"But where IS he?" Raice demanded, frantic.  He'd been away for a few moments - and Merelli was nowhere in sight.  He only had his mothers words and his own intuition.  He was bordering panic...<br/><br/>***<br/><br/>Arget crawled, sweating, on his belly, the blast now a roar in his ears, the darkness straight ahead and the light behind... he squinted.  This had to be the exhaust fan.<br/><br/>Striking before him, his wrench met a metal grate... he paused.  Stopped breathing.  Someone could hear this... instead, he gradually felt for the screws holding it in... and took the pocket knife out of his back pocket.  Got to work...<br/><br/>Moments later, he realized that to get past this... he'd have to be on the other side of the fan, let alone the conditioner.  He needed that fan out of the way... jamming the wrench in, he hears (and barely sees) grinding, LOUD, annoying... frightening... reverberating.  There's a crack, and the fan rips free from its bracing, leaving a spinning axle.  Arget breathes, crawling again on his belly, barely able to squeeze himself through.  Hopefully it would be much cooler on the other side... but now he perked his ears.  Silence.  A little whining from the machine.  It would overheat and break down given some time... but for now, he moved on, his ears perked frantically.