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I was headed into the bowels of Hell with a spike in my side and a paper-thin plan, and there was a good chance I might not make it out of here alive. Every inch forward had mind-numbing spasms of pain flaring through my side.

But I couldn’t stop. Everything was at stake. There was a woman to save and there might never be another chance to get the money. I wasn’t going to let Court down.

The metal walls clanked noisily around me, and I focused on quieting my movements, on syncing my breathing with each pull of my forearms, each push of my toes. I homed in on the dark spot ahead of me that signaled another drop, another right turn, where I knew there’d be another ten feet to crawl. When I made it to the drop, I realized I’d have to go down face first, and fuck if that was going to go well. I peered down into the dark, gripping the walls on either side of me, then decided to just do it.

Five feet felt like ten stories, and the loud, metallic crash that echoed around me only seemed to intensify the pain that was flaring up my arms. I’d landed partially on my side, and the nail or whatever it was embedded itself deeper. The pain of it made me black out, and when I came to, I was breathing hard, an anguished sound pouring from my lips. I clenched my teeth together to shut myself up and breathed through my nose.

I felt for the right turn, felt the open space and dragged my body through it until I was army crawling again. My breathing wasn’t synced anymore, and my heart was racing. I could see the end, though, I could see the grate where a small bit of light was coming through, so I pulled myself along, trying to make less noise.

A loud, sudden bang sounded from somewhere below me. It surprised me so much that my whole body jolted up, my head hitting the top of the vent with a loud thud.

“Fuck me,” I muttered.

I pulled myself forward until I was at the opening, then plucked the screwdriver from my lips. Carefully unscrewed each of the four corners, hearing the pieces drop to the ground on the other side. Pushed against the metal plating. It didn’t budge at first, so I kept pushing, and then I was pounding on it. It fell away and dropped to the ground with a loud clatter.

Gripping the edges, I pulled myself forward until my entire upper body was hanging out. Below me was the toilet.

The open toilet.

For fuck’s sake.

The lid and the seat were up and I could see the yellowish tint of urine still sitting in the bowl.

Fucking gross.

I slid out even further and planted my feet, spreading my legs until I was holding myself up with my lower half. Reached down, my fingers just barely able to touch the lid. Reached a little more, grazing the lid just enough to make it move half an inch.

It wasn’t enough.

I reached even more, my legs shaking from trying to hold myself up, my lungs burning from holding my breath, until I fell out completely.

My fingers shoved the lid down just as I crashed chest first onto the toilet, my lower half knocking something off the tank. I slid the rest of the way to the floor, then pushed onto my feet and took a deep breath.

The door was open, and there were running lights lining the sides of the hallway. I had no idea where Tom might be, so I moved as quietly as I could. When I poked my head out into the hall and saw no one, I went left—toward the safe.

Staying close to the wall, I stopped when I was just outside the main room, peering around the corner.

No one was there.

Stepping out into the main room, I spotted the safe right away. It was big, and there was a light on above it. The only light in the room.

I took a step.

Nothing happened.

Another step.

I kept creeping toward the safe, and when nothing happened, I let out the breath I’d been holding. My fingers were shaking as I reached out and touched the cool metal, as I traced them along the number pad.

The steel door behind me swung open.

“What the fuck?”

I whipped around at the familiar voice, staring at Tom as his gaze raked over my entire body.

“What?” he laughed in disbelief, stepping closer and slamming the door behind him. “How in the hell did you even get in here?”

And just like he was staring at me, I was staring right back as my jaw dropped at his appearance.