Page 64 of All He Sees

Holy. Shit.

Nicky took a deep breath and kept going. She kept dragging Mira along. They were going to find them no matter what she did. She just hoped that she and Mira could get to the exit before the boys did.

Nicky looked around for an exit. The tunnel seemed to be going downhill now, but they were lost. Nicky had no idea which way was the exit, so she just kept going.

She couldn't wait anymore. She needed to call Ken for backup, or text him, or something. Her phone was still in the pocket of her pants--somehow, it hadn't gotten lost in the crash. Nicky took it out and tried to turn it on, but the screen stayed black.

No! she thought. She pressed another button.

No luck.

The phone was dead.

And now, they had no way to call for help.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Nicky's breaths became short and shallow. She knew, now, that there was no way to call for backup. She and Mira were on their own.

They had to keep going.

The tunnel was long, dark, and menacing before them.

She didn't think Mira could keep going for much longer either.

But the fact that she was still walking proved that Mira had some fight in her.

Nicky knew she did too. She just had to figure out a way to outsmart those boys before they caught up with them.

How many turns had they made? How far back was the turn where they had heard the other boys?

Nicky kept looking back, and Mira kept looking forward. They were running out of time. The boys were getting closer. Nicky could hear their voices getting closer and closer. Their laughter, mocking them.

"I... I don't think I can go any further," Mira said.

"You have to," Nicky said. "We have to keep moving."

"No--I can't--"

"Mira, come on. We have to keep going."

She grabbed Mira's wrist and started dragging her. Mira wouldn't try to move on her own.

"We're going to die down here," Mira said.

"We're not going to die," Nicky whispered.

"What was that?" one of the boys asked. "I think I heard something."

Nicky began to panic. She couldn't let them catch her. Couldn't let them catch Mira. She was only a few feet from the exit. If she could just get Mira out of the tunnel...

"I heard it," another boy said. "It came from down the way. It came from up ahead."

Nicky shook. She tried to calm herself, take breaths, keep it together like she'd been taught. But this felt more real--more dangerous--than any situation she'd ever been in.

"Come on," one of the boys said. "This way."

Another boy grunted.