Page 173 of Hell and High Water

They’re the lifeblood of the entity that Sanctum represents.

Whether that’s the Sinful, or the Block, or the Ghosts. What really matters is that the dream of what our town was supposed to be stays alive.

A part of me knows that’s naive.

But like Hellena, it’s everything to me.

Shaking myself, I snap back to the task before me, adjusting my pack and setting off along the gravel walkway at a trot. My flashlight bobs along ahead of me, keeping my focus on my search.

Within a minute of running, I spot it, a mechanism sitting against the wall, wedged into what appears to be a hastily carved alcove. It’s bigger than I expected, built into the orange frame of a generator.

There’s no way I can even lift it by myself. And the timer is counting down, the red numbers knifing into my brain like a hot poker.

“GAVIN!” I shout, throwing caution to the wind.

Anyone, even Marco’s men, would have to be absolutely stupid to be out here.

I see him before I hear him call back, running along the wall toward me. He looks damp, a little frantic.

“Find anything?” I can barely hear my own voice. “Help me pull this thing out!”

Gavin shakes his head, waving for me to follow.

Knowing better than to argue, I sprint after him, noting his urgency.

When we reach the other bomb, I see why. The counter is so much lower than the one I found. Gavin nods, sidling up to it and pulling.

“Grab that side!” He grits the words out as we get into position, gripping the rail bar of the contraption. I heave back, dragging it out of the hole.

“Can you disarm this?” I gasp, setting down my side as we clear the dip in the gravel, preparing to lift it again.

“No time. We need to get it to the lip of the hill. Roll it down!”

My mind races as we struggle with the incredible bulk of the thing. We can barely drag it, and time is running out.

“Look at me!” Gavin shouts, drawing my attention away from the forty-five-second and dropping count.

Nodding, we double down, hauling with all of our strength.

I am so thankful it’s him, that Gavin is with me.

And I see what Hellena sees, that impossibly steadfast nature. He’s an island in a storm.

Absolutely calm and focused.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Gavin’s voice shook me as I stood by the kitchen table.

“No. I mean… something else. I got a call. From Hubris, I think. Or whoever has been posing as Hubris.”

“What?”

I relayed to him what I was told. That I wasn't sure I believed them.

Gavin just went to get dressed, told me to do the same. We left five minutes later. It makes me wonder whether we could have made it in time if I hadn’t hesitated for those precious minutes.

The edge of the hill is right there, a few feet away. Those last steps take an eternity.

Tipping it over the side takes every ounce of effort I have left.

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