Page 34 of Burn Protocol

His shoes slip and slide over the small stone ledge, as the water rushes in between the walls. The roaring sound bounces back from the walls, creating a cacophony of noise. It is so loud it almost drowns out the high-pitched screams in the distance. Almost.

I feel my blood turn into ice. The cries grow louder with each step, more desperate with each second. Thank God we don’t have to search for him.

“All good to pick up speed?” I yell over my shoulder.

The question is passed down the line. The answers follow rapidly, and Rodriques confirms everyone is ready. I pick up pace and move through the sewers. After three turns, the tunnels narrow and branch off into sloping pipes. I shudder as the pleas for help become louder.

The old man stops abruptly and points at one of the slopes. The water is gushing down, curling at its edges, dirty gray-white foam splashing against the walls. I peer over the edge to see a small figure fighting against the current. His small arms outstretched, but the water is keeping him pinned against a grate. This is very, very bad. I suck in the stale air through my teeth.

“Maya, you stay right where you are. Do not drop the rope. Rodriques, find an anchor point. Create one if you must.”

He turns on the lamp on his helmet and immediately starts scanning the surroundings. Fernandes hands me the harness before I even have to ask, and I quickly step into it. By the time I’m buckled up, Nando has wrapped the rope around an old structural beam and checks if it can hold enough weight. I clip myself onto the rope and move toward the slope. The water is still rushing and there is no way I can walk down that slippery path. My fingers find my comms.

“Engine 2 making entry with one on rope. Have helicopter on standby.”

I crouch on all fours and press my side against the wall. I dig my boots into the floor and press my elbows down hard, before I slowly lower my body down the slope. Rodriques uses his weight to keep me from sliding down too quickly while Fernandes shines her torch down the narrow tube. The beam highlights the boy’s pale face. He can’t be much older than ten. His face contorted by fear, slick from the water that is now up to his chest.

“Niño,” I cry out to him, and he locks his eyes on mine, “what’s your name?”

I slide down further. The water is rising faster than I like. I can’t speed up. That will get both the kid and me into trouble.

“Niko,” he cries.

The water is still rising. Why have they not yet isolated the line and closed it off? I use my elbows—putting one in front of the other—when I suddenly hear Rodriques swear and feel the rope loosen as I slide down two meters. The water splashes into my face. I tilt my head sideways and squeeze my eyes shut.

A jerk on my harness stops the sudden motion and my elbows slide from underneath me. My chin hits the stones so hard that my ears ring. Somewhere in the distance I hear Maya scream out my name. Shit. No, not now. The boy. Get to the boy. I press myself up again, shake my head, and grin at the kid.

“Rough ride here, Niko. Now tell me, are you stuck on something?”

He nods, shivering. His eyes are so large, they almost pop out of his head. It doesn’t take a genius to see he is in shock.

“Niko,” I call out to him again, trying to grab his attention. “Tell me what you feel.”

“M..m.. my leg is stu…stuck in the… the…”

“In the grate?”

He nods. I am so close now, I can almost touch him. If he wasn’t stuck, I might have made him come to me. Instead, I push my feet hard so that I slide down the last part. My body splashes into the water and for a moment I am submerged.

When I come up, Niko stares at me, the water already up to his chin.

“Hey, niño. Let me go see about your leg, so we can get out.” I pull the cutters from my pocket and feel my way down. His foot seems to have slipped into a hole. I might be able to hold it open with my hands long enough for him to slip out.

“Okay, I’ll dive underwater for a moment,” I say while pocketing the cutters again, “and hold the hole open. You try and get your foot…”

A flood of water flushes down the drain pipe before I can finish the sentence. The white foam splashes over us and we are both knocked against the grate. As we surge toward it, I wrap my arm around his head, protecting him from a hard blow. My own helmet clangs against the steel and again my ears ring. You seriously deserve a raise after this. The water comes down hard and fast now. And suddenly I am out of time. It’s up to Niko’s lips and he is screaming in fear now.

“Niko,” I cry out. “I’ll go under now. Hold your breath, and pull when I tap your leg.”

I barely have time to check if he understood me. The water is already entering his mouth. I take a gulp of air and dive under. There is no silence in this water, only the roar of rushing floods. I wrap my hands around the small hole in the grate that traps Niko’s leg, and press my head against his knee. He jerks and I use all my strength to keep the hole open far enough. He is almost out, but then he slips back. I have to come up for air.

“Again.” I call as I suck in and go under again.

I use more force this time, and then softly tap his leg with my helmet. He jerks again, and again, and one last time. The movement weaker than before, his body slumping forward. His shoe finally slips through the opening, and I grab his body just in time. I use my feet to press us up out of the water and gulp for air, but Niko lies motionless in my arms.

My heart stops beating for a moment, as I check his breathing. Nothing.

“He’s unresponsive,” I yell to my crew.