A shrill alarm sounded from one of the handheld gauges. “Pressure spike!” someone shouted. “It’s climbing again!” Navarro swore under her breath. “We need a manual release!” Her team scrambled, fitting clamps and wrenches onto the pipe. The metal groaned louder—bending, shifting, complaining under the mounting force. Another spike.Higher. Higher.
Lila bellowed and stomped, as if urging them to go faster. “Valve ready!” a tech cried. “Release it!” Navarro yelled. There was a violent hiss, followed by a roar of escaping pressure—a geyser of invisible air blasting through the safety hose they’d attached.