Flux by Beth Goobie Page B

first door we come to, and then we ditch this level and head back to our own.”
    “Okay, okay.” Darting after her, Deller retrieved his double. “I’ll handle him. You find the door.”
    Leaving them behind, Nellie flew down the shadowy hall, pausing only when she reached a T-intersection at the far end. To her right she saw a short stairwell, leading down to a lobby and an outside entrance. “Over here,” she hissed, waving her arms madly at Deller. Then she ducked down the stairs and shoved the push-handle door so hard she was carried outside in a wide arc. Cool night air rushed her face, kissing her cheeks and neck. The Goddess , thought Nellie, blinking furiously. Letting me know She loves me, even in the middle of this mess. With a sob she turned toward the lobby and saw Deller coming down the stairs, carrying his woozy double on his back. Dragging the boy through the doorway, hepropped him against the outer wall and slapped his face lightly. The boy shuddered and opened his eyes.
    “Enough,” Nellie hissed from the open doorway. “Come on .”
    Motionless, the boy stared at Deller. His lips parted slightly and he blinked. Leaning into his face, Deller slapped him again, harder. “Listen to me,” he said urgently. “You’re in big trouble. You’ve got to get running, fast. Quick now, go on.”
    The boy gawked, wide-eyed and openmouthed.
    “ Now ,” Deller repeated. “Run. For your life.” He shoved the boy who, staggered, ran a few steps and turned back again to stare. Riveted, Deller stood staring back.
    “Shit!” hissed Nellie. Grabbing Deller firmly by the hair, she yanked him through the doorway. Then they were tearing together down the hall, their hearts thundering, the breath clawing at their lungs. Ahead the entrance to the sanctuary floated, a delicate orange blossom. Smoke clogged the air, sirens wailed outside the church. Swerving through the storage room entrance, Nellie slammed the door and locked it. There was a click as Deller turned on the overhead light and the storage room took shape around them—a jumble of confessional booth drapes, boxed hymnals and crates of small blue-robed statues.
    “Turn it off,” said Nellie. “It has to be the same as when we came in.”
    The light clicked off and she stood probing the darkness with her mind. Tuning into the molecular field, she tested one gate after another but none felt familiar, their seams at the wrong height or angle. Fighting panic, she sent her mind skittering along the back wall. It had to be here; gates didn’t just disappear. Was she going too fast, had she lost the knack, had the Goddess decided to keep them—
    “Got it!” she exulted and sent her mind into the full length of the gate, forcing it open.
    A wave of pain hit her. Instead of dead scar tissue, the gate was stunningly, screamingly alive, and Nellie felt as if she was slicingthrough a wall of nerves. A terrified shriek lit up the inside of her head and she reeled back against Deller.
    “Hey, wrong way,” he grunted and pushed her through the opening. The air swirled and sang as she stumbled into the hall and leaned against the opposite wall, adjusting to her home level’s vibratory rate. Then she focused on the gate and drew it closed. Abrupt silence descended as the other level’s sirens and shouts were cut off. Sighing, she closed her eyes. Coming through the gate, with that colossal freaky blast of pain, had drained her. Fortunately the men who’d been chasing them in this level appeared to have given up and gone home. Briefly Nellie wondered what the men had thought when they saw her and Deller disappear into thin air, but it didn’t really matter as long as they were gone and she could rest for a bit. Just a moment of quiet, that was all she needed. Then she would get going again. Just a minute ...
    It was too quiet. “Deller?” she whispered, opening her eyes. To either side the hall stretched, shadowy and empty. Panic flared and she came bolt