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Nick was waiting in the shadows when Nobuyasu and his goons showed up with Selena. He watched them enter the shrine and pass through the outer hall into the room beyond. Once they were inside he followed, keeping his distance.
They entered the sanctuary and disappeared. After a few moments, he followed them.
At the entrance to the tunnel, he paused, listening. He couldn't hear them. He climbed down the ladder and began to feel his way along the tunnel, trying not to make any noise. He could see nothing in the utter blackness until the glow of flashlights ahead told him where they were. Bending down, he picked up a rock the size of a baseball. It wasn't as good as a gun, but it was better than nothing.
He could see Selena and the others moving along the tunnel ahead of him. A large man had his hand wrapped around Selena's neck as they walked.
I'm going to kill him, Nick thought. Thank God she's okay.
His ear began tingling.
One of Nobuyasu's men walked in front of the others. Suddenly he disappeared with a scream. From his place in the darkness behind them, Nick watched the group stop and look down. Nobuyasu turned to Selena. Their voices echoed down the tunnel.
"You knew, didn't you?"
"No, how could I know? There was nothing about a trap, only the puzzle."
"She's lying."
"Doctor Connor. You will go first. In case there are any more surprises."
Nick waited until they were all on the other side of the trap and farther along the tunnel. He hurried before he lost the glow of their lights. At the edge of the pit he could made out Genki's body impaled on the spikes below. The man had been an enemy, but it was a death Nick wouldn't wish on anyone.
He crossed the ledge on the side of the pit and continued down the tunnel, until he saw they had stopped in front of the wall blocking the way.
He heard Selena say there was a trap. Nobuyasu told her she had to risk it and solve the puzzle in front of her. He heard them talking about Hideyoshi and the battles. Then Selena pulled down a lever sticking out of the wall.
Oh, shit, he thought. What if she gets it wrong?
One by one, she pulled the levers down. With the last one, she jumped back toward Nobuyasu. From somewhere deep underground came the sound of an ancient mechanism grinding, gears turning. The wooden wall slowly opened inward, revealing darkness.
Nobuyasu pointed his flashlight into whatever lay ahead.
"After you, Doctor Connor," he said.
"There may be more traps. It won't help if I can't see them. If you want me to go first, give me a flashlight."
Nobuyasu smiled unpleasantly and handed her his light.
"Don't think you can use it as a weapon," Nobuyasu said. He held up the sword. "If you try anything, I will cut off your arm. Believe me, you're not fast enough."
Selena stepped through the opening.