spoke, and a second later her aching arms were free. “Give it a minute, then we’ll head for the surface.”
“Kiele—ˮ
“I know.” Pain flashed in her eyes. “I saw what happened, which is how I knew where to look for you. Let’s get you up top first, then we can make a plan.”
Anji nodded, and started kicking. Her arms felt like lead weights, but she used them as much as she could. Melissa ended up pretty much dragging her up, and they slid out of the water in the middle of what looked like a subterranean pool. She yanked the breather off her face, crawled up the steps, and stretched out on the floor, pulling in the cold, fresh air.
Melissa crouched next to her. “I know you’re exhausted, but we can’t stay here. I know a way out, and my brother lives in the city. He’ll take us in until we’ve recovered. Come on.”
Anji used the last of her strength to stand, every inch aching from her struggle to stay alive under the water. With Melissa’s arm around her waist, she was able to stumble toward the shadowed hall at the far side of the room.
They made their way along the narrow corridor, forced to hide in niches or down intersecting corridors a dozen times, avoiding the T’An scientists and soldiers that moves from place to place. Melissa seemed to know where she was going, which made sense, since she had escaped them once.
An eternity later, she led Anji up a steep slope, and stopped next to the door at the top.
“This is where we can get caught. There isn’t usually a guard up here, but with the activity, and me escaping, again,” a satisfied smile crossed her face. “The security may be more widespread. If there’s a guard here, I want you to run, straight to the city center. Go into the first café you find and ask for Nathan. Tell them Melissa sent you and she’s in trouble. Understand? Everyone knows him, and they will get word to him.”
“Why are you helping me?”
“Because you tried to help me, and your T’An, Kiele, is the reason I was able to escape. Ready?”
Anji had more questions, but she nodded. They could wait—Kiele couldn’t.
Her heart pounded as she watched Melissa ease the door open. After endless seconds she waved her hand at Anji and stepped outside.
The same electronic palm trees greeted her, which told Anji they were still on the spa grounds. It was close to sunset, the trees throwing off a glow that highlighted them, left them exposed. Melissa took her hand and they moved, faster with every step, until Anji adopted a staggering jog to keep up with the taller woman. The city came into view, and Melissa moved even faster.
Instead of heading directly into the city, they skirted the edge, until they were almost around it.
“Here,” Melissa said, and swerved into a dark, stinking alley.
It was thankfully short, since Anji was barefoot and stepped on she didn’t want to know what as they bolted through it. They emerged on a noisy, dirty street, surrounded by the workers who kept the city running. This was a part of the city the tourists obviously didn’t wander into.
Melissa pulled her into a rundown building that smelled like food heaven inside. “Stay here, and run if you see a T’An. Don’t wait for me, just run, and try to get to your ship. Understood?”
Anji nodded, her throat still too raw to do much talking. She watched Melissa walk quickly toward the front, stopping only to speak to an older woman at the counter.
The woman looked shocked to see her, and immediately grabbed her and disappeared through a door behind them. Anji pressed her back to the wall, and watched, praying for Melissa to return. She had no idea where she was, or how to even get back to Kiele’s ship if she had to.
After what felt like hours, though it had to be only a few minutes, Melissa appeared, and waved to Anji. She used the wall to help keep herself steady, and made her way to the counter. The older woman met her halfway and wrapped one arm around her
“Kiele—ˮ
“I know.” Pain flashed in her eyes. “I saw what happened, which is how I knew where to look for you. Let’s get you up top first, then we can make a plan.”
Anji nodded, and started kicking. Her arms felt like lead weights, but she used them as much as she could. Melissa ended up pretty much dragging her up, and they slid out of the water in the middle of what looked like a subterranean pool. She yanked the breather off her face, crawled up the steps, and stretched out on the floor, pulling in the cold, fresh air.
Melissa crouched next to her. “I know you’re exhausted, but we can’t stay here. I know a way out, and my brother lives in the city. He’ll take us in until we’ve recovered. Come on.”
Anji used the last of her strength to stand, every inch aching from her struggle to stay alive under the water. With Melissa’s arm around her waist, she was able to stumble toward the shadowed hall at the far side of the room.
They made their way along the narrow corridor, forced to hide in niches or down intersecting corridors a dozen times, avoiding the T’An scientists and soldiers that moves from place to place. Melissa seemed to know where she was going, which made sense, since she had escaped them once.
An eternity later, she led Anji up a steep slope, and stopped next to the door at the top.
“This is where we can get caught. There isn’t usually a guard up here, but with the activity, and me escaping, again,” a satisfied smile crossed her face. “The security may be more widespread. If there’s a guard here, I want you to run, straight to the city center. Go into the first café you find and ask for Nathan. Tell them Melissa sent you and she’s in trouble. Understand? Everyone knows him, and they will get word to him.”
“Why are you helping me?”
“Because you tried to help me, and your T’An, Kiele, is the reason I was able to escape. Ready?”
Anji had more questions, but she nodded. They could wait—Kiele couldn’t.
Her heart pounded as she watched Melissa ease the door open. After endless seconds she waved her hand at Anji and stepped outside.
The same electronic palm trees greeted her, which told Anji they were still on the spa grounds. It was close to sunset, the trees throwing off a glow that highlighted them, left them exposed. Melissa took her hand and they moved, faster with every step, until Anji adopted a staggering jog to keep up with the taller woman. The city came into view, and Melissa moved even faster.
Instead of heading directly into the city, they skirted the edge, until they were almost around it.
“Here,” Melissa said, and swerved into a dark, stinking alley.
It was thankfully short, since Anji was barefoot and stepped on she didn’t want to know what as they bolted through it. They emerged on a noisy, dirty street, surrounded by the workers who kept the city running. This was a part of the city the tourists obviously didn’t wander into.
Melissa pulled her into a rundown building that smelled like food heaven inside. “Stay here, and run if you see a T’An. Don’t wait for me, just run, and try to get to your ship. Understood?”
Anji nodded, her throat still too raw to do much talking. She watched Melissa walk quickly toward the front, stopping only to speak to an older woman at the counter.
The woman looked shocked to see her, and immediately grabbed her and disappeared through a door behind them. Anji pressed her back to the wall, and watched, praying for Melissa to return. She had no idea where she was, or how to even get back to Kiele’s ship if she had to.
After what felt like hours, though it had to be only a few minutes, Melissa appeared, and waved to Anji. She used the wall to help keep herself steady, and made her way to the counter. The older woman met her halfway and wrapped one arm around her
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