In the Devil's Nebula (Phoenix Adventures #2) by Anna Hackett Page B

swung her up. Ria
swallowed a squeak and settled on his broad shoulders.
    “Can you reach it?”
    She focused on the carefully rolled
plas-sheet in front of her eyes, and not the fact that Zayn
Phoenix’s head was between her thighs. Her fingers closed around
the plas. “Got it.”
    He set her down and Ria carefully slid the
plas-sheet into an airtight bag on her belt.
    Zayn waved to the door. “Shall we go?”
    “Sure.”
    They’d taken two steps into the hall when
the entire building shook. Zayn grabbed Ria’s arm to steady her.
There was another dull boom in the distance.
    “Ah, I think our diversion might have been
discovered,” Zayn said.
    They ran toward the door to the tunnels.
They turned the last corner. And saw a group of uniformed and armed
Tekton running toward them.
    “Shit.” Zayn skidded to a halt. Ria almost
slammed into the back of him. “Back the other way. We’re going to
Plan B.”
    They turned and sprinted back past the
library. More explosions rocked the structure. Ria prayed Eos and
the others were okay. She tried to scroll through the map on her
Sync. Plan B was a secondary exit to the tunnels. “We need to get
to the arboretum.” She pointed. “That way.”
    They ran together. Ria liked that he kept up
easily.
    They sprinted into another room and both of
them stopped, looking up in awe. A glass roof showed the incredible
night sky and asteroids flying past. Inside was filled with various
forms of plant life. “The exit should be at the back of the room in
the floor.”
    They hustled and Zayn lifted away a giant
vine. A small octagonal cover was set in the floor. It took both of
them to shift it.
    Zayn dropped in first. As she followed, she
heard him curse.
    She soon realized why. The tunnel was
smaller than the previous one and after a few meters, the angle
changed to near vertical. Ria slid downward. Her enviro suit was
nearly frictionless and she felt herself gather speed.
    “Zayn?” Her voice echoed in the tight
confines of the tunnel.
    “I’m here.” His voice came from below. “Hold
on.”
    She felt an increase in heat. Then she heard
Zayn yell and a second later she shot out the end of the tunnel.
She caught of glimpse of him flying through the air ahead of her,
arms pin-wheeling. Below them was a small lake of sewage.
    The air caught in her lungs like a cat with
claws. The lake wasn’t the biggest problem. The problem was where
the lake was flowing.
    To a giant ultraviolet treatment system.
    That incinerated everything that passed
through it.
    Zayn and Ria landed with a thick splash.
    ***
    “I’ve got you.” Zayn grabbed Ria’s arm and
yanked her upward.
    He held her tight with one arm and wiped his
other hand over his face. Thank the fuck this sewage hadn’t been
treated yet. It smelled bad but it didn’t have the chemical burn of
the earlier green stuff.
    Ria gripped him, their legs tangling. She
looked to where the current was dragging them.
    Straight into the bowels of Hell.
    Zayn saw the ultraviolet lasers arcing
through the sludge. They were set in a large arch, sweeping back
and forth.
    “Suggestions?” She pushed her
sewage-drenched hair back with a grimace.
    “I was going to ask you the same thing.” He
liked that she didn’t panic. She’d make a fabulous pilot. Nerves of
steel.
    “This isn’t on the map. It must be new.” She
glanced up. “Look! There’s a platform to the right of the laser
ring.”
    He spotted it. Guessed it was probably used
for maintenance. “Swim that way.”
    Their hands still linked, they both kicked.
They were making progress but the pull of the water flow was still
stronger.
    Shit . They weren’t going to make
it.
    He wasn’t going to die and he sure as hell
wasn’t going to let Ria die either. He kicked harder.
    They neared the platform but Zayn was too
far away to reach it. Ria lunged outward. He saw her fingertips
graze it and then grip on.
    She grimaced. “I don’t have a good
grip.”
    He had to let go.