“Let Dean take him,” Ryan told her. “He’ll stand a better chance with him than with you. Dean knows where to move and when to move.” He flicked his gaze over to the other man holding his daughter. “Same for your girl.”
“I know it,” the man said. “Seen this boy in action myself. I’ve lived roughing it in the past, but it’s been a while ago.”
Ryan turned to his son. “Take them, Dean. Stay close to Mildred and Krysty. We’ll stagger the rest of them out.”
Dean nodded and called the two youngsters to him. The boy went reluctantly, needing threatening from his father to get moving. His eyes filled with tears, but he went along. The girl, older than him by a couple years, took his hand and guided him as Dean helped them down into the tunnel.
Mary tried to go after her son.
“Wait,” Ryan ordered, swinging the SIG-Sauer enough so that she caught the movement.
“That’s my son,” she protested.
“I know it,” Ryan said. “And you need to stay back a ways. You crowd up on him, Dean won’t be able to get him back to you if something goes wrong.”
“He’s right, Mary,” her husband said, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Man knows what he’s doing. Staggered line like this, we can cover for each other.”
Ryan waited a bit, feeling the humidity press in through the windows.
“Cawdor!” Naylor sounded more anxious.
“Doc,” Ryan said, “take the next group through.” He pointed at Mary and her husband, then at one of the remaining women.
“I surely will, my dear Ryan, and how long before you join us on that road less traveled?” Doc grimaced as he peered into the tunnel.
“A few minutes,” Ryan said. “J.B. and I are going to shut things down here.”
“Do not tarry,” the old man warned. “In her present state of mind, I know Krysty will want you by her side.” He took another lantern from the shelves and lighted the wick, adjusting it until it burned well.
“Get it done, Doc.”
Doc dropped into the hole, then turned to help the women down. “Dear ladies, I do so apologize for not doffing my jacket as a true gentleman would to make the going more palatable, but I fear it would be but a waste of my raiment.”
The women ignored him, not liking what they were having to do, but clambering into the tunnel all the same. Survival pushed most people through life, Ryan knew. The husband followed them, then Doc crawled through, as well.
“Cawdor!” Naylor called again.
“What?” Ryan asked.
“It appears to me that we’re both in a bad place.”
“Man’s kind of slow, isn’t he?” J.B. asked with a mirthless grin. “Hadn’t been so single-minded about getting Elmore back, he could have waited to see if we were going to throw in with him, then chill us when we were least expecting it.”
“Already knew that,” Ryan called out to the sec chief. He motioned at Elmore and lowered his voice. “Take the rest of them through.”
Elmore nodded, then climbed up from the floor. He took a lantern from the wall.
“If you aren’t at the other end when I get there, you can bet all your jack that I’ll come looking. And I’m good at hunting men.” Ryan tossed the man the weapon they’d taken from him.
Elmore caught the blaster and nodded grimly. “Figured you would be.”
“And I also don’t intend to see anything happen to that woman.”
“I’ll get you to Donovan,” Elmore promised. “If we get out of here.” He dropped down into the tunnel after the others.
“Cawdor?” Naylor called, sounding less sure than he had before.
“I’m listening,” Ryan answered.
“Wasn’t sure.”
“What’s your plan?”
Ryan gestured to J.B., pointing at the pockets where the Armorer kept his grens. “We’ll leave them a going away surprise.”
J.B. nodded.
“There’s safety in numbers,” Naylor said. “Why don’t you and yours come out, then we can get past those damn coldhearts.”
“Convince me.” Ryan caught the gren J.B. tossed him. He walked to the door and pulled the gren’s pin. Working the gren, practiced in what he was doing, he jammed it between the bottom of the door and the floor, wedging it into place with a knife he got from one of the dead men. The gren balanced precariously, the plunger pressed tight against the door. Once it was opened, it would send the grenade spinning away, the 3-second delay fuse inside burning.
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