Slick
enough."
"Great stuff, Boss--" Red began. But the rest was muffled, for Ricky and
Val drew back into the room of the chains. There was only one thing to
do now--reach Rupert and the others and prepare to meet these skulkers
in the open. But before they had quite crossed the room Ricky came to
grief. She caught her foot in one of those gruesome chains and stumbled
forward, falling on her hands and knee. The noise of her fall echoed
around the low chamber with betraying clamor.
A white light beat upon them as Val stooped to aid Ricky.
"Stop!" came the shout, but Val had only one thought, to dim that light.
He swung back his arm and flung his own flash straight at the other.
There was a grunt of pain and the light fell to the floor. With the
tinkle of breaking glass it went out. Val pulled Ricky to her feet and
threw her toward the door, forgetting everything but the wild panic
which urged him out of that place of foul darkness. They bruised their
hands against the brick as they felt for the opening, and then they were
out in the other chamber.
"Val," Ricky clung to him, "I've got that little flash I keep under my
pillow at night. Wait a minute until I get it out of my pocket. We can't
find our way out of here without a light."
Muffled sounds from behind them suggested that their pursuers were on
the trail even without light. After all, given time enough, it would be
easy for them to feel their way out of the vaults.
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