“Fine,” I said bitterly. “Choke on it.” I hoped I was projecting enough bile into my voice to give him the idea that leaving me down here to stew would be more satisfying than shooting me.
It seemed to work. He chortled as I shoved the coin into his hands. “Enjoy your stay in the tunnels, Doctor,” he said breezily, as the doors rattled shut behind him.
My guide didn’t even wait for the doors to close before punching the wall. “Son of a BITCH!”
“He won’t have it for long,” I said smugly. I crouched down behind his shield. “Think you can hit the flare from here?”
“Of course!” he snapped.
“Then force the elevator doors apart,” I said. “I’ll hold it open, then you shoot the flare.”
He stared. “Are you insane? That thing will get us!”
“It wants the coin,” I pointed out. “I’m not even sure it can tell us apart from him.” I grabbed the edge of my kit box and shoved the armored part into the crack. “Push!”
He did so, grumbling aloud about it all. The door creaked and groaned, but it opened when the emergency sensor detected us forcing it. I forced myself through and grabbed the counterweight cord as the guide propped the doors open.
“Fine, now what?” he asked, though at least he wasn’t yelling.
I looked up. Far above, Hewlett’s car had stopped. They were probably climbing out right now. “Grab the cord and shoot the flare,” I said. “I’ll cut the weights.”
“You’re insane,” he muttered, but he took one-handed aim anyway. He squeezed off a shot.
The flare exploded, sending sharp shadows everywhere. He let the doors slide back shut and hurriedly grabbed the cord as I drew and fired.
The lock holding the weights down was sturdy. I fired and fired, until sweat was running down my neck.
“Just break, you stupid-” I snarled, and it broke on queue. My arm nearly ripped out of the socket as the two of us launched upwards.