CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
In the darkness of the Damen Silos basement, with only the beam from a lone flashlight, Thurston spread away the dirt from the drain cover leading to the sewer.
He used his bare hands, and they were covered in dirt and grime so filthy and smelly, it was beyond description. He dug his fingers into the grooves on the drain cover and pulled it up. The cover gave a gentle clang as it lifted. Thurston tossed it aside and grimaced as his back screamed at him.
The rusty ladder that sheared away from the wall awaited him.
Bracing through the pain, he lowered himself into the opening and bent around the crooked ladder. The rungs were sharp and muddy. They whined under his pressure.
He reached the second-to-last rung, when the ladder separated from the wall further.
He yel
