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A gasp trickled froround beside his collapsing body Then the chamber fell silent

Dirk and Giordino climbed down the hts

“I think you got them,” Brophy announced from the corner

“You made a nice decoy,” Dirk replied “Are you okay?”

“Dandy, under the circumstances”

Giordino had already stepped around the rock pile and was airound The nearest was Gavin, who showed no signs of breathing Stepping closer, Giordino could see the gunman’s head was bloodied beneath hiainst the wall

Giordino felt Dirk rush past hiure It was an attractive wo on her side with her eyes open Oddly, she showed no apparent sign she had been struck by the boulder

Dirk kneeled at her side and gently raised her torso Riki’s face winced as he did so, then softened as she focused her eyes on Dirk He felt a etness in his hand and noticed a s bullet fro her in the side of the chest Dirk pressed his hand against the wound, then looked in her eyes under the glow of Giordino’s light

“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said in a weak voice “It’sIt’s allI’m sorry”

“Me, too” Dirk saw she was fading quickly He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead

“Find it,” she whispered “Find Meritaten and what she had Then save us all” She looked into Dirk’s eyes and forced a sone

71

McKee crouched at the cavern’s entrance, sweeping her light across the roo the rope was in fact the e on either side of the basin was e somewhere beloith the ship

She knelt next to Rachel, calling her name to see if she was alive She was not McKee stood and retrieved the tay radio

“Gavin Are you there?”