Chapter 19: Trapped

Panic surged through Zain as he realized they were trapped. He frantically looked around for an escape route, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Edith, we need to find a way out, now!" he shouted over the deafening noise.

Edith nodded, her eyes wide with fear as she scanned the room. “Agreed, but how?” She ran through all the possible places, window, door, secret door, what was she missing? She ran over and banged on the door. “It won’t budge!”

“Zain I swear to God, this is not the way I want to go.”

“I know Wood, we’re in the same boat!.”

Then, just as the walls were about to crush them, Zain spotted a small panel in the ceiling.

"There!" he yelled, pointing upwards. "We can get out through there!"

Without hesitation, he grabbed Edith's hand and hoisted her up, pushing her through the narrow opening just as the walls closed in behind them. He felt a surge of relief as Edith scrambled to safety, but his escape was cut short as the walls pinned him.

"Zain!" Edith cried out, reaching desperately for him.

He gritted his teeth against the pain, straining against the pressure as he struggled to free himself. With one final burst of strength, he managed to push himself up through the opening, just as Edith grabbed his hand and pulled him to safety.

They collapsed onto the floor of the air vent, panting and exhausted. Zain could feel Edith's heart racing beside him, their bodies pressed close together in the cramped space.

"Never sacrifice yourself like that again, Callahan," Edith said, her voice strained from her yelling.

As Zain and Edith lay in the cramped confines of the air vent, their bodies pressed close together, Edith's racing heart gradually began to slow. She could feel Zain's breath against her cheek, warm and steady, as they both struggled to catch their breaths.

After a moment, Edith tentatively reached out and wrapped her arms around Zain, pulling him into a tight embrace. His body was tense at first, but then he relaxed into her hold, his arms coming around her in return.

The hug was tight, almost desperate as if they were clinging to each other for support in the darkness of the air vent. Edith could feel the steady rise and fall of Zain's chest against her own, a reassuring rhythm that grounded her in the moment.

For a moment, they simply stayed like that, holding each other close, finding solace in the warmth of each other's embrace. Despite the chaos and danger surrounding them, there was a sense of peace at that moment, a silent understanding. 

Eventually, they pulled away, their eyes meeting in the dim light of the air vent. There was a newfound closeness between them, a bond forged in the heat of the moment, that seemed to linger even after they released each other.

"Thanks," Zain murmured, his voice soft but sincere.

Edith smiled faintly, her eyes reflecting the relief she felt. "Yeah whatever Callahan, don’t get all chick flick on me.”

As Zain and Edith caught their breaths in the cramped air vent, they reached for their communication devices to relay their situation to Kasey and Markus. Edith's fingers fumbled slightly with the buttons in the tight space, but she managed to establish a connection.

"Kasey, Markus, do you copy?" Edith's voice came through the earpiece, a hint of urgency coloring her tone.

A crackle of static followed before Kasey's voice responded, "Loud and clear, Edith. What's your status?"

"We're trapped in the lab," Zain interjected, his voice tense. "The walls started closing in on us, but we found a way into the air vents. The blueprints weren't there, they've been moved."

There was a brief pause on the other end before Markus replied, "Copy that, Zain. We'll work on locating the blueprints from our end. Just focus on getting out of there."

Edith nodded, her eyes meeting Zain's in the dim light. "Understood. We'll keep you updated," she confirmed, her voice resolute.

With that, they closed the communication channel and settled back in the cramped air vent, their minds racing with thoughts of escape and the mission at hand.

K.M Strunk