They took the break after Shanahan laid out his plan. Everett told him that he couldn't draw them all up with his own strength. He just wasn't strong enough. And they didn't have any way to launch the former marine to the top of the shaft.

"Can you climb up with a line?," asked Wyndham. "Then you can pull us up to the top."

"We would have to work fast," said Shanahan. "There's no telling when one of those things will start up after us."

"Go ahead," said Wyndham. "Everett, secure a line to him so he will have something to pull with when he gets to the top."

"Right," said the Spider. He secured a web to the climber's shoulder. He let the line play out. "Ready to go."

Shanahan started up the wall. His hands dug in with ease as he pulled himself up the stone face of the shaft. He forced Everett to keep feeding him webbing as he climbed as fast as he could work his arms and feet.

Wyndham hooked the line to Master Yuen. It went taut and then it started dragging him upward. The Wu Chi kicked out and got his feet under him. He started jogging up the wall.

Everett kept feeding line so Shanahan pulled it along with him as he pulled Master Yuen. He probably hadn't noticed the extra weight as he climbed upwards.

Wyndham waited until her sense told her the right time, then she hooked the assistant to the line. He nodded as he started up after Master Yuen. The both of them would be right below the marine when he reached the top. Then they would be a yank to safety instead of a long pulling.

"As soon as I hook on, follow us up, Everett," said Wyndham. "You're the only other one of us who can get out on their own."

"I'll be right behind you," said the Spider. "The quicker we're out of this hole, the better I'll like it."

"You're not the only one," said Wyndham. She wrapped the webbing around her waist and ran up after the others. Everett cut the line. He headed up after the ascending group, not hurrying, but not wasting time either.

Shanahan reached the top. Smoke blew out of his nose as he pulled himself over the edge of the top. He took a moment before looking down the well.

Master Yuen hung on the line feet away from the top. He started to pull himself up when he sensed the pull on his body had stopped. One pull from the weapon's arms and he flew to the top. He grabbed the edge of the giant hole with his hands. A grip like a vise pulled him up on solid footing.

Shanahan pulled on the line. He had thought they would wait on him to reach the top. He should have known Wyndham would use his strength to move things along faster. All he had to do was get the rest up to the top and out of the cave, and the job was done.

Give him New York any day.

The assistant appeared next. He pulled himself up along the line, as it helped him along. He reached the top. He grabbed offered hands, and he was out of the shaft like that.

All that was left was Wyndham and Everett.

Shanahan pulled on the web. He spotted Wyndham emerging from the dark. Where was Everett?

He spotted the Spider climbing the wall under Wyndham. That was good in his opinion. He pulled on the webbing faster to get Wyndham clear. That would ease the part of him that didn't like his partner being in danger.

He would rather be the one taking the risks than letting someone else do it.

He grabbed the Eye as soon as she was close enough. He pulled her on solid footing and stepped back. The most dangerous part seemed over. Now they could cash out and go home.

He wondered if Emil would try to hire them for another job. He hoped not. He didn't like the place, and the people.

He admitted he didn't like any person, and wondered why he had stuck around to help Wyndham instead of just walking away.

Maybe he had some sentimental chink in his armor like a damsel in distress. He almost smiled at the explanation of his behavior. He certainly wasn't going to advertise it for others to try to exploit.

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"Master Yuen?," said Wyndham. "I think you should try to go outside and talk to Emil if he is around. I sent the other master ahead, so he might be outside already."

"Thank you for your help," the Wu Chi said. "This has been one of the better expeditions I have been on. There were several points that I thought we would die, but you justified Grandview's faith in your abilities."

"Go ahead and get clear before something happens," said Wyndham. "There are still hunting parties close. I don't want anything to happen to you before we can clear everything with Emil."

"Prudent," said Master Yuen. He gestured at the other master and they headed for the opening to the outside.

"Can you trust Grandview?," asked Shanahan.

"To a certain point," Wyndham replied.

"Keep them safe until Everett reaches the top," said Shanahan. "He's the last of our business here."

"Be careful," she said. "I don't want to explain anything to your daughters."

"Just give them my ten percent," said Shanahan. It looked like he smiled for an instant. "Go on. We're not getting done just standing around."

