Chapter 20

Chloe came to on a cold, hard surface. A whimper escaped her as she scrambled to her knees, peering around with incomprehension at a metal grid floor, and evenly placed bars. Where am I? The conclusion chilled her.

"Chloe?"

The familiar voice saw her spinning. She crawled to the bars, but Joe yelled before she could touch them.

"Don't! They're electrified."

Stunned, she sat back on her haunches and stared at him. Dirty, his clothing torn and streaked with soot and blood, he still remained the most appealing thing she'd ever seen. She craved the safety of his arms. "Where are we?"

"On the ship. What do you remember?" The question emerged innocuous enough, but his eyes regarded her warily.

"IÑ" She rolled through her recollections, remembering how they'd entered the command center unimpeded, then...nothing. "Nothing after we encountered the captain. What happened?"

His face tightened. "You held a gun to my head and disarmed me."