Page 86 of Dark Shaman: Eternal Hope

"Soon," Tamira said. "One way or another, soon it'll be over."

Somewhere beneath tons of rock and earth, Eluheed and Tony were either finding their salvation or walking into a trap. And all Tamira and Tula could do was sit in this beautiful gazebo and wait.

The watch on her wrist ticked steadily forward. Thirty minutes. Forty. An hour.

"They should be in the tunnel by now," Tula said.

"Yes."

Another pause. The sound of children's laughter carried from the tent, followed by applause. Some kind of performance, perhaps. Normal life continued its course, oblivious to the drama playing out in the shadows.

"I hate leaving them all," Tamira said.

Tula looked at her. "Our sisters?"

"Not just them. Everyone. They're all trapped here, too."

"We can't save everyone," Tula said softly. "We can barely save ourselves."

She was right, of course. But the guilt was there, regardless of the rationale, a weight she'd carry whether they succeeded or failed.

35

ELUHEED

The utility closet on the fifth level was too small for two adult males to squeeze in. Shelves lined three walls, stocked with cleaning supplies that gave off a chemical smell that made Eluheed's eyes water. He and Tony sat pressed against the wall, flashlights clutched in their hands but not turned on. In the darkness, every sound seemed amplified—their breathing, the distant voices of people evacuating the harem, footsteps on the nearby stairs.

"Seven forty-three," Tony whispered, the luminous dial of his watch the only visible light in the darkness.

Two more minutes until the final sweep, and then fifteen minutes until the power cut, and then a few more minutes to make sure that no one remained in the structure.

Heavy footsteps approached their door, paused, and Eluheed held his breath. The handle rattled, but they'd locked the closet from the inside.

The footsteps moved on.

"That was close," Tony whispered.

They waited in silence as the sounds of evacuation grew more distant.

"Fifth level clear!" A guard's voice echoed from the staircase.

More footsteps receded up the stairwell, then gradually, silence settled over the underground complex.

"Eight o'clock," Tony announced.

As if on cue, the faint hum that had been the background noise of their lives ceased. Ventilation, electrical systems, the pulse of the building itself, everything stilled, and the silence was absolute.

Eluheed clicked on his flashlight, the beam cutting through the darkness. "Let's go."

He unlocked the door, wincing at the click that seemed to echo in the stillness. The corridor beyond was pitch black, their flashlight beams creating dancing shadows on the walls.

They rushed on silent feet toward the stairwell, or as silent as Tony could manage, which left a lot to be desired, but then there was no one in the building, and even the surveillance cameras and microphones were off, so the stealth was more out of habit and fear than necessity.

Funny how the mind twisted things. The ventilation had been cut off only moments ago, and yet the air already felt heavier, even though they had hours before it became a real problem.

The stairwell was a concrete throat descending and ascending into darkness. Their footsteps echoed despite their efforts to move silently. Fourth level. Third. Second. Each landing looked identical in the flashlight beams, distinguished only by the numbers painted on the fireproof doors.

"Wait," Tony said suddenly on the second-level landing.