Page 135 of Empire of Shadows

“I’m not sure that we should go,” Ellie blurted in reply. The rest of it spilled out of her. “I just keep thinking of that terrible rubble in the cave on the way here. If we run, there will be no one to stop Dawson and Jacobs from doing exactly the same thing to whatever is at the end of that map. When I think of how much might be lost…” She looked up to meet his eyes. “But it’s madness. Even if we did stay, how could we possibly expect to stop them? There’s just the two of us.”

Adam went quiet beside her.

“Staying would be dangerous,” he finally said.

“More dangerous than running off into the bush with only a machete for equipment?” she retorted.

“Yeah,” Adam replied flatly.

Ellie’s heart sank.

“Definitely life threatening,” he added.

His tone made her look back up again. His eyes glinted dangerously at her in the near darkness.

“Probably incredibly stupid,” he said.

His mouth split into a grin.

Ellie’s nerves jolted uneasily in response, but the feeling was mingled through with something warmer… something that felt like hope.

“Sounds like my cup of tea,” he finished.

Her own smile rose in answer, beaming out through the gloom of the tent.

Adam’s expression grew serious again.

“The only part I don’t like about it is that there’s a guy out in that camp who’s made it clear he’s got no problem cutting you up if he thinks we aren’t playing along,” he cautioned.

“Then we’ll play along,” she concluded. “Trying to lead them astray wouldn’t work anyway. Jacobs will be watching for that. I have an…uncomfortablefeeling that he has an uncanny ability to see through a deception.”

Ellie’s resolve firmed.

“We will simply have to find a way to stop them once we have reached the city,” she determined.

“You and me,” Adam replied. “Against ten guys with guns. A murderous bastard with an infallible nose for lies.”

“An imminent monsoon,” Ellie added, barely fighting back a giggle.

“And one really sweaty professor,” Adam added wryly.

The giggle burst out. Ellie clamped her hand over her mouth to contain it, conscious of the men just outside the tent.

“No problem,” Adam whispered confidently.

Ellie rose from the cot and brushed off her trousers.

“I shall start making a plan,” she declared.

Adam rose as well.

“You do that.” His expression shifted, going over a bit cautious. “Just… promise you won’t try to blow anything up without checking with me first.”

Ellie frowned.

“What if the circumstances are such that an explosion is very clearly called for?” she demanded.

“Maybe… try to plan your wayaroundany circumstances like that?” Adam suggested.

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