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“No, thanks”

After twenty feet the tunnel began sloping doard, first gently, thenthe walls for handholds The minutes ticked by They turned a corner and Sa into a wall

“Dead end,” Remi said

“Not quite”

Where the wall met the floor there was a horizontal split Sam crouched down and shined his headlaushed fro

“That ht be the other entrance,” Remi said “I’ll check it out”

“Too risky”

Behind the?” It was K holkov In turn, two voices called back, “Nothing!”

“Bondaruk, Kholkov, and two others,” Sam said

“I’,” Remi said

“Remi—”

“There’s less chance of et o in a few feet and see what there is to see”

Sam frowned, but nodded

She took off her pack and harness Sam knotted one end of the rope to her ankle and she dropped to her belly and crawled into the split When she was up to her ankles Sah”

“Hold on, there’s so just ahead”