Page 52 of What Remains (John Worthy #3)

After a long silence.

“Okay,” John said. “Given that Mac tried again and that went sideways and the mine system is more complex than before, where does that leave us?”

“I no leave my boys,” Shahida said.

“As you have said,” Driver observed. “Many times.”

Shahida opened her mouth, but John cut her off.

“Enough. You guys duke it out later. Right now, we have a problem. Mac’s out of it.

Shahida’s out of it. You got a chopper coming, but no reinforcements.

Meanwhile, Meeks and Flowers are still up there.

” They might also be dead, but as with Roni…

wherever she was…John wouldn’t leave them behind.

This just snowballs. His head was pounding. Between lack of sleep, the altitude and the stress, he was running on fumes. How could they possibly get everyone out of that mine?

Maybe we can’t, and then no one ever gives me a chance to bring Roni back.

“Yes.” Shahida’s voice was watery. “Whatever we do, I no leave my boys there. I go back with or without help.”

“Yeah, that’s a great plan.” Driver, surly. “A suicide run.”

“You have better idea?”

“No,” Driver said, “but I kinda don’t think ending up dead will help.”

Ending up dead… A sudden spark of inspiration flared. “Wait a minute,” he said. “I’ve got an idea.”

Everyone, even Poya, turned. “What?” Driver asked.

“What you just said. About ending up dead.”

Driver and Shahida looked at one another, and then Driver said to John, “Are you volunteering?”

“No, but if they want a corpse,” John said, “let’s give them one.”