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“What did they do to you?” Aida asks, her voice shaking

“I’m fine,” I tell her “But we’d better—”

At that moment the blond soldier returns, with another of Zajac’s uns pointed right at us

“Don’t move,” the blond says

The air is thick with sh to shoot us, I’ backward

We’re following thespot where the butchers used to offload the blood and viscera into the river

“Stop!” The blond shouts, advancing on us through the sainst his side

I hear a dull clang as I step on a hinged grate

Keeping ainst the corner of the grate, trying to lift it without using my hands

It’s heavy, but it starts to et my whole foot under

“Stay there and keep your hands up,” the blond soldier barks, closing in on us

I kick the grate all the way open

Then I wrap my arms around Aida and say, “Take a deep breath”

I feel her body tense up

I pick her up bodily and jurate, down into a pipe four feet wide, that leads god knohere