Vows of Graphite and Guilt
"Your hands, Clara. You have the key. Use the leverage of the brass shank to pop the manual latch."
Clara didn't hesitate. She reached into her pocket, her fingers finding the second small brass tension tool from her restoration kit. She wedged it into the locking mechanism of the grille, throwing her body weight onto the makeshift lever. With a loud, metallic crack, the latch sheared, and the heavy steel circle dropped downward into a dark, vertical air shaft.
"Jump," Julian said.
She didn't look down. She slipped through the opening, dropping six feet into a smooth, cold steel slide that sloped sharply downward. Julian followed immediately after her, his sheer mass driving them both dow