Page 49 of Knight

His hands exert pressure, forcing me forward, and we move as one unit, his body so close behind mine, I can feel his breath on the back of my neck. A light pressure on my right hip tells mewhich foot to shift. The grating rings under each step, the sound echoing up from whatever space lies below. I’m grateful for the darkness, so I can’t see how far down the drop would be.

His breath stirs my hair, surprisingly steady given the situation. My own breathing seems too loud, too fast, in comparison. But his hands remain sure, each signal precise. Tap, step, pause, tap, step, pause. Like a dance, except in this one a misstep could be fatal.

The grating creaks ominously under our combined weight. Knight’s grip tightens, holding me still.

“Wait.” His voice is soft.

Small pieces of rust or debris shower down into the void below us. “That section is compromised. We need to angle left.”

His body presses closer, using pressure to guide me in a new direction. The intimacy feels strange, threatening yet reassuring, both at once. Each step could be leading me toward safety or death, and I have no choice but to trust his guidance.

The ladder, when we reach it, feels shockingly solid after the uncertain footing of the grating. The metal rungs are slick. I’m not sure if it’s condensation, oil, or something else.

“I’ll go first this time.” Knight’s hands leave my hips. “Follow exactly where I guide your hands.”

He moves with quiet confidence in the darkness, then his hands find mine, placing it on the first rung. “It’s about fifteen feet up. Keep your weight centered. Some of these anchors are going to be loose.”

The climb is nerve-wracking without sight. Each movement has to be considered carefully. Knight maintains contact from above, tapping the next rung so I know where to reach and put my hands. The metal is treacherous under my palms. Requiring more upper body strength than I thought I had left.

My wrists are on fire, and I’m terrified I’m going to lose my grip, but I keep going, keep pushing forward, imagining thesarcastic comments Knight would say over my dead body if I slipped and fell.

Something shifts above us, a deep rumble that travels through the ladder’s supports. Debris rains down, pinging off metal. Knight grunts.

“Keep moving.” His voice carries an edge of urgency.

I force myself to climb faster. My arms are burning from the effort of pulling myself up while keeping my weight centered. One wrong move could tear the anchors free from the wall.

“There’s a platform to your left.” His hand finds my arm, guiding me onto solid ground. “The ceiling is low. Keep your head down.”

This passage is wider, but lower, requiring a hunched walking position. Knight’s hand stays on my shoulder, steering me around obstacles I can’t see. The air carries traces of vehicle exhaust now. We must be getting closer to the surface.

“Wait. Stop.” He stops abruptly, his chest brushing against my back. “Something has changed.”

I strain my ears, but can’t hear anything except our breathing. “What? How can you tell?”

“The vibrations are different. Vehicles are arriving topside.” His hand tightens on my shoulder. “We need to hurry.”

The passage ends at what I assume is another maintenance panel. In the darkness, I can hear Knight moving around.

“Remember how I said this would give us a better idea of what’s going on?” His voice carries an edge of …something. Not quite tension, more like anticipation. “We’re about to find out what’s waiting for us.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Knight

I easethe access panel open, just enough to give me a gap so I can confirm where we are. The room that services the power for the underground parking of the whole gated complex comes into view. From here, I have a clear view up through the ventilation grating to the street level, where I can see emergency vehicles parked around my building.

Metal and concrete dust fills my nose, alongside the sharp bite of ozone from the electrical substations that power the complex.

Glitch shifts behind me, and I tense. In this space, one sound could give us away. One shout from her could bring whatever is happening above ground down on us. I shouldn’t have brought her with me. I should have found a way to secure her before taking the tunnels. But leaving her wasn’t an option. Not in a room with no way out, no food, no water, and no light.

While I’m no stranger to death, I try to keep my body count lower than Rook’s. Plus, I need to keep her close until I can figure out exactly what role she’s playing Victor’s game, willingly or not. And I don’t really want to go to an apartment that smells like dead bodies later.

Voices filter down, accompanied by the distinctive crackle of radios. I glance over at her, ready to move if she makes a sound, to try something to attract attention, but she stays quiet … for now, anyway.

“Thermal is showing nothing on the top floors.” The words reach me clearly. “Teams are moving to sweep the lower levels.”

Moving slowly, I guide her to a position behind the main electrical panels, so I can hear more while staying hidden in the shadows. I’m very conscious that one wrong move, or one cry for help from her, and this gets complicatedfast.

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