Page 193 of Silent Target

“The main entrance and an emergency maintenance passage.”

Cobra’s expression brightens. “Which one do I get to destroy?”

“The maintenance passage.”

His disappointment is immediate.

“You’re ruining my reputation.”

Falcon checks his rifle with his uninjured hand. “You’ll find something to explode.”

“That’s true.”

Gunfire follows us into the conduit.

Victor is closing the distance.

Shark and Cobra take the rear while we crawl through the narrow passage.

The mountain groans.

Concrete strikes the floor behind us.

The demolition isn’t a single explosion.

It’s beginning at the outer levels and moving inward.

Collapsing the bunker section by section.

Mac stops at a massive steel door.

No handle.

No keypad.

Only a circular black scanner.

“You said this was an emergency route,” Rook says.

“It was before the Chairman changed the security.”

Fathom studies the scanner. “Biometric?”

“Retina. The Chairman or the Warden.”

Victor is behind us.

The Chairman is gone.

Cobra looks toward the scanner. “I can open it.”

Mac shakes his head. “The door is reinforced into the mountain.”

“So that’s a maybe.”

“No. That’s a no.”

Evie steps forward with the Chairman’s journal.