Wyndham started after the Wu Chi. She kept her ability winging around, but everything looked clear at the moment. She didn't want anything to go wrong when she was close to being clear of any obligation. She could go to her new life with a clear conscience.

Shanahan looked over the edge. He felt something was wrong underneath Everett. Something stank.

"Throw me a line, Everett," he called down. "Hurry."

The Spider flicked his hand upwards. A line of webbing reached up for the top of the shaft. He looked down. Something new was on fire down below. That didn't look good at all. The marine caught the line and wrapped it around his forearm.

"I'm going to pull," called Shanahan. "Just bounce off the wall as we go."

"Understood," called Everett. He didn't look down. He concentrated on reaching the top before whatever was down decided to come up after him.

He expected they had woke up another dragon after the one Shanahan had killed had burned out. Something would have to be done about that. They couldn't just be allowed to loose monsters on the surface on command.

Shanahan pulled Everett to the top, yanking the line as fast as he could pull the section in. The weapon hopped over the edge.

"I think we should run," the Spider said. He bolted for the opening to the cavern system.

Shanahan backed up slowly. He leveled his rifle at whatever might come out of the hole at him. He knew the weakness of the beasts now, and was by nature not afraid of anything he could shoot.

Something was coming up the shaft. He could hear the beating of wings. He looked around for cover. He wanted something to block the bad breath while he blew it up.

He found an outcropping. He hoped the others had enough sense to take cover. He had enough to worry about defending himself. He didn't want to have to defend the others unless he had to back away from the oncoming menace.

Wyndham had some of the stones from the shapers. Some of them might be useful against the dragons. Push the button and throw, gone dragon.

A wide lizard head appeared at the end of a sinewy neck. Glowing eyes scanned the cave as nostrils took in the scents around it. A long inhalation started.

Shanahan knew an exhalation of acid would follow. He pulled one of his remaining grenades and pulled the ring. He waited for the thing to lunge closer to breathe on him. He threw the grenade in its mouth.

He didn't wait around to see what the grenade did. He pushed off from the outcropping and ran for the opening in the wall. He didn't want to be close if the thing went up like a bomb.

He cleared the cave and pushed toward the other hex. He didn't look behind him. He ran to one side so if there was flame, the jet would miss him as long as it traveled in a straight line from the opening in Grandview's hex.

He spotted Wyndham and the others in the open. He waved at them to run from the danger. They got the message and started running.

A plume of flame roared from the cave. It hit the Wu Chi hex across the natural gap between mesas and cut into the stone. It died down to a line of fire in front of the opening.

Shanahan turned and glared at the opening. Was another monster going to come up after him? He was ready if it did.

"They might be able to release those things at will," he said.

"That's a problem for other people," said Wyndham. "We've done what we set out to do."

"Grandview is going to want us to do something about this," said Shanahan. "It's how he likes to work."

"Then we're going to get paid," said Wyndham. "He has other people who can assault something like that without asking us."

"But he cares about them," said Shanahan.

"I don't like the way this conversation is going," said Wyndham.

Shanahan remained silent. He went to where he could see the cave. Nothing moved inside it. He had done for the beast in the opening move. He didn't want to think what would happen if the things learned to close their mouths when they were getting shot at instead of charging full bore at him.

He thought he should close the cavern until they worked out a solution. It wouldn't stop the dragons, but it might slow them down. Grandview might want something more permanent than that.

And he would not be adverse trying to apply pressure on them to do the job so he didn't have to send any of his elite soldiers to do the deed.

The Wu Chi might also ask them to go back in and do something about the dragons. They seemed more upfront about things, but he had learned not to trust desperate people. They tended to do anything without thinking about what they were actually doing.

"How long do we have before they try to send another one?," Everett asked.

Shanahan shrugged. He doubted they could do anything in the next few minutes. He decided that closing the opening to see what would happen was for the best. If the dragons cut a hole on the other side of the mesa, that would spare the Wu Chi from further actions.

If they came back, it meant the dragons knew this side was full of food that couldn't fight back.

Someone would have to change their mind about that. He decided to wait to see if he was going to be the one to have to do it.

Shanahan walked over to the other hex. He smashed the wall to close the cave. That should buy them some time.

The rest would depend on Grandview and the Wu Chi.