Page 94 of Rupture

Life churned on around them, obscenely normal. Students hunched over artifact tables, heads bent together in easy laughter. Voices drifted from nearby tents. The sun blazed overhead, indifferent.

He thrust a water bottle at her. “Drink.”

She obeyed, her throat working as she swallowed.

The image of Thea's face replayed in his mind—her features contorted with a manic intensity.

“I’ve never seen her like that before.” Rose wiped her mouth.

“I’m sorry.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze. As far as he was concerned Thea’s mental health had ruptured into something incomprehensible. “Can we track the bots?”

“We’ll be chasing dust scattered in a hurricane. Across the entire planet.” Briefly she heeled her hands against her eyes. Sweat sheened her temples and her skin tone was waxen in the harsh sunlight. “Finn. I don’t know how to fix this. I don’t see a way out.”

53

Rose pacedthe perimeter of the archeology dig, her steps kicking up red sand that settled on her boots. The afternoon sun beat against her neck, but the physical discomfort barely registered against the crushing pressure in her head.

Twenty yards back, Finn watched with careful distance, his face a study in concern. She was glad of the space he was giving her—she needed to process the incomprehensible. Her own sister had just endangered the entire planet.

Thea was a scientist. One of the best minds in nanotechnology. What could have possessed her to release an untested swarm into?—

Stop.

She rolled her lip between her teeth, welcoming the sting. Recriminations wouldn’t help. They needed a solution. There had to be an answer buried in the data, some way to contain this disaster before it spread beyond the desert.

Think.Science had never failed her before. But science had never had to account for Thea’s recklessness.

A low rumble broke her concentration. Two chunkyjeeps materialized on the horizon, heat waves distorting their approach across the desert. Dust billowed in their wake like storm clouds. The vehicles pulled up fifty yards from the dig, tires crunching to a halt on loose stone.

Car doors slammed in quick succession. Ethan emerged first, his tactical vest bulky in the sun. Nik unfolded from the passenger side, already scanning the camp perimeter. From the second jeep, Liev’s bulk cast a shadow across the ground. Luca slid out last, sunglasses hiding his eyes.

Ethan lifted a hand in greeting and headed toward her.

Finn met him halfway. “Ethan.”

“Finn. Sit rep?”

Finn nodded, gesturing for his team leader to follow. The two men peeled away from the group. Their heads bent close, voices dropping too low for Rose to catch.

“Doc.” Luca’s drawl carried its usual edge of amusement as he strolled up. “How’s that genius brain of yours holding up?”

Rose touched the back of her head, startled by the tender spot she’d almost forgotten. “Still functioning. You?”

“Takes more than some mini-robot shit to keep me down.” He rotated his shoulders. “I’m practically indestructible.”

“Like a cockroach?” Liev’s mouth twitched.

“Yeah. But way hotter.” Luca’s smile turned knowing as he glanced toward Finn. “I see some of us are operating at less than peak efficiency. There’s no hope for that one. He’s gone full tragic romance novel.”

Rose’s gaze landed on Finn’s broad shoulders, and something wrenched in her chest.

A few days. She’d known him for only a few days, and already the thought of losing him made her heart hurt. The universe had a cruel sense of timing—dropping him intoher life just as everything went to hell. She’d spent years focused on nothing but her research, and now, when she finally found someone who made her want more, her sister had unleashed madness into the world.

“Luca—” Her voice came out more broken than she intended.

“Relax.” His grin widened. “Nice to see Finn all glowy and shit.” He winked, then his expression sharpened. “Your deranged sister’s in the med tent?”

She swallowed hard and forced herself to meet Luca’s eyes. “Thea released a queen nanobot when she got to the surface.”

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