Chapter Three: Half a Key to Tidelistening House

The parking token fit a narrow slot beside the DEEP-SEA TUNNEL door. The iron panel sprang inward. Shen Yanci and Zhou Jibai slipped through as a second bullet punched the metal. A dark maintenance passage sloped underground. Yanci knew the mechanism but not the pipes added during later renovations. Jibai had delivered dinners to the construction crew for six months. “Left is a dead end.” He caught Yanci's sleeve. “Follow me.” For the first time that night, Yanci did not question him. They threaded between boilers while footsteps gained behind them. A chained exit blocked their way. Jibai climbed onto an abandoned cart, pushed out a ventilation grate, and hauled himself up. He reached back down. Rain ran from his jaw.