But he wasnt dead. He was still here, in the same corridor, in pitch-darkness, on top of the Vice President. The pain in his head was bad. He ran a hand along his scalp and found a wide slice tacky with dried blood. He pushed into it. A cracked skull should make the pain worse the more he probed. It didnt happen.

He was alive, and he seemed to be operational. And that meant he had a job to do.

Mrs. Hopkins? he said. She was tiny, so small compared to him that lying on top of her was strange.

Maam, are you with me?

Call me Susan, came her surprisingly resilient voice. I hate all that maam shit.

Are you hurt?

Im in pain, she said. But I dont know how bad it is.

Can you move your arms and legs?

She squirmed beneath him. Yes. But my right arm hurts a lot. Her voice was shaking. The skin on my face hurts. I think I was burned.

Chuck nodded. Okay. He did the math. She could move her extremities, so no important nerves had been severed. They had been down here a long time. Internal injuries or severe burns probably would have killed her by now. So her injuries, while painful, were probably not immediately life threatening.

Maam, in a moment, were going to see if you can stand, but not yet. Im going to crawl away just for a minute, then Ill be right back. I dont want you to move at all. I want you to stay exactly where you are in exactly the position you are in. Its very dark and I need you right where you are. Do you understand? Please say yes or no.

Yes, she said in a little girl voice. I understand.

He left her behind, moving like a snake along the floor. He had noted an emergency kit stored behind glass directly across from the elevator doors. If that part of the hall was intact, he would be in business. He moved slowly, touching everything in front of him, looking for sharp edges and possible drop-offs. There was a lot of debris. He also felt along the wall. After a time, his hand touched the indent in the wall which told him he had reached the elevator.

Chuck worked his way to a kneeling position. Three feet above the ground, the air became fetid and smoky. He ducked back to the floor.

Mrs. Hopkins? he called out. Are you still there?

Im here, all right.

Continue to stay on the floor, please. Do not stand up for any reason, okay?

Okay.

Chuck took a deep breath then stood up. His knees popped. His hands moved along the wall until they found the glass case. He had no idea how to open it, so he punched it as hard as he could. It was breakaway glass, and it shattered instantly.