Page 19 of Rupture

“Same if you want to bring comms back online.” He pressed her fingers to the metal once more and the soft noise of the open comms line buzzed briefly in her ear.

As he released her tingling fingers, Rose curled them against her palm, trying to ignore the way her skin seemed to burn where he had touched her. Her body’s reaction to this man was crazy.

Forcing herself to focus, she turned her attention away from Finn and toward the other Wolves. Liev, Duke, and Ethan were already in the water, their red helmets bobbing like weird beetles on the surface. With soft splashes, Luca and Harris joined them, leaving just her and Finn on the platform.

Finn jerked his head toward the water, his expression serious. “This is not a test. If you’re unhappy about anything, you let me know straight away.”

“I will.” She jetted air through her clenched teeth. In her teens, she had spent countless hours diving with her dad. It was a skill that had always come naturally to her and had served her well in her current position. She could do this.

“Keep your breathing nice and calm. Disturbance from the air bubbles can dislodge sediment in tunnel roofs and walls, triggering a landslip. Best-case scenario would be a visibility blackout. Worst case, the passage gets blocked, orwe get crushed to death.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “And we don’t want that.”

“Just a walk in the park.” She was proud that her voice didn’t wobble, unlike her insides right now.

Finn reached out and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Cave divingisdangerous. There are risks involved, and things can go wrong.” He paused, letting his words sink in for a moment. “But that’s why we take every precaution and follow every safety protocol. We’re prepared for the worst-case scenarios, and we know how to handle them if they arise.” He stepped back, lifting his hand from her shoulder. “You have any problems at all, you let me know immediately. Down there is no place to pretend to be okay. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

“Okay, enough doom talk. Let’s do this. Let’s go get all the beakers.”

“Beakers?”

He shrugged and his face cracked into a smile that would light a thousand caves. “Ask Luca.” He adjusted his face plate and respirator. “Set to get wet.” With a smooth motion, he tumbled into the water, disappearing beneath the surface for a moment before surfacing to face her with a gloved thumbs up.

“Rose.” His voice was calm in her ear. “When you’re ready.”

“Okay.” Rose lifted her mask into position, the rubber seal clammy against her skin.

Finn floated, patiently waiting for her.

“Set to get wet,” she murmured, echoing his earlier words. And then, before she could second-guess herself, she pushed off the platform and plunged in.

The cold hit her like a solid wall, stealing the air fromher lungs. Frigid water engulfed her, turning her limbs sluggish. She forced herself to take slow breaths, waiting for her heart rate to ease and her breathing to even out, knowing hyperventilation could lead to blackouts or worse.

“Rose?” Finn’s voice crackled in her ear, a lifeline in the darkness. “You good?”

“Uh huh.” Her teeth clicked together in a fierce rattle as the cold sank into her bones, making her sinuses ache.

“Rose. Talk to me.” Strong hands gripped her wrists.Finn.A lifeline in the darkness.

Plastic smelling air whistled into her lungs. “I’m good. Thanks.”

Finn’s eyes crinkled upward as he smiled. “That’s what I like to hear.” He made the universal sign for ‘okay’. “Ethan. This is Finn. We are green.”

“Copy that, Finn,” Ethan answered. “Luca? Report?”

“Also, oscar fucking mike. Let’s get this shit done, over,” Luca replied.

“Copy that. Proceeding as planned. Stay alert.” With a final click, Ethan’s comms fell silent.

Flashlights bobbed on the edges of Rose’s vision, the Wolves fanning out in a carefully choreographed formation and between them, the powerful slide of MARV’s light beams. Rose clicked on the flashlight strapped to her wrist, the beam blazing through the water. She angled it between her feet.

Somewhere down there, silent and waiting, was the Io habitat.

Thea, here I come.

11

Finn’s breathechoed in his face mask, the sound amplified by the confines of his helmet. Rose clipped to his harness was reassuring, the tether between them allowing enough play for them both to swim freely while ensuring the scientist couldn’t wander off and get stuck down some dangerous crevice.

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