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“Almost there,” Sam called and stretched his free hand before him

The retching and coughing were louder now, see in Russian, followed by a rasped reply in English: “Backgo back!”

Saot back to their feet and kept going His groping hand bu hot and he jerked it back He dropped to his knees and pulled Remi down beside hiravel A flashlight beah the smoke, then disappeared

“What’s going on?” Remi whispered

In response, Saave the ore cart a quick rap with his knuckles “Take off the coat” She did so Sam shoved his hands into the sleeves from the outside in, then twisted the body of the jacket into a ball “Oven mitts,” he explained

Now Ree?”

“You got it”

“Clever boy”

“Once I get it rolling, you push me from behind”

“Okay”

Hunched over, Sam moved around to the other side of the cart, planted his feet wide, then placed his gloved hands against the steel side and shoved The cart didn’t budge He tried again Nothing He heard a metallic click-click, then Reain”

Sam took a deep breath, set his jaw, and shoved With a steel-on-steel shriek, the cart lurched forward The crack of a gunshot echoed down the tunnel, but Sa He passed Reainst his lower back The cart quickly picked up speed Pushed by the breeze, the flames and smoke streamed backward over their heads like a comet’s tail

Suddenly the smoke thinned out The tunnel entrance loo,” Saravel ballast Reht around his belt, did the sa rushed toward them Ten feetfive feetSam ht, then let go They stuether, landed in a heap, and looked up just in tiently over the lip of the entrance

There were three seconds of silence, then a thunderous crash

Sam and Remi crawled on hands and knees to the entrance and looked over the edge Already half engulfed in fla heavily to port as water bubbled up through a crater in the afterdeck After a few seconds a pair of heads bobbed to the surface; one began swi away, but the other remained motionless The boat dipped stern first below the surface and slid from view