Chapter Three - Even Underground Burns

Water for maybe two days. We can't open level two casually because once we do, we're admitting the shelter is not stable." Mara stared at the drug trays, voice tight. "Do you have insulin?" "Yes." "How much?" Sophie didn't speak right away. After a beat she said, "Enough for thirteen." Mara's face changed. She wasn't counting numbers. She was counting lives. Then came a series of dull thuds overhead, like a giant hammer hitting concrete. The ventilation system shuddered. The cold air became intermittent. The external maintenance door at the far end of the hall started leaking heat through its seam. "Impossible," Sophie said, springing up. "That door leads to the surface parking deck. The insulation was double sealed."