A tremor ran through the walls of the shelter. Overhead, the elevator's thick steel gates strained beneath the blast of another explosion set by armed intruders. It sounded like something breaking - metal screaming as it tore apart.
Breathless, Silas shouted her name - Elara - toward the opening in the wall. His voice cracked like dry wood, cheeks pale as ash.
"We belong together," she said, tightening her grip on the words.
Back behind the main server stack, she pulled him along to the access panel. This opening led not to airflow ducts but to a chilled channel - bringing lake water straight in to stop the heavy computers overheating. The space inside ran tight, glazed with dampness, filled with the stink of still-green muck and electric burn.
Beneath the torn fabric of her dress, Ela
