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Dean sighed and approached me. “We managed to get a visual on Lala. She’s dead.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
KAL
I looked around at the ship's remaining faces, and hers was missing from among our small crew. Letting her go was a mistake. I wasn’t going to use a tank for the quick dip. The moment she said she needed one was the moment I should have realized she wasn’t fit for the job. But I was so used to going along with whatever Thorsten wanted that I didn’t speak up against him to make the right call. It wasn’t his fault; it was mine. If I was truly the team leader, then I needed to act like it.
“She was lodged inside a tunnel that was hidden behind some large metal structure, perhaps a building. I think she left the platform to explore, and the tunnel became smaller going in than she was expecting. It lodged her body there. I tried to move her.” I said, confirming Dean’s visual confirmation of her body.
“She knew what could happen, it was dumb of her to explore without a team just as it was stupid—” Raze stopped and lookedto Thorsten with apprehension, I was almost certain they knew about us.
“No, you’re right. I was an idiot. I knew better than to let go of the wire.” I looked to Thorsten, who sat down. I could tell he was suffering even with the suit on. He was missing the headpiece that would have sealed his suit from the water, and the water touched him. And I felt like someone was bashing my head against a rock, and sitting down was all I could do to keep from spewing my lunch on the deck. We would have to return home soon. “I made a stupid decision, and my stupid decision caused--”
“That’s enough.” Thorsten stood, hiding his discomfort well.
“Yeah, we should call it.” I said, knowing he needed to leave.
Raze sighed. “She probably would prefer a watery grave any way.”
“Bullshit, she wanted the waters back home,” Jon said, not taking the news of her death lightly. “We have to get her.”
“We will. When we return.” I said, hoping to defuse any possible squabbling. “I also believe that tunnel leads somewhere,” I said, feeling the cold myself.
“It does,” Thorsten replied and headed for the door near the warmer interior of the ship. “I recognize the writing. It’s a door leading to the main hall. If I remember the layout, then it’s a T-section piece of the station. To the right should be a storage area, to the left is security and maintenance, and straight ahead should be transport.”
“I didn’t know we had so much info on what’s down there. Thought we needed to do an assessment.” Dean said, surprised.
“We’re trying to reach a research center that existed here before the titans came,” I said to cover for Thorsten’s slip.
“Shit.” Raze smiled. “Well, then when do we loot it?”
“I’ll contact you when the mission begins.” Thorsten groaned.
“As for poor Lala, we need to bring cutters to get her free… she might have panicked, and once she realized she couldn’t…”
“We’ll cut her free once we return.” Thorsten disappeared further inside. “I don’t care what you do in the city until then. Just make sure you’re on call.”
When we returned home, he leaned against the closed door.
“The sooner we get you out of those wet clothes, the better you’ll feel,” I said, unfastening his suit. “A thick metal structure was blocking the tunnel.”
“You idiot!” He rounded on me. “Don’t you ever do that again! What the hell were you trying to do? Get yourself killed?”
“I’m sorry, I made you worry. Letting go of the wire when I was down there was really dumb. I will admit that, and you had every reason to worry. I swear I won’t ever do it again.”
“See that you don’t.”
“Before you go to bed, I want you to give me permission to contact Jaxon.”
He scoffed at my request.
“Jaxon has tech implants, and we can use that to widen the metal structure so our equipment can get through. I also think it would be better to leave Lala alone. Right before you grabbed me, I heard a small hiss when I pulled at her. Dislodging her could damage the tank, causing it to explode even if we try to get her out on the other side.”
“You’re saying we should bypass her.”
“Yes. I think it would be safer. Perhaps we can come back for her once the dive is over.”
“Hollow words, little one. Once these dives are over, everyone parts ways.”
