—
Liam took her hand and Astrid pretended not to care that his touch sent a little shock through her. Now really wasn’t the time for that. Not when capture or even death was on the horizon.
He led her to a narrow door in the hallway, then dashed in and back out of the carrier’s quarters with a small black box in his hand. Astrid felt the sensation of backward movement as Liam hurriedly yanked open the hallway door to reveal an evacuation pod.
With only one seat.
“That’s only for one person, Liam!”
“We’re going to have to make it work.”
Liam tucked the box into his pocket and climbed into the pod first, pulling her with him. Despite the robotic voice warning them that the maximum capacity in the pod was for one person, the seat was large enough for Astrid to sit between Liam’s legs.
The harnesses were also a tight fit, but they held. His strong arms wrapped around her, Liam held her close as the pod’s door clicked shut, muffling the shrieking alarm. His warmth pressed against her back as well as the soft rhythmic thump of his heartbeat.
“Astrid?” His voice rumbled through her from their close contact. Heat pulsed between her legs and she tried not to squirm.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t scream.”
The pod disengaged, ejecting with a startling force. The scream rose from the pit of Astrid’s stomach but came out as a tiny squeak as she tried to obey Liam’s warning.
Her breathing quickened. The pod rattled, juddering with them both. Liam pulled her close to him, his heart beat pounding against her back. It was the sensation of him being so close and alive, and his voice when he spoke that calmed her.
“Slower breaths, Astrid,” Liam said quietly, his lips close to her ear. “The oxygen in this thing is limited.”
Astrid nodded quickly and struggled to slow her breathing. She ignored that she and Liam were trapped in a metal can rocketing toward land. Or that there were bad men who were in pursuit.
She wanted to ask Liam if they’d get to the surface first before the bad men caught up to them, but she kept her mouth shut. The pod rattled and shook, the noise too loud for conversation anyway.
At one point, there was a loud and disturbing clank like if something had fallen away and the pod dipped. Astrid gasped, her stomach mimicking the sensation, icy dread racing along her spine.
“Heat shield,” Liam said. “It’s gone.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Astrid, said alarmed. “Sounds like something we’ll need.”
“Not anymore. It means we’re about to land.”
True enough, Astrid felt their momentum slowing. She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting a violent impact that would no doubt create an explosion, roasting her and Liam alive.
Instead, all she got was an anti-climactic thunk and a little vibration as the pod set on the ground.
She let out a long breath she didn’t realize she was holding.
“We didn’t die,” she breathed out.
“Yet,” added Liam, amusement in his voice. “We’re still being chased.”
A hiss from above them followed his statement, startling her. Then six tiny shots went off.
“What was that? Are they here already?”
“Thrusters cooling. Hatch screws exploding so the door will unlock.” Liam unlatched the harnesses so that Astrid could stand. She missed his warmth and his closeness immediately, but shrugged off that feeling.
The escape pod was a tight fit for both of them to stand. Liam practically loomed over her as he inspected the hatch door with a frown.
“It should have come off right away,” he said. He pushed against it, then kicked it, but the door wouldn’t budge. He let out a sound of irritation. “It’s stuck.”
Astrid cast her gaze around the gloomy interior. She tried to subdue the panic rising in her chest. Relief coursed through her when she looked up and saw the dial for another hatch at the top as well as a short ladder leading up to it.
She pointed at the hatch above them. “I guess we’re getting out through there, then.”
Liam nodded. “I’ll go first and make sure everything is safe. There are footholds along the sides for you to get down, but be careful because they’re narrow. The thrusters are still going to be hot so don’t touch them when you climb out.”
Astrid nodded, grateful for his calm capableness. Meanwhile, she was on the precipice of a panic attack.
Standing on the seat, Liam turned and began climbed up the short ladder up to the hatch. At the top, he unscrewed the wheel, letting in bright outside light and a gush of warm air.
Astrid squinted and shielded her eyes from the brightness as she followed suit up the ladder. Liam disappeared over the edge of the top and she heard the thump of his boots hitting the ground outside.
As she climbed, Astrid hoped it wasn’t too far down. She got to the top and heat pressed against her skin from the cooling thrusters. She peered out at the slopes covered in patches of grass and the dark mountains in the distance.
Not a speck of civilization in sight.
“Hurry up, Astrid,” called Liam.
Astrid climbed up higher and peered over the edge. Her stomach tightened at the drop below. The escape pod was taller than it had appeared on the carrier. The metal was also a whole lot smoother, the sides steeper than she liked.
Anxiety gripped Astrid as she perched on the top of the pod.
“Use the footholds,” Liam instructed, pointing at the short grooves running down the sides.
Astrid’s imagination ran away with her into the realm of the ridiculous. What if, as she was climbing down, the pod decided it couldn’t bear her weight and pitched over onto its side along with her? Or what if she missed one of the footholds and went sliding down the side, giving her a serious case of metal burn?
She froze, feeling extremely stupid and angry with herself she couldn’t move. She’d always had a debilitating fear of heights. Even now she felt a little woozy, her hands clammy, her legs jittery. Shame burned her inside and out as she peered down at Liam.
“I can’t.”
“Then jump,” he said, holding his arms aloft. “I’ll catch you.”
She was doubtful. But what else choice did she have? Using the footholds was the alternative and that required a trust she didn’t possess in her surefooted ability.
“Are you sure you won’t drop your hands at the last second and jump back, making sure I do an embarrassing face plant in the ground?”
He chuckled. “That’d be damn funny but I won’t do that. I’ll make sure you won’t get hurt. I promise.” He held his hands up. “You gotta jump. We’re running out of time.”
She squealed as she leaped off the pod toward him and true to his word, Liam caught her. With a grunt from the both of them, they tumbled to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her, shielding her from the ground as he took the brunt of the fall.
“I guess this is going to be regular occurrence with you.”
“What?”
“You falling from the sky into my arms.”
Astrid smiled. “Thank you for always being there to catch me.”
“You’re welcome.”
And yet she still didn’t get off of him. She should. She really should. His hand was flat on her back like if it belonged there and she liked it. She also liked the way the sky’s light turned his hazel eyes pale gold.
She dipped her gaze to his lips.
She wanted to kiss him.
And the way he looked at her said he wanted to do the same.
But their dangerous reality came zooming down toward them.
The bad guys were back.