Michael

twenty

The sound of an emergency klaxon was always unnerving; hearing one go off when you're hundreds of meters underground, and lost in gloomy maze of tunnels, was downright terrifying. Liz yelped when Michael swept her up in his arms and raced for the rapidly closing gap ahead. A metal barrier had appeared between the floor grates and was rising to meet the roof, fast. Michael hurtled them both over it. The barrier sealed behind them with a heavy, reverberating clang.

Michael didn't stop. Liz clung to his shoulders, squeezing her eyes shut as the tunnels passed by in a blur. Another barrier was rising ahead. She cringed when they only just made it through this second gap. He didn't stop or slow down. It didn't do them any good. He was forced to skid to a stop within a few feet of one barrier they were too late to pass through. His ripe curse rebounded off the walls.

He'd just sprinted over a mile in under a minute and it still hadn't been enough. Michael lowered her back to her feet and went to examine the barrier now blocking the way. Liz staggered before managing to steady herself, feeling slightly disoriented by the speed of this latest crisis. "What's going on?" she asked breathlessly.

Michael answered in typical blunt style, "I'm guessing they know where we are and want to seal us in."

"Can you unseal us?"

"Doubtful. I can't find a control panel to operate the barrier manually."

He engaged a sword. Liz wondered what he hoped to do with it—hack a hole in solid steel—until she saw the sharp hook he'd created out of the liquid-metal. He was going to try and prise it open.

Liz felt stupid. She kept forgetting his swords weren't limited to blades. "All right, so we're sealed in. Now what?"

"And now they come looking for us." Michael jerked his chin up at the overhead lights. "I haven't figured out a way to avoid setting off the lights when we enter a new section: they must be triggered by a sensor. My best guess is that's how they know where to find us. Stand back a little."

Once she had, he took a step back and then leaped up high enough to reach the ceiling, trying to find something at the top of the barrier to grip the hook onto. It didn't work and he landed back on the grating with a loud clang.

Liz meanwhile, tried and failed to summon up the energy to panic. It made a huge difference that Michael was healed and firing on all supernatural cylinders again. Her voice was steady when she asked, "I take it we're talking 'guns blazing' here?"

Michael's expression was grim. "They didn't seem to be in the mood for conversation earlier. I can't see them having a change of heart, can you?"

"Not really." Liz was reminded of her ignorance about who exactly was chasing them. "Who are they, by the way? I didn't get a good look before. Was it the SC firing at us in the van?"

"No. I saw a militia insignia on the ACV."

Following relief, Liz felt a jolt of surprise. "The militia? Out here? That's odd."

"It doesn't matter who's pulling the trigger. Guns are guns, Liz, except when they're frigging rockets. Let's hope they don't have the bright idea of bringing a couple of those down here."

Liz found she could panic after all. Crossing her arms and starting to pace, she snapped, "Great. Thanks for putting that idea in my head. Now all I can see are exploding body parts, flames roaring straight for me and tunnels collapsing on top of my head."

Michael gave up trying to prise apart the barrier and came back over to her. Liz tilted up her chin, seeking reassurance in his face. He was as calm and unflappable as ever. She couldn't help but notice how he really lookedat her now. The notion sparked an odd, squiggly warmth in her belly.