Chapter 23 · Overdrive Bleed

"Stay behind me, Rex!" Vesper drove her shoulder into my back and shoved me through the blast door.

The door slammed shut behind us. Something huge hit it from the other side hard enough to bend the metal inward.

I caught myself against a rail, one hand clamped over my ribs. The tether snapped hot between us. Vesper staggered at the same time, her breath catching in my throat like she had swallowed smoke.

"Don't do that," she said.

"You shoved me."

"I shoved you away from the gunfire. Try gratitude."

Another impact folded the door another inch.

A red warning strip flashed above it. LOCKDOWN. BIO-SECURITY PURGE IN 04:12.

Vesper looked at the timer, then at me. Her face stayed hard, but her fingers had started to shake.

"Four minutes," she said. "If we don't reach the lift, the whole level gets sealed and gassed."

"Great. You know the way."

"I know three ways. Two are blocked."

"Then pick the ugly one."

"I already did."

She grabbed my jacket and pulled me down the service corridor just as the blast door blew apart.

The thing behind it came through on all fours.