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SEPTEMBER 17, 2022

Haskell

Exhausted beyond anything she’d ever felt in her life, she gave a shove to the metal grate that was between her and freedom. As soon as it started to rise, someone helped flip it all the way over, and two strong arms pulled her out of the air vent and passed her into two stronger arms. Those arms slung her over their shoulder and took off to behind a small warehouse that housed supplies. They crouched behind some oil drums. “Package acquired.”

She was too tired to fight. It had taken her hours to climb the three miles of ladder. She’d stopped more than a few times to rest, but never for long. Every minute she was in that shaft was one more minute that Nemo was in the hands of the Kaders.

She was sliding off the shoulder of whomever had carried her and was now sitting on the ground, leaning against the tin wall of the warehouse. Someone was checking her pulse, then flashing a bright light in her eyes. Hands gently swiped down her body, pressing lightly.

A canteen of water was pressed to her lips. It tasted metallic, but it was heavenly after all she’d been through.

“Roger that. Medusa is on her way. ETA four minutes. Get ready to run like hell.”

Gem floated in and out of consciousness until a loud boom sounded not too far away, causing the earth beneath her ass to actually shake. The sound of pounding feet went flying past them, voices in Shona yelling and screaming all around them. Her body was slung up over a shoulder again, and she bounced as whoever carried her ran in the opposite direction toward rotor blades she could barely hear over falling debris and crashing objects. She felt incredibly hot for several steps, then there was the feeling of rain falling on her.

No. Not rain. The drops were too big. In fact, it felt more like a deluge.

The water tower. Someone had blown up the water tower.

Cerberus!

Her body left the shoulder of her rescuer, and she was passed quickly into someone else’s arms, then set against the far wall. Several other loud thuds sounded around her, with a yell of “Go!”

“We’re in the pipe, gentlemen. Strap in!”

There was a violent rise as if they were being shot out of a cannon. Then, a sharp bank caused her to physically slide across the floor. Arms stopped her slide, then picked her up and strapped her to a bench seat.

A wet, sloppy tongue licked up her face. There was a yip and then a sneeze that covered her in snot. “Scheherazade,” she whispered. Her eyes opened, trying to focus. When they couldn’t, she sent her hand flailing off the bench, looking for the dog.

The dog’s head found the palm of her hand, and she gripped the neck fur tightly in her fist. Scheherazade sat by her side, her muzzle flat on her torso perpendicular to her body.

More water was offered. She drank a few sips.

“Rest, Gem. We’ve got you.”

She didn’t know whose voice it was, but there was a soothing hand that smoothed back her curls, which, of course, sprung back to their original position even with the sweat and grime on her. She was so tired. Just a little rest. She’d just close her eyes for a couple of minutes. Regather her thoughts. Then she could get up, and they could go get Nemo.