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Something gave.

Leo twisted around. One of the stones had tipped inward. No, no, no! He reached for it as it scraped against its neighbors, caught for a moment, and fell.

Leo’s fingers closed on nothing.

The stone hit the floor on the other side.

Light spilled through the gap.

“No!” Leo pressed both hands over the opening. The light went through those too, reaching into a space that should have stayed dark.

They could be seen.

They needed to move.

“Back,” he instructed. “Move back.”

Nate took a step away from the wall.

Leo barely noticed. He was looking into the dark beyond his hands, trying to see who was closest, who needed to get out of the way before another stone fell.

“Don’t stand there!”

“Leo?”

He went through the wall.

The room on the other side was narrow. He crossed it too quickly and nearly went through the far wall before turning, arms out, trying to herd people away from the opening.

“Over here. Hurry.”

Nobody moved.

Because there wasn’t anyone there. All Leo could see was a dusty floor. A low bed.

Leo rushed to it.

A blanket lay in a heap atop the old mattress. He reached for it, then stopped.

There should have been someone here.

“Leo.” Nate’s voice came through the hole. “Talk to me.”

Leo turned toward the far end of the room.

Maybe they’d moved already.

Maybe…

A thin beam of light entered through the opening and traveled across the floor. Leo followed it with his eyes as it found another bed frame, a shelf, three cups.

“Where are they?” Leo wondered aloud.

Nate didn’t answer immediately.

The flashlight beam came back toward him.

“What can you see?”