Perish Right On the Spot

When one started crying, the others started crumbling. Cries for help and wailing rose and fell in a tide of emotion. Their thinking was not unfounded. In such a situation, the most prudent course of action was to abandon the attempted rescue and evacuate at once. Otherwise, if the rocks above their heads collapsed, everyone would perish right on the spot! Lucille did not move. She had promised to save all of them. No one should be left behind. There was no way she would abandon the victims! Lucille glanced back at Joseph. He seemed to understand her thoughts. Instead of trying to dissuade her, he looked up at the trembling ceiling above them, and estimated, "We have only five minutes." After five minutes, the place would completely collapse. It meant that they had to rescue all the victims locked up in the two iron cages within five minutes. Lucille was momentarily silent, her brain working quickly. "Five minutes, huh... that's enough." Having said that, Lucille strode forward to begi