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Sa, and shut the hatch behind hiers, which he used to flip the latch back into place; with luck, a passing guard wouldn’t notice the ta

In co by feel alone, Sam started doard The ladder creaked and shifted, the bolts rasping inside their stone holes He froze He held his breath for a ten count, then began ain

With a splintering crack, the rung parted beneath his lowermost foot He lurched doard He cla his fall, but the sudden shift of his weight was too much for the ladder, which twisted sideways With a shriek and a pop, the bolts gave way and Sa He braced hi into the stone floor back first

“Sa down

Saroaned, blinked rapidly, then pushed himself up onto his elbows

“Are you okay?” she asked

“I think so Just bruised my pride a bit”

“And your tailbone”

She helped him to his feet

Before thehts were twisted away froles

“Well,” Re out of here”

“Always a bright side,” Sareed

Remi clicked on her LED and they looked around Behind theeway barely taller than Sam stretched into the darkness Unlike the fort’s outer walls, the stones here were dark gray and rough-hewn, showing chisel marks that were four hundred-plus years old This was the upper dungeon level; there was one more below theotten”

Remi clicked off her LED Hand in hand, they started down the passage

When they’d gone twenty paces, Saain He’d seen no end to the passage They kept going After another twenty paces, he felt Remi’s hand squeeze on his