Deep Dark Blues

Chapter 21- Kelp

She closed the suit's airlocks, feeling the armour plates' stiffness close around her body like a cast. Reed could hear rustling behind her, Ryan securing the clips of his own suit. She battled the waves of nausea, digestive liquids sloshing in her empty stomach.

"The suits are all filled up... Should be able to get there on one tank and the suits will refill in the sub..." Ryan muttered more to himself than her.

"What if they don't let us in?" she mumbled, but the man merely glared at her before turning around. He wasn't in the mood for discussions.

Hunger and stress didn't help their situation...

They secured the suits in silence, Ryan only speaking up once all of the airlocks in his suit were closed.

"Reed?" Ryan asked, causing her to turn around.

Her eyes widened, breath getting trapped in her lungs at the sight.

The blade of a kitchen knife shone in the dull light.

"What..." she muttered, eyes jumping between Ryan and the object.

He shook the knife, hinting at her taking it.

"No...I don't need it-" she crossed her arms, stepping away from the man.

"Reed..."

"No, Ryan... I can't... Just..."

"Do you think they are just going to give us food?" He asked plainly.

She looked down at her feet.

"You... You said-"

"Yes, but what if they won't believe us? What if they try to make us leave?"

"W-we... we..."

Ryan rolled his eyes.

"It's us or them... Take the fucking knife..." he pushed the blade into her hands.

"There is a compartment in your glove. Put it there..." he muttered, his back already turned to her.

She stared at the blade in her hand, feeling the weight of the cold steel.

They were going to do it... They were really going to do it.

"How long is the walk?" Ryan asked, but his inquiry fell deaf on her ears.

Her fingers clenched around the handle.

She knew this was going to happen... And she still radioed them... She still lied to them...

"Reed!"

Her eyes snapped at Ryan.

His eyebrows were creased, an unpleasant grimace twisting his features.

"Focus." He growled.

"How long is the walk?"

Reed's thoughts were scattered, her mouth barely capable of stringing a sentence.

"Ummm... Fifteen minutes? We follow the cliff..."

Ryan nodded, before motioning at the empty fridge box he'd brought into the Emergency.

"Load me up... We have to look the part..."

She got to work without a word, trying to hide her agony behind the indifference.

The plan was simple... It was funny how easy it was to plot somebody's downfall. They were going to pose as members of the rescue team, coming to assess the damage and count the people needing rescue. They would lie their way into their storage and steal whatever food they had left, hopefully without spilling any blood...