Chapter 37 · Leap of Faith

"Lila, let go of me!" Cain's hand slipped from hers as the maintenance rail tore loose beneath their boots.

"Not a chance!" She locked both hands around his wrist. Metal screamed above them. Her shoulder slammed into the rail, and Cain dropped below her, one arm hanging over the black shaft.

His injured shoulder was bleeding through his shirt. His other hand clawed at the rail, but his fingers kept sliding. The gap below swallowed every scrap of light from the ruined facility.

"You're going to pull us both down!" he barked.

"Then stop being heavy!"

"I'm six feet of modified muscle!"

"You think I don't know? You landed on me twice tonight!"

A burst of gunfire cracked above them. Sparks spat from the rail inches from Lila's knuckles.

Cain twisted his head. Red drone lights moved along the broken tunnel. Three hunter units hovered at the edge, weapons charging.

"They've found us," he said.

"I noticed the bullets."

"You need to climb."

"I need you to stop talking like you're already dead."

His eyes found hers in the dark.