Nobody spoke for several seconds.
The silence inside the iron corridor felt heavier than before.
Marcus continued staring at the branch omitted from the stolen map while his mind reconstructed everything they had discovered beneath the mountain.
The underground city.
The excavation.
Processing Hall Three.
The drainage network.
The circular chamber.
Every location had appeared somewhere on the map.
Every location except this one.
That alone made it significant.
Maps weren't simply drawings.
They represented what their creators considered important.
Equally important was what they deliberately chose not to include.
Marcus looked toward Selvar.
"Would ordinary workers ever receive copies of this?"
The elf shook his head.
"No."
"I doubt most people beneath the city can even read."
"And the supervisors?"
"They probably can."
Marcus folded the parchment.
"Then whoever drew this intentionally left this sector blank."
Cole rested his rifle against his shoulder.
