The City Below (The Great Blue Above series Book 1) by Kevin George

Author:Kevin George
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Kindal Press
Published: 2016-10-11T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

VENTILATION SHAFT

Chad clung to his rung, wishing he could keep climbing. Staying still caused his muscles to cramp. He lived an active lifestyle, but no amount of walking through The Second or helping with the gardens could’ve readied him for the exertion of climbing hundreds of feet. His hands ached, so he hooked his arms through the rung.

“I wish there was more light for you to see where to jump,” Chad said, trying to look below.

Ever since Jordan tossed one of the lava torches into the tunnel, the ventilation shaft felt darker, especially when Chad looked down to see what was happening. He’d watched with bated breath as the others made the dangerous transfer from the ladder to the tunnel opening. The first four had made the jump easily. A slip from any of them probably would’ve brought the journey to a screeching halt, but one person remained who made him most nervous.

Emma climbed down several rungs, getting into position. If she was nervous, she showed no signs of it. She looked up at Chad and chuckled.

“You’re too accustomed to unlimited light and warmth in The Second?” she asked.

“Of course someone from The Third would think they had it rough,” Chad prodded back. “The Second isn’t as grand as you think. Plenty of areas that aren’t as bright or warm as you think.”

“And you spend a lot of time in those parts?” Emma asked.

Chad followed her down the ladder, staying a single rung above her. He wished he could squeeze his way between her and the tunnel opening.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were questioning my toughness,” Chad said. “I’ll go into the tunnel first so I can help you.”

Sensing where Chad wanted to go, Emma slid over on the rung, cutting off his descent. She leaned her body to the side, just as she’d seen Irving and the others do. Chad was afraid she was going to jump without warning, but she paused long enough to look up at him and smile.

“And if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were questioning my toughness,” she said.

Chad shook his head, but Emma never saw it. She leapt from the ladder to the ledge, her body soaring precariously over the chasm for the longest second of Chad’s life. He watched Emma extend her arms and reach over the side of the tunnel’s ledge. She grabbed the handhold and used forward momentum to swing her legs up toward the edge. But her foot slid over the side before she could pull herself to safety. In a second, her body dangled over the blackness below.

Emma grunted, high-pitched and afraid. Chad immediately recognized trouble. He hurried down the ladder, his body dropping so quickly that he nearly lost his grip. But he paid no mind to his own movements, instead watching as Emma’s legs flailed. She tried desperately to swing back up, but her hand lost its grip on the tunnel’s edge. The only thing separating Emma from a deadly plunge was her left hand clutching the handhold.

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