Hatched

Chapter Forty-Three

Shepp had a painful, vice grip on Robyn's arm as he pulled her down the hall. His eyes were wide and darting, his hair in disarray.

"Shepp, what's happening?" She yelled over their thundering, echoing steps in the corridor.

"We have to get off the rig." He growled, scowling at Urskin, who was hanging on limply to Shepp's other arm. "Move your ass." He hissed, gritting his teeth and jerking the scientist forward.

Gordon stopped running alongside Robyn and circled around to shove Urskin forward. "Keep moving."

Urskin whimpered, but he did what he was told and started jogging, albeit shakily, causing him to look like a toddler who'd just learned how to walk.

"Gordon, go get the boats fired up." Shepp panted, pushing Robyn uncomfortably as he spurned them along. Gordon sprinted ahead, quickly outpacing them since they were hindered by the obstinate scientist.

She shot Shepp a disapproving glare as he roughly catapulted them both, though she tried shaking him off as she ran. "What the hell aren't you telling us?"

"You really don't want to know." He glanced at her; a look of genuine terror reflected in his green eyes.

Her heart already felt like birds were trying to burst from her chest, a feeling that increased exponentially as terror filled her. "That scared look isn't convincing me." She hollered, gripping his jacket in her hand and pulling him close, forcing him to look her in the face.

The result was an ungainly, cattywampus trot from their lower limbs bumping into each other.

"Fine, Dr. Bourke. There's a high possibility we're about to be blown to smithereens. Are you happy, now?" Shepp broke the eye contact, his intense focus now on the exit, which was only meters away.

Robyn's body stopped completely, as if a syringe of ice-cold water was injected into her veins, freezing her to the spot. Shepp still had her arm in a death grip, her abrupt immobility causing both their shoulders to jerk painfully as his body continued moving.

"What the hell?" He dropped Urskin and rubbed his shoulder, anger flashing on his face. "Move!"

Fear couldn't describe what she felt. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. Her mouth opened but no sound came out, and her brain told her legs to run, except they wouldn't listen to her commands.

"Robyn," Shepp pleaded, spinning around and grabbing her roughly by the shoulders, shaking her anxiously "I can't carry you both. I need you to run, now!" He gestured behind him, and Robyn's slowly focusing eyes stared in confusion, gazing upon the empty floor behind him.

"He's gone." She whispered, turning Shepp's chin toward the spot where Urskin had been.

"Shit!" He cursed, again yanking her toward the exit. She didn't know if he intended to find the scientist, but then, it really didn't make an iota difference now. Either Urskin was smart and was trying to flee, as they were, or he'd wind up tiny bits of food for the sharks.

They reached the door, bursting through and into the failing light of dusk, their feet clanging on the metal rigging. Robyn quickly shuffled down the steps, faltering as a whiff of something burning reached her nose. She turned to look behind her, still trotting down, which was a stupid idea. Her feet caught on something squishy, and she went flying over the object, onto the lower platform, her knees slamming harshly on the metal.

Pain seared her kneecaps and she cried out, shuffling her body away from the groaning mass. Robyn pulled herself up on the railing, legs shaking, and she reached down to feel her knees, gingerly prodding the skin. She was bleeding.