of before we decided that we were going down below,\u201d Cameron said, eyeing Marin.\u00a0 \u201cHave you ever sent someone down with a broken leg before?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t forget the ribs,\u201d Neve said, rubbing her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be a big deal if I wasn\u2019t going to end up blacking out if I tried to slide down a ladder or something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt frowned at her. \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n
She shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cIf I try to use my arms to control my descent, that\u2019s going to make my ribs hurt so bad that I\u2019m going to drop like a rock.\u00a0 Believe me, this isn\u2019t my first time doing this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt saw Cameron glance at her askance out of the corner of his eye but shook his head slowly instead of inquiring further.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll have to come up with a way to get you down there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d suggest sliding down carefully and I\u2019ll catch you, but I have a feeling that won\u2019t work, either,\u201d Cameron said, handing her a change of clothes.<\/p>\n
Marin shook her head, smiling wryly.\u00a0 \u201cEither way, we\u2019re going to have to figure it out fast, since I\u2019m pretty sure we\u2019re running out of time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat makes you think so?\u201d\u00a0 Cameron asked.<\/p>\n
A whistle echoed through the corridor from outside, once, twice.\u00a0 Marin\u2019s smile melted into a grimace.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat,\u201d she said, heading for the door.\u00a0 \u201cYou two pack it in and head for the steam tunnels.\u00a0 Find J.T. and Carolyn.\u00a0 They\u2019ll get you there safely.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t need to find us. We\u2019re already here.\u201d J.T. leaned against the doorframe, Carolyn at his side.\u00a0 \u201cYou three go.\u00a0 We\u2019ll make it down on our own easily enough.\u201d\u00a0 His gaze flicked to Marin.\u00a0 \u201cTala and Angie\u2019ll be coming, too, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
Marin looked at her brother, who nodded.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s what Tala said, anyway, but I\u2019ve got a feeling she\u2019ll still be by the cookfire when we get out there.\u201d \u00a0He was already headed for the door, trusting his sister would follow.<\/p>\n
Carolyn stood on tip-toe to kiss J.T. gently and stroke his cheek.<\/p>\n
\u201cBe careful,\u201d the big man murmured.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlways,\u201d she said with a faint smile.<\/p>\n
Steel glinted in the dim light and Matt frowned.\u00a0 She\u2019s wearing a sword?\u00a0 I didn\u2019t even know she knew how to use one.<\/i><\/p>\n
Then again, there\u2019s a lot about my sister\u2019s friends\u2014my friends\u2014that I guess I didn\u2019t know.<\/i><\/p>\n
J.T. eased clear of the door so they could leave.\u00a0 Matt ducked past him, Carolyn on his heels.\u00a0 Marin lingered behind for a moment, looking at the three they were leaving behind.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t just hole up here,\u201d she said sternly.\u00a0 \u201cYou need to head below.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will,\u201d J.T. said.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t worry about that.\u00a0 You worry about making sure that Tala and Angie join us\u2014and then make sure that everyone stays alive<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll sure as hell try,\u201d Marin said.<\/p>\n
You, me, and everyone else,<\/i> Matt thought as he caught his sister\u2019s hand.\u00a0 Another whistle echoed from the watchtower.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re out of time.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The hairs stirred on the back of his neck as he neared Neve and Cameron\u2019s cot.\u00a0 The door stood slightly ajar and he could hear Marin\u2019s voice among the speakers within.\u00a0 Matt shivered slightly and tried to ignore the stirrings … Continue reading