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He pointed up “Look, chère”

Anxiously, cautiously, she did There was a hole in the cave ceiling Someone had made a wooden trap for it, presumably to keep out the weather The trap was open It was daylight

And the sky was red

Her hands shot out to grip the edge of the table “We’re in the Red Zone?” It was a whisper It wasn’t possible It couldn’t be But, above her, there was a thick cloud of red covering the large opening where the sky should have been She shot to her feet as panic hit her like a blow to the sto her nauseous “We need to run It isn’t safe”

A strong hand grasped her ar her firmly in place “Sit down You’re safe here You think I’d let so bad happen to you?”

She forced herself to look at Striker instead of the exit “I think you’d be willing to let me die if it suited your purpose”

“Ouch!” someone said

He glowered at her “Well, it don’t suit my purpose none Now sit your cute ass down and listen”

She looked at the rest of the tea fro her Slowly, she lowered herself to her seat, grasping Striker’s hand and holding on tight Suddenly his penchant for invading her personal space was a comfort rather than an irritant

He e she didn’t understand, before switching to English “Good girl I know this is a lot to take in Are you okay?”

She sed “Don’t say ‘good girl’ It’s patronizing”

There were chuckles, and he smiled wryly at his team “Guess that’s a yes” He turned his attention back to her “Remember I told you that the red mist lifted from the water first?”

She nodded, although that conversation seeo

“It lifted froer This cave system is one of them The mist sits a few feet above it”

His words acted like a switch in her mind It flicked fro her syste her to escape rushed to her mind and prodded her to demand answers She relaxed This was her comfort zone—analysis, research, study