Page 108 of The Tomorrows After You
“Shit!” The sirens were blaring, the lights lit up against the fiery sunset behind them.
“Almost ready to jump?” Brennan shouted, nearly hysterical, a twisted smile on his face. “I’m going to get close to the woods. Roll out, and hopefully they’ll just keep chasing me.”
“Brennan—” I opened my mouth to protest.
“No time, Riot, we’re close!”
“Brennan!”Ishoutedto make him look at me, my palm on the door handle.
For a moment, the soundsfaded. Brennanofferedme a weak smile.
“It’s okay, Riot.”Henoddedin quiet understanding.“Time for me to be the big brother.”
He smiled again, letting the silent moment breathe all on its own.
He unlocked the doors. “Now!”
The passenger side doorscrapedagainst the bushes. I crackedit open just enough to slide out.
My vision was a whirlwind of sticks and rocks and bushes and weeds. Sharp branches stuck into my ribs as I rolled to the ground. I lay there, holding my breath, watching the taillights grow more distant. Two police cruisers sped past me, gaining on my truck where I swore I heard a harrowed voice shout, “I’m a leaf on the wind!”
When I was sure they hadn’t spotted me, I rolled out of the bushes and began to sprint in the direction of the mine entrance. I pictured that orange dot getting smaller and my legs pumped harder. The front gate was unlocked but covered in caution tape. No one was dumb enough to wander into an actively unstable mine that had collapsed.
No one except me.
That was when I spotted it. It looked like a miniature airplane. Sleek black. And it hovered several hundred feet above the minefield. It looked dangerous. Like it would drop bombs any second.
“What did you get into, Brennan?”
“Nicolette!”Iscreamedinto the void that oncewasthe elevator entrance. Now itwasjust a hole in theground. The hoist househadfallenin on itself, but still, Isearchedfor any equipment I could use to see in the utter, complete dark.
She was down there, getting colder, possibly buried by blown rock bed.
Igrabbedthe longest rope I could find andfoundthe largest entrance down into the elevator shaft thatremained.
My heart hammered in my chest.
“Nicolette!” I shouted repeatedly. But no voice returned my call, and I tried to ignore the tightening in my throat.
The entire elevator shaft was one giant hole plunging to what seemed like the center of the earth. The service ladder hung on the opposite wall, dangling by one rung. I prayed it held long enough to at least get me down there.
The metal whined to give way. I took hurried, tentative steps down. I cringed and looked around. Maybe I could fashion a harness out of the rope.
“Stop!” A distant voice shouted. More muted lights approached. No time.
Iheldmy breath andtriedto alleviate my weight when I could, but I could feel the ladderlosingits hold. A dark shadowloomedabove me. The dronemoved, eerily to hover right above the entrance. Suddenly a spotlightshonedown from it so bright Ihadto close my eyes.
Panic raced through me before I realized that it was helping me see down the blown elevator shaft.Thank you, Brennan.
The first levelwasonly a few yards farther down. Ihurriedto descend the last few rungs, and Ireachedout to grab the elevator door frame but at that moment the ladder finallygaveway. Ileaped,slammingmy gut hard into the floor of the first level. Aburningsensationspearedmy abdomen,feelinga rib crack.
“Ughfph!”The airblewout of my lungs. More commotionstirredabove me. Iscrambledto my feet. The spotlight did nothingto illuminate the first level. Ireachedfor where the light switchusedto be but itwasshot. She could be anywhere.
“Nicolette?” I yelled into the black void. Fuck, I couldn’t see anything. “Nic!”
Just then a clangcutthrough the dark. Itwassoft, something like metal on metal but it definitelycamefrom deeper inside the cavern.
“Nic!”
