The tunnel narrowed as they moved deeper into the spillway, forcing them into single file. The ceiling lowered until Emily had to bow her head slightly, every step echoing in the endless black. The air was damp, heavy with the smell of algae and rust. Somewhere ahead, the water's rush became a steady growl — a reminder that the current beneath their feet was not still, only patient.
Emily led the way, her flashlight cutting a thin blade through the darkness. The beam swept over graffiti-scrawled walls, rusted maintenance ladders, and the occasional rat darting into a crevice. She kept her breathing slow, but her mind was a storm.
Michael was alive. Kane had the ledger. Daniel hadn't denied the accusation fast enough.
Her grip tightened on the flashlight until her knuckles ached.
Behind her, she could hear Ana murmuring to the hostages, keeping them calm. Marcus brought up the rear, his boots making dull thuds on the wet concrete. Somewhere in the middle was Michael — quiet now, but Emily could feel his presence like a pressure between her shoulder blades.
"Left fork ahead," Marcus called softly, voice bouncing along the walls.
Emily slowed as the tunnel split. The left path was narrower but sloped downward, water covering more of the walkway. The right was wider but seemed to vanish into shadow without the sound of moving water.
She turned to Michael. "Which way gets us out faster?"
He gave her that infuriating almost-smile. "Depends if you want to avoid Kane's patrols or not."
"Stop playing," she snapped. "You know these tunnels better than anyone here."
Michael tilted his head. "I do. Which is why I know Kane will expect you to take the right. It's dry, it's easy. Which makes it an ambush waiting to happen."
Emily glanced at Daniel, who stood just behind Michael. "Thoughts?"
Daniel's voice was flat. "I don't trust him. Which probably means the left path is safer."
Ana frowned. "Or you're both walking us into a trap."
"Welcome to Tuesday," Michael said dryly.
Emily made the decision. "Left. Single file. Keep quiet."
They moved. The water rose quickly, licking at their calves. Every splash felt like a gunshot in the confined space. The sound of the current grew louder, the air cooler.
After a few minutes, Michael's voice came low, almost conversational, from just behind her. "You ever think about Berlin?"
Emily didn't answer.
"I do," he continued. "I think about the rooftop. The way the rain hit the glass. The way you didn't hesitate to put a bullet in Petrov's leg but couldn't pull the trigger on me."
Her jaw tightened. "Because I didn't know you'd already sold us out."
"You didn't know because I didn't want you to," Michael said simply.
Daniel's voice was ice. "And that's supposed to make it better?"
Michael's laugh was quiet. "Better? No. But it kept her alive, didn't it?"
Emily's flashlight beam wavered slightly. She hated that part of her wanted to turn around, wanted to read the truth in his eyes.
The tunnel bent sharply, opening into a wider chamber where the current was faster. The floor dropped here, forcing them onto a narrow ledge hugging the wall. One misstep and the water would take them.
Ana helped one of the hostages across, murmuring encouragement. Marcus scanned the shadows above the ledge, his rifle barrel following his gaze.
Halfway across, Emily's foot slipped on the moss-slick stone. Michael's hand shot out, steadying her before she could fall.
She jerked away instantly. "Don't touch me."
"Reflex," he said, but there was a glimmer of something in his voice she couldn't place.
By the time they reached the other side, the roar of the current had deepened into a low thunder. Ahead was another fork, but this one wasn't on any map Emily had memorized — the left path was half-collapsed, the right disappeared into a mist rising from below.
Marcus stepped forward. "This doesn't look right."
"That's because it's not," Michael said. "We're under the floodgates now. If they open, this chamber fills in thirty seconds."
Daniel looked at Emily. "We need to turn back."
Michael shook his head. "We can't. Kane's men are already moving to cut off the route we took. Only way forward is through the sluice."
Ana's face paled. "Through? You mean—"
"Swimming," Michael finished.
Emily scanned the group — exhausted hostages, Marcus with his gear, Ana clutching her pack, Daniel glaring holes into Michael's back. The sluice tunnel was only partly submerged, the rest a low crawl space above the rushing water. Risky, but maybe not impossible.
Before she could speak, Marcus stiffened. "Voices."
They froze.
Faint but unmistakable, the sound of men talking drifted from the tunnel they'd just left.
Emily made the call. "We go through. Now."
Michael moved first, dropping into the water with smooth ease. Marcus followed, keeping one hand on the ledge for stability. Ana helped the hostages in, then slid in herself. Daniel hesitated, eyes still locked on Michael, before stepping into the freezing current.
Emily went last. The water bit at her skin instantly, its pull strong enough to threaten her footing. She kept low, using the narrow crawl space above to brace herself.
The current carried them forward, faster now, the walls closing in. The air was colder here, metallic, tinged with oil. She could hear Ana's breathing ahead, quick and shallow, and Michael's voice occasionally calling directions through the dark.
After what felt like forever, the tunnel spat them into a smaller chamber where the water calmed. They hauled themselves onto a slick concrete platform, dripping and shivering.
Michael leaned back against the wall, grinning like he'd just taken a pleasant stroll. "Told you. Easy."
Daniel stepped forward, fury flashing in his eyes. "You knew they'd be on our tail. You led us into that water to separate us from them."
Michael didn't deny it. "And it worked, didn't it?"
Emily's patience snapped. "Enough! Both of you — shut it."
The silence that followed was sharp. Only the distant hum of machinery filled the space.
Emily crouched beside her pack, pulling out a soaked map. "We're here," she said, pointing to a junction mark. "If we can reach the old maintenance shaft, we can get above ground without crossing Kane's patrol zones."
Marcus frowned. "That shaft's been sealed for years."
Michael's smile returned, slow and deliberate. "Not for me."
Emily met his gaze, searching for any flicker of deceit. "You open it, and maybe I start believing you're on our side."
Michael's eyes gleamed in the dim light. "Then let's find out."