INTO THE DEPTH

Samantha's POV The gloom all about us seemed oppressive, the air tense. Every sound seemed enhanced: Royce's men's fast footsteps, the faint echo of the waves slamming against the docks, my heart pounding in my ears. We bent low behind the boxes, my breath short and shallow as I sought to collect my ideas. Everything changed the instant I pulled the lever to disconnect the power. Now the stakes were much higher and we were running against the clock. Alex was next to me; his form just discernible in the weak illumination coming from the moon. Though I could sense the pressure in him too, his presence was steadying and centering me in the anarchy. Though his motions were deliberate, calculated, I could sense the struggle he was fighting to keep us alive under surface level. Alex murmured, his voice low and frantic, piercing through the thick silence: "We have to keep moving." I nodded, though my legs felt as though they could give up right away. The exhilaration that had driven me across the anarchy was fading and left behind tiredness and anxiety. But we could not quit right now. Not when we were so near. Our only chance was Lila's leaving path. Before Royce's men gathered, we had to reach the far side of the docks, locate the backup door she had described, and leave here. But errors have no place here. Alex took my hand, his touch firm but soft, and we started to walk low and out of sight across the shadows. Now our friend, the darkness was also our enemy; it hid us but also our assailants. Every stride seemed as though we were blind and not sure what was ahead. Royce's face before the lights went out kept me from sleeping. He was always one step ahead, always in control, and his arrogant delight in expression told me one thing: he wasn't done with us yet. Royce was ready for anything we believed we knew. Like tall shadows, the shipping containers and boxes loomed over us, creating lengthy, spooky forms over the little path. We proceeded silently, my senses sharpened with every little mechanical squeak and every far-off stride. My head flew over a thousand distinct possibilities. Not making it would mean what? Suppose Royce's soldiers discovered us first? Suppose Lila's facts had been incorrect? But uncertainty was not appropriate at this time. Not when Alex and I were in this together could I let the anxiety control me. As he looked ahead of us, I peered at him and caught the faint contour of his profile. He possessed a quiet intensity, a will not waversing since the minute we entered this dream. Alex said, "Stay close," his hand squeezing around mine. "We nearly have it." Again, I nodded even though my body was screaming for slumber. With every stride, my muscles burned, but I pushed myself forward. Slowing down would not be financially feasible. Not now. The sound of footsteps became louder, nearer the far side of the docks. Realizing Royce's men were circling around, coming in on us from both sides, my heart shot into my throat. Though I pushed it down, emphasizing the road ahead, panic threatened to seize. We merely had to reach the exit. Alex paused suddenly, dragging me back into the darkness. "Wait," he said, his body stiff and eyes narrowing as he peeked around a big shipping container. Following his stare, my pulse accelerated to find two armed men standing close to our only exit. Their rifles slung over their shoulders as they inspected the surroundings, they were whispering softly. My gut turned. We could not attack them squarely. We were outnumbered, hence should we find ourselves trapped in a shootout today, we would never survive. "What are we supposed to do?" With hardly an audible voice, I asked. Alex kept his gaze on the guards and did not respond immediately. I could see the wheels in his head evaluating our choices. He had always been the strategist, the one considering every conceivable result prior to action. But there was not much time to prepare this time. We had to move. "We'll have to set off a diversion," Alex replied softly, his voice firm. "I will lead them away." You head toward the leaving exit. My heart missed a beat, terror shooting through my chest. Not. I am not dragging you behind. He turned to me, his demeanor softening even if his eyes seemed to be fiercer. "You won't be. I will be exactly behind you. But neither of us is leaving here if we fail to separate. I shook my head and felt panic start. It was intolerable to consider leaving Alex to meet Royce's guys alone herself. We had traveled too far and battled too hard to be split now. "Samantha, listen to me," Alex urged, his voice both forceful and soft. "You are qualified to do this. I respect you. Still, we have to relocate—and we have to start immediately. Tears ached at the margins of my eyes, but I blinked them back, willing myself to pay attention. Correct was what he said. We had no option. And even although I detested the idea of separating, I knew this was our last opportunity. "Okay," I said, my voice barely steady. Alex leaned in, kissed my forehead quickly reassuringly, then turned away. Stay low. Just remain silent. And keep on. One last look, then he turned and vanished into the darkness, sprinting silently toward the soldiers. Fear was biting at me, my heart hurt as I watched him depart; however, I knew I had to believe him. Alex had survived worse than this and was robust and clever. That did not stop the terror, though, as I bent down and got ready to move. I waited, my breath seized in my throat, searching for Alex's diversion. A slight clatter in the distance, the sound of metal hitting pavement, arrived a few moments later. The guards turned to face the ruckus and shot to attention. Heart pounding, I dashed out from behind the containers in a straight line toward the door. With the exertion, my legs burned; my lungs screamed for air; still, I continued to move ahead. Ahead of me, a sliver of moonlight slink through the breach, loomed the door. I was quite near. But when I arrived at the entrance, someone moved into my path and blocked me. My breath seized in my throat as I skidded to a stop and came up close to one of Royce's guys. His rifle went up, his eyes hard and unassuming as he fixed me down. Panic grabbed me for a moment. My body stopped while my mind ran with the knowledge that I was caught. Still, something changed inside me. An intense surge of adrenaline, a great will. I'm going to let Royce triumph. Not exactly like this. I shot forward without thinking, snatching the man's wrist and forcibly twisted it. He shouted out in agony, dropped the rifle as I knocked him off balance with my knee into his stomach. He staggered backwards, and I grabbed the chance to run by him with fingers brushing against the frigid metal of the exit door. I stumbled out into the open, the chilly night air blasting in about me. I stood there, gasping heavily, my body shaking from the adrenaline for a time. But time ran out for relaxation. I sought Alex. I heard footsteps—fast, arriving from behind—just as I was about to turn around. My heart jumped into my throat when I realized Alex was running toward me, his face a mask of will. He yelled, "Let's go!" then grabbed my hand and we headed into the night. The docks shrank behind us as we vanished into the labyrinth of alleyways and backstreets, our legs hardly able to keep us. Though my body hurt with tiredness and my lungs burnt, I continued. Not until I felt our safety was assured. When we at last halted, falling against the wall of an old, deserted building, I could hardly breathe. The exhilaration had faded, leaving a bone-deep tiredness that almost knocked me over. Beside me, Alex closed his eyes and his chest was heaving as he leaned against the wall. "We made it," he remarked, his voice tense but then relieved. I nodded too quickly to talk, but the relief that came over me was indisputable. For now we had fled. But I started to feel uneasy looking back toward the docks. Royce was still out there, still observing, still waiting even as we had made it. And I knew this was far from finished. Quietly, my words scarcely audible above a whisper, "We can't keep running." Alex opened his eyes to meet mine. "No," he answered. We cannot. My phone buzzed in my pocket before I could say another thing. My heart pounding, I pulled it out and watched the screen for the message. Do you consider yourself to be safe? This is simply the start. Royce was the answer. He still lacked competition with us.