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“Flooded,” Joe said

“I expect the lower levels are all flooded,” Kurt said “Without the pu all these years, the seawater would seep in If all else fails, we could risk going down and swih the tunnel”

“You’re forgetting the iron pipe we’re chained to”

“It’ll be rusted to nothing down there, especially if that’s saltwater”

Joe shifted position and looked down “Let ht You want to drop into a flooded mine shaft, search for a flooded horizontal tunnel, swih it in pitch-black conditions, with our hands in chains, and no idea where it leads or whether it’s caved in or blocked by debris All on the chance it coeous”

Kurt feigned offense “I didn’t suggest there was a high probability of success Just that it was an option”

“Try zero probability,” Joe said “In fact, if there’s such a thing as a negative probability, I’d go with that Even if we h and found another vertical shaft, we’d have to scale the walls with our bare hands”

“I was thinking we could come up in the elevatoron the way in,” Kurt said “I realize the machinery doesn’t operate, but the frameould make for an easy climb If we can find the air shaft we passed on the way in”

“Another big if,” Joe said “We’d be more likely to swim ourselves into a dead end, dron there and never be found”

“At least Han wouldn’t be able to dressand frame us for the most blatant assassination since the Archduke of Austria in 1914”

“Hopefully, this one won’t start a near”

“The war is already on,” Kurt said “It’s all about influence And Han is going to pull off aabout it”

“Come up with a better plan than suicide and I’m with you”

Before Kurt could reply, the beaht appeared in the tunnel as two people caround

Only when the glare of the flashlight was pointed away did Kurt recognize Ushi-Oni’s jaundiced face and another of Han’s men Carried between theround, was the lifeless forano