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few metres away.
    A man with a gun.
    The sound of gunfire from outside was muffled. It grew quieter as they descended deep into the ground. The glow from below was getting brighter and Rich could tell it was electric light.
    The metal steps were rusted and insecure. The whole stairway wobbled alarmingly, and they kept close to the wall as they picked their way down.
    After an age, they finally reached the bottom. Acorridor stretched away ahead of them, bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling. About half of them were lit, and Rich guessed the bulbs had gone in the others. Cables and pipes ran along the walls and the roof. Water dripped into oily puddles on the concrete floor, and the whole place felt clammy and cold.
    There was a body at the bottom of the stairs—another unconscious soldier. Again, there was no sign of his weapon, if he’d had one.
    â€œStill on the right track, then,” Jade whispered.
    All they could hear was the dripping of water and a faint hum that might be a distant generator. No sound could be heard from above.
    â€œWe’d better hurry,” said Rich. “Dad won’t know there’s a battle going on above ground.”
    â€œI don’t fancy being trapped down here if the rebels come after us,” said Jade.
    Together they hurried along the damp passageway. It turned a corner, and continued into the distance. At the far end, Rich could just make out the dark shape of a doorway.
    A figure leaped out from the shadows close in front of them. The light was behind him, but Rich could make out the Chinese army uniform. A rifle swung up to coverRich and Jade as they skidded to a halt.
    Another shape detached itself from the shadows beside them. Another uniformed figure holding a rifle.
    â€œCome to join us?” Mr Chang queried, lowering his rifle.
    â€œWhat the hell are you doing here?” Chance asked.
    Rich gasped with relief. “Rebels—attacking the base.”
    â€œWe thought we should warn you,” said Jade. “There’s a battle going on up there. They’ve got guns, rocket launchers, the lot.”
    â€œAnd I’m guessing they’ll be coming down here as soon as they’ve sorted out the troops on the base,” added Rich.
    â€œYou’re probably right,” Chance conceded.
    â€œWhere’s Yoshi?” Mr Chang asked.
    â€œWe sent him home,” said Jade. “We couldn’t bring him in here, and put him in danger.”
    Mr Chang shrugged. “He has black belt in karate.”
    â€œWouldn’t help him stop a bullet,” said Rich.
    â€œTrue,” Mr Chang agreed. “Thank you.”
    â€œSo what are the rebels after?” Jade asked. “If this base is decommissioned and pretty much abandoned, what’s here they could want?”
    Chance gestured for them to follow and led the way along the corridor to the open door at the end. Beyondwas blackness. As he stepped through the door, Rich could feel a chill, like he was standing inside a vast, empty chamber.
    Beside him, Mr Chang was fumbling on the wall beside the door. There was a clunk as he found the connection for the lights and pushed the lever that closed the circuit. High above, enormous lamps flickered into life.
    Rich had been right. The place was huge—a massive chamber hewn out of the rock. The bare walls were dripping with moisture. The floor was an expanse of cracked and pitted concrete, with gantries and walkways stretching across the roof space high above.
    But the chamber wasn’t empty. An enormous missile stood like a pillar, reaching almost to the large circular hatch in the roof above. It was rusting, with faded Chinese stars emblazoned on its side.
    â€œA Dong-Feng series 4 launcher,” said Mr Chang, quietly.
    â€œNATO calls it the CSS-3,” Chance added. “Built in the 1980s, and then superseded. It’s probably been abandoned.”
    â€œNuclear?” Jade asked in a whisper.
    â€œOh