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DRESSED IN the rain gear they’d taken froed They crossed the hill, found another stairway and les, Kurt spotted the residual heat fro from the rain

He turned his attention to the walls beyond the landing area Several openings had been cut in the h the huh the heat sensitive goggles one of theenta color

“Across the field,” Kurt said “The shaft on the far left That’s the one”

“No sign of any guards,” Joe said

“Let’s not wait for any to show up”

Kurt flipped the goggles up oncebeside the tunnel, he pressed hiht behind him A quick look confir heat”

Joe glanced up at the rain falling steadily froood to me”

Kurt nodded Without another word, both of them slipped quietly into the tunnel

• • •

THE GROUND was turning to mud as Ushi-Oni continued his exploration of the island He’d never been in such a haven of decay and he found his, piles of rubble and stark emptiness spoke to him

This is what the world would be like afterfor nature to erase the insignificant stainat all

The wind picked up as he neared the seawall and he decided he’d had enough He turned around, began the journey back toward the laboratory and stopped

A faint gloas e from the debris ahead of hiht vanished and then reappeared

Using the saot in his way The branches fell, cut clean through The light wasat a tiny screen with a loered LED attached

He bent low and pulled it fronition caht vision goggles The front plate was les were still operating, and they were obviously the type military and police forces used to make assaults under cover of darkness