Caius had felt no need to wait for the stranger’s return to begin his descent down the chain. He could have argued with Skelter about who should go first, who should go last, but arguing would waste time and there was none of that to waste. Not anymore. Not now that a third thundering tremor blasted through the walls of their subterranean home.
The tunnel was sealed. This was the only known way out.
Sooner or later, others would come. Others would find it.
He and Skelter needed to be long gone from here before that happened.
And so he had begun to climb.
Every day could be his last. Could be Skelter’s last. Could be Otta’s or anyone else’s. Living with that in mind, trying to outrun the inevitable, was the only choice any of them had. The surprise of death would snatch at them all eventually, but Caius had no intention of that surprise finding him or those he loved on this day.