Page 30 of Agent's Integrity

I snorted. “I know how it works.”

“Just checking. Most people don’t know how to do this kind of thing.”

“IPF training covered that extensively, don’t worry.”

He took his tablet and pulled up a picture on it. “Tell me what you see.”

I blinked at the screen, confused by the obviousness of the answer. “Mud puddles?”

“Yes. This one is acid rain and is murkier than normal puddles. It’s almost impossible to tell the difference at first glance whether the water is safe or not. When we go out there, you need to avoid all of these. Any pool of water or place that seems more than damp could still be highly acidic and should be avoided at all costs. It will burn through your skin in seconds.”

A small shiver went down my spine, and I tried to force back my fear. “Got it.”

“Lightning is another thing to be wary of. If we are high up and exposed, there will always be a chance we could be struck by lightning. Usually, it will be clustered in a section of the storm, but that’s not always the case. You can feel the change in the air, the electrical charge. Always be alert. There’s no real way to escape lightning.”

Joy. I may have escaped my captors just to die from a lightning strike.

“Then there are the fire whirls. Usually, if you steer clear of them, they won’t be troublesome. But it is fire, blown around by the wind, so don’t go near them. Period. It’s a bad idea.”

I nodded. “Okay. Fire equals bad.”

“Any questions about out there?”

“No.” I suddenly felt tired. I was probably just anticipating the physical work that was coming. I might tell Ethan I was feeling fine, but I wasn’t fully recovered. I would deal with it because I had to, but it wasn’t going to be pleasant.

I dropped into a chair and sighed. “What now? We wait?”

He sat in a chair beside me. “We wait.”

“I hate waiting.”

He chuckled. “I can teach you how to meditate.”

“Maybe some other time.” I poked at my injured shoulder, testing it. “Do you think we have a chance of actually getting out of this alive?”

I’m not sure why I asked. It wasn’t something I would ever ask anyone in our situation except maybe Jordan. I was the one who supported everyone else, who kept morale up, who refused to dwell on the negative. But there was something about Ethan that made me feel like it was okay to be a little vulnerable. Just a little.

For the longest time, he was quiet, staring at the wall. Then he shrugged. “There are no guarantees. That’s life. But I trust the universe. I don’t think we were brought together just to die here. I think you still have a lot of things to do with your life. I think we stand a good chance.”

His words were oddly comforting. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. “I hope you’re right.”

CHAPTER SIX

Ethan

I stood by the door and looked at the readings on my tablet. “It seems like the rain has stopped. I’m not going to call it safe out there, but it shouldn’t kill us instantly now.”

Julia took a deep, steadying breath and slowly let it out. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

Despite her insistence that she was well enough to venture out, I wasn’t convinced. I could tell she was still hurting. She hadn’t once complained or asked for medicine, but it was obvious in every move she made. She was tough for sure, but I felt torn about taking her out onto the planet’s exposed surface. The last thing I wanted was for her to get injured further. Part of me wanted to convince her to stay, but I knew she’d insist on coming. That was the kind of person she was. I may have only known her for a few hours, but I’d learned at least that much about her.

Andy stood nearby holding a tablet in one hand and the rifle in the other. He was looking at me expectantly, waiting on orders.

“Be ready for when we return. I want you to monitor the area closely and be prepared to defend the ship if necessary.”

Andy nodded. “Of course.”

I wished desperately that we could take coms with us, but the interference would be too great. They wouldn’t work beyond a couple hundred feet. That was a far cry from the hundreds of miles they could normally reach. I didn’t like being so detached from the ship when there was danger, but I trusted Andy to take care of things.

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