Haven (The Last Humans Book 3) Read Free

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    When he moves his hand away, I pull on the door. The door opens so easily that I worriedly marvel at Liam for struggling with it at all.
    We dash down the stairs. I can’t help but notice that Liam’s breathing is growing more frantic, and his speed is decreasing with every step.
    “Dude, do you want to lean on me as we walk down?” I ask him when his dash becomes a careful walk.
    “Me, lean on you ?” Liam says with a wheeze. Though talking is clearly difficult for him, Liam’s somber expression brightens a little. He thinks I’m kidding since he was always considered the stronger one in our crew. “Right. That’s happening. Now shut up. Oxygen is low, and we’re wasting it by talking.”
    “It’s just that the climb down is easier for me,” I say. “There’s a reason for it, and I’ll explain when we get outside, but just trust me when I say you should let me help.”
    Stubbornly shaking his head, Liam starts walking down at a faster pace. His burst of energy doesn’t last, though. As we approach the second floor, he falters, and to stop himself from falling, he slows to nearly a crawl. A few moments later, even walking slowly seems beyond him, and he clutches at the handrail, wheezing.
    “Okay, that’s it. You’re letting me help.” Without waiting for him to object, I grab his left arm and drape it around my neck. Once I have a good hold on him, I move as fast as I can.
    I thought Liam would complain, but he gives a grateful grunt and leans on me as we make our way down. I press my index finger to his wrist and sneakily check his pulse. His heart is beating frighteningly fast. I look him over, keeping my expression neutral to mask my worry. It’s hard to tell whether it’s a side effect from all the red alarms, but Liam’s eyes look bloodshot and his face has a blue pallor. On top of that, the veins on his forehead and neck look swollen.
    Half a staircase later, my back is hurting from stooping to accommodate Liam’s shorter height. On the bright side, I don’t feel any effects of oxygen deprivation.
    “Phoe,” I shout mentally. “You don’t even have to answer. Just enable Liam’s Respirocytes, please.”
    She doesn’t respond.
    Liam leans more heavily on me, forcing me to slow down. We’re only one floor away from the ground, but once we reach the main floor, we still have five long corridors to traverse.
    Halfway down to the first floor, Liam begins wheezing harder and clutching at his throat.
    I grit my teeth and ignore my back screaming with every step.
    Twenty steps to the bottom.
    Fifteen steps.
    To distract myself from the strain, I focus on counting the stairs and ignoring the biting cold seeping into my bare feet. I also listen to Liam’s quick, gasping breathing.
    Then a new development shatters my concentration. Liam’s frantic breathing ceases—or slows to barely audible. At the same time, he slumps, putting all his weight on me.
    We’re ten steps away from the bottom, but we might as well be on top of Mount Everest.
    No. I’m getting Liam out of the building.
    My heart starts beating like an ancient power tool as adrenaline blasts through me. I tighten my grip on Liam, and in a haze of ripping muscles, I get us down a step.
    One step conquered, nine more to go.
    Ignoring the pain in my back, I drag Liam down another step, and then another.
    The last seven steps go by as though I’m in a trance. All I see is red; all I hear is the blaring of the announcement. I no longer feel my muscles straining or feel my spine aching.
    Only when my foot touches the flat ground does the weariness hit me with full force. Instead of giving in to it, I carefully lay Liam down, then grab him under his arms and begin dragging him out of the building.
    Twenty feet later, my arms feel like I have lead coursing through my veins. I also catch myself breathing heavily, though I’m not sure if it’s from the lack of oxygen or the exertion. Not that it’ll matter to Liam soon.
    I can tell