Water in Shaft 37

Daniel gave a tired laugh. “Of course they did. State people came through two hours ago.” “What did they take?” Erin asked. “Maps, keys, and a transfer list.” Daniel’s voice dropped even lower. “They said if the hospital cooperated, they could save the ER and pediatrics. The rest of the building would wait for the next cooling rollout.” “The next rollout?” Marcus stared at him. “You still want to talk about the next rollout in this weather?” Daniel did not answer. He only rubbed a hand through his hair like he was trying to pull something out of his own skull. Then a small sound came from deeper in the room. A drop of water. Everyone went still. The second sound was not water. It was footsteps, very light, moving through shallow puddles.