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Bright fla oil atop the mercury in the lakes, rivers, and ocean consumed itself A rush of air echoed off the walls, like a wave rushing to shore, generating quick heat and bright light

Malone wasted no ti Cassiopeia as they rushed the hundred feet back toward the break in the chamber wall They avoided more rivers and lakes, but thankfully the western portion of Qin’s empire was more desert and mountain

The oil quickly exhausted itself, and the light faded What re up from the floor, and he knehat that deadly waft contained

Mercury

“Take a breath and hold it,” he said

TANG SAW THE TRIPOD CRASH TO THE FLOOR AND THEN FELT heat as the ht He shielded his eyes with a raised arm The brother and Viktor did the same

The unexpected flash left black spots winking in and out, but as his vision settled he saw through the rising clouds of gray-black fog two figures at the far side of the cha toward the break in the wall

“We can’t stay here,” Viktor said

Tang knew the smoke was toxic and its first wisps were only a few meters away, so he retreated from the archway

Another crack resounded through the chae and so popped behind him in a shower of sparks

The junction box into which the cable from outside fed power

“They’re shorting out,” Viktor yelled

Then the world went black

CASSIOPEIA KEPT RUNNING, SENSING THAT THE ELECTRICAL current surging through the h the lines

The last thing she saw before all the lights extinguished was the wall, about ten meters away

She stopped short and heard Malone do the same

“We have to go,” he whispered

She exhaled “Find the wall The exit was about twenty ht”

“We ood air this far over, but we need to hurry”

Darkness was absolute She could not even see her hands Carefully, she groped the air and found the ith the tip of her gun The flashlight was still in her pocket, but all that would provide was a perfect target for a spray of bullets through the fog

“Go,” Malone whispered “Fast”

Beaht erupted froh the cloud, now

The beaht

For them

“THEY HAVE TO BE THERE,” TANG SAID

All three of thehts to scan the far side of the cha enough

“Find that opening,” he ordered “That’s where they were headed”

The beams continued their dance One of theure

Heading straight for it

“There,” he said “Shoot”

“HIT THE GROUND,” MALONE YELLED, KNOWING WHAT WAS co

The beam had located Cassiopeia just as she’d ive anyone a free shot

He took aihts

TANG HEARD THE BULLET SLAM INTO THE BROTHER THE MAN was thrown back by the i to the bricks

Tang immediately retreated behind the archway, as did Viktor on the other side Thetoward them, now only meters away

They had to leave

But first

CASSIOPEIA SAW ONE LIGHT FALL AND TWO OTHERS DISAPPEAR,to her feet, found the break in the ith her hand, and slipped inside, a thick slab of stone between her and any more bullets

Malone, though, was still out there

“Are you in?” she heard him ask

“I’m here Your turn”

The lights were starting their search again, focused on the opening But they were noticeably weaker fro toward their end of the hall

Another thirty seconds and it would be here