He forced her down the hall, seeing Quincy carrying Lily and pulling the congressman reach the first door to the right. He then fumbled with something inside the politician’s coat, pulling out a small card and pressing it against the keypad. Quincy pulled the handle, revealing stairs beyond.

“Take them all up!” William said. “I’ll be right behind you once I get him out. Keep that door propped open.”

“You’ll need this,” Quincy said, holding out the badge. As soon as William took it, Quincy ushered the clearly shell-shocked congressman through.

“Go on.” William motioned to Jane.

Her angry eyes were fixated instead on him. “You should have told me!”

“I didn’t have a choice. Once you get up a few flights, I’ll reach out to you to stop it—”

She breezed past William. “Never again. You’ll never use me again.”

“Jane—”

“Open the door!” she yelled, standing in front of the last door.

William sloshed across the hall, holding the badge against the keypad. Seizing the handle, he yanked open the door.

Inside the cavernous room, the boy stood on top of a stool, trying to balance himself above the rising waters.

“William!” he yelled. “What’s happening?”

“Hold on Ryan!” William called out, waiting for Jane to hold the door open so it wouldn’t lock behind him. As he began to move through the waters to reach the boy and carry him out, a crashing came from down the hallway. A roar of water followed the thudding sound of falling concrete.

He heard Jane cry out as a torrent of water crashed into her, sending her careening through the opening and forcing the door to press against the inside wall.

“Jane!” William scrambled towards her, battling the increasingly strong current plowing through. After being nearly knocked over, he had to steady himself to keep from plunging beneath. When she didn’t surface, he rushed into the current.

What have I done—?

The water began to change.

He thought at first it was just the fierce current that was altering the color of the water, going from the brownish muck to a whitish silver. But he quickly realized it was the water itself separating, allowing for the woman to emerge.

“My God,” William whispered.

Dr. Jane Spencer rose from the water that now split around her, like an island rising in the midst of a river. While she was soaked through, not a drop of the water now touched her.

It was obvious that she was enraged.

The water continued to rush in, but parted before her. William could see straight to the floor of the room beneath her; it appeared as dry as a sidewalk in summer.

She gave him a quick look of such intense anger that he almost stepped back. “Now,” she said.