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Only then did he realize it was nearly dark The sun had been dropping toward the horizon during his chase, but it was long gone now Only a faded orange glow lingered in the darkening sky

The helicopter blades began to accelerate above them as the pilot spooled up for liftoff “It took us a while to find you,” the man explained

“What about Kurt?”

“Who?”

“Kurt Austin”

“I don’t know that name,” the man said He took Joe’s aro”

Joe shook loose fro anywhere until you tell me what happened to my friend He went down into the mine to rescue your divers”

The official e face “There was an explosion,” he said “If your friend survived, he’s been flown out But no one’s left at the lake now except the dead”

With a sick feeling in his heart, Joe climbed aboard the helicopter and strapped hirip on the land By the time he arrived at the Australian s, the sky was like black cloth punctured by sohtest stars Joe had ever seen

He was taken to the infirns of che Joe that he’d live, the doctor left and an even younger nurse caash in his head where he’d smashed it into the windshield

Shortly after finishing, she jabbed him in the arm with a shot

“O!”

“Tetanus and antibiotics,” she said

“Sure,” Joe said, rubbing his bicep “But aren’t you supposed to warnto hurt first?”

“Why lie?” she asked “Besides, I thought you Yanks were tough”