Water reached the bottom of Nadir’s boot before Sera found a waterproof sleeve. She lifted his pack clear of the current and searched the side pocket again.
It was tucked inside his pack beneath a coil of string. She pulled it out, shook off the grit and tried to fit the report inside. The sleeve was too short. The upper corners of the pages protruded above the seal.
“Leave the notes,” Nadir said. “Take the signed amendment.”
“First I need to know how the pages fit together.”
He was sitting against the recess wall with his injured ankle supported on a folded jacket. Tessa’s training had taught Sera to check breathing, bleeding and movement before turning to the documents. Nadir was conscious and breathing steadily. His arm dressing had absorbed some water but remained in place. His ankle was swollen enough that he could not put weight on it.
The passage behind them had shifted after Sera entered through the preexisting service opening. A slab now blocked the direct route to the junction. Before her radio failed, she had sent the gate location, the shifted passage and the last stable landmark: the brick arch beside the recess. She had not claimed to know who sealed the main entrance.
