Chapter 25 · Untitled Chapter

"Val, don't touch that—"

The floor dropped.

Not collapsed. Dropped. Like someone had hit a switch and decided we didn't need ground anymore. My stomach went first, then the rest of me, straight through a trapdoor I hadn't seen because I'd been staring at that damn recorder.

I hit water.

Cold water. So cold my lungs locked before I could scream. I thrashed, broke the surface, and swallowed rust and chemicals.

"Sienna!"

"Here!"

Her voice came from my left. She was treading water beside a slick metal wall, hair plastered to her face. Above us, the hatch we'd fallen through was sliding shut.

"Shit." I kicked toward her. "We need to—"

"Climb. Now."

She found the first rung and hauled herself up. I reached for it next. My fingers slipped once, twice. On the third try, I pulled.

The rung snapped.

I dropped under, came up choking, and slammed my palm against the wall.

"Val! Move!"

"I'm trying!"

I caught the next rung. It held. I dragged myself up as the water climbed past my waist.

Sienna was already several rungs above me. "There's a door."

"Open it."

"It's locked."

"Break it."

She shoved her shoulder into the metal.