kid.” Nick snapped him a salute with his free hand.
Nodding gravely, Paolo got down on his knees to enter the escape tunnel. Nick made sure the boy was well on his way before searching for the missing mother. The beam of the hand lamp swept across a broken, bloody figure on the deck, all the way across the room, lying partially underneath half the ceiling.
Beyond my help . Nick crossed the cabin anyway and felt for a pulse. Finding none, he gently closed the woman’s staring eyes. At least her last sight had been of her two children, safe and unharmed beside the beds, which was some small mercy, Nick supposed. He stood up and took one final look at her. “We’ll take good care of them for you. I promise.”
The wind volume had definitely picked up as Nick crawled through to the main cabin. The weight of the debris had forced the top of the small passageway downward, and at one point he wasn’t sure he could force his way through to safety again. Taking a deep breath and shimmying as flat to the deck as he could get, Nick managed to push past the chokepoint with more damage to his shoulder. Part of the makeshift tunnel crumpled behind him as he rose to his feet in the outer room, winded.
There was no sign of Khevan or Paolo. Nick sprinted out of the suite, down the corridor, dutifully clutching the bear as promised. He had to fight the ever-increasing air pressure, as the Nebula Dream ’s atmosphere was sucked toward a widening breach in the hull further aft. Larger pieces of debris pulled loose from the tangle, flying past him dangerously on their eventual way out into space. Even the carpet was tearing itself free in spots from the adhesive laid onto the deck to keep it secure. Nick got entangled in one large square of the heavy fabric as it sailed off, losing precious time in his escape attempt.
Tucking the bear inside his shirt as he ran, Nick tossed the nearly useless lamp away, needing both hands free to grab at whatever could be used as handholds along the corridor walls.
He heard Mara screaming at him to hurry. Raising his head, squinting against the grit and dust in the air, which was now practically at gale force, Nick realized the blast door was belatedly attempting to block off this section of the corridor. He was probably about ten yards from life or death.
He had to beat the ponderous door.
Khevan was attempting to delay the closure of the door, but powerful drive motors were inexorably shoving him aside. Still, his effort might buy Nick an extra second or two and make the difference.
“Run, Captain!” shouted the Brother, digging his feet into the carpet, back to the door, extending one hand toward Nick. “For your life!”
Working his way down the corridor as fast as he could, pulling himself along using any remaining light fixture, open door frame, or protrusion along the way, Nick determinedly gained ground. He reached out his left hand for Khevan’s grasp. There was less than a yard and a half clearance remaining before the corridor was closed off for good. The escaping air was a solid force, pulling Nick toward certain death.
Locking his grip on Nick’s wrist, Khevan pulled with a superhuman effort, yanking the captain through the portal to the other side. They fell to the deck as the blast door slammed shut and locked, inches away from their booted feet.
CHAPTER FOUR
The sudden silence was deafening. Nick’s ears rang from the changes in air pressure. Mara and the two children stared at him from an alcove where she had wedged herself, keeping them safe, leaving Khevan free to concentrate on Nick’s rescue.
Exhausted by the battle against the escaping atmosphere, Nick rolled slowly over, covering his eyes with one arm, breathing deeply.
“Are you okay?” Mara clutched Gianna closer to her.
“Chest hurts. From the inside out. Like when I had pneumonia as a child.” He sat up with an effort. “Give me a minute.”
Khevan got to his feet, leaning drunkenly on the wall for
Nodding gravely, Paolo got down on his knees to enter the escape tunnel. Nick made sure the boy was well on his way before searching for the missing mother. The beam of the hand lamp swept across a broken, bloody figure on the deck, all the way across the room, lying partially underneath half the ceiling.
Beyond my help . Nick crossed the cabin anyway and felt for a pulse. Finding none, he gently closed the woman’s staring eyes. At least her last sight had been of her two children, safe and unharmed beside the beds, which was some small mercy, Nick supposed. He stood up and took one final look at her. “We’ll take good care of them for you. I promise.”
The wind volume had definitely picked up as Nick crawled through to the main cabin. The weight of the debris had forced the top of the small passageway downward, and at one point he wasn’t sure he could force his way through to safety again. Taking a deep breath and shimmying as flat to the deck as he could get, Nick managed to push past the chokepoint with more damage to his shoulder. Part of the makeshift tunnel crumpled behind him as he rose to his feet in the outer room, winded.
There was no sign of Khevan or Paolo. Nick sprinted out of the suite, down the corridor, dutifully clutching the bear as promised. He had to fight the ever-increasing air pressure, as the Nebula Dream ’s atmosphere was sucked toward a widening breach in the hull further aft. Larger pieces of debris pulled loose from the tangle, flying past him dangerously on their eventual way out into space. Even the carpet was tearing itself free in spots from the adhesive laid onto the deck to keep it secure. Nick got entangled in one large square of the heavy fabric as it sailed off, losing precious time in his escape attempt.
Tucking the bear inside his shirt as he ran, Nick tossed the nearly useless lamp away, needing both hands free to grab at whatever could be used as handholds along the corridor walls.
He heard Mara screaming at him to hurry. Raising his head, squinting against the grit and dust in the air, which was now practically at gale force, Nick realized the blast door was belatedly attempting to block off this section of the corridor. He was probably about ten yards from life or death.
He had to beat the ponderous door.
Khevan was attempting to delay the closure of the door, but powerful drive motors were inexorably shoving him aside. Still, his effort might buy Nick an extra second or two and make the difference.
“Run, Captain!” shouted the Brother, digging his feet into the carpet, back to the door, extending one hand toward Nick. “For your life!”
Working his way down the corridor as fast as he could, pulling himself along using any remaining light fixture, open door frame, or protrusion along the way, Nick determinedly gained ground. He reached out his left hand for Khevan’s grasp. There was less than a yard and a half clearance remaining before the corridor was closed off for good. The escaping air was a solid force, pulling Nick toward certain death.
Locking his grip on Nick’s wrist, Khevan pulled with a superhuman effort, yanking the captain through the portal to the other side. They fell to the deck as the blast door slammed shut and locked, inches away from their booted feet.
CHAPTER FOUR
The sudden silence was deafening. Nick’s ears rang from the changes in air pressure. Mara and the two children stared at him from an alcove where she had wedged herself, keeping them safe, leaving Khevan free to concentrate on Nick’s rescue.
Exhausted by the battle against the escaping atmosphere, Nick rolled slowly over, covering his eyes with one arm, breathing deeply.
“Are you okay?” Mara clutched Gianna closer to her.
“Chest hurts. From the inside out. Like when I had pneumonia as a child.” He sat up with an effort. “Give me a minute.”
Khevan got to his feet, leaning drunkenly on the wall for
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