Zane knew what he had to do. He jumped for the ladder.
"Make sure the bomb works," Kog replied.
As he grabbed the rungs and slid down into the dark, he saw the iron shutter slam down.
CLANG.
It sealed the tunnel with a deafening crash, separating Zane from the Artificer.
But through the metal, he heard the muffled sounds of the aftermath.
"Secure the target!" an Inquisitor's voice vibrated through the floor. "The Artificer is acquired. Purge the rest."
Zane slid. He didn't climb; he let gravity take him, his gloves burning against the metal rungs.
He dropped fifty feet, sixty feet, until his boots hit a metal grating.
Wren was there, huddled over Rin.
They were on a narrow catwalk suspended over a vast, silent chasm.
"He's gone," Wren whispered, staring up at the sealed shaft.
