“Oh no.”
He frowned. “What?”
She grabbed the torch from him and raced across the room, ignoring the burning in her calves. Darting through the corridor, she nearly forgot about the tripwire and jumped over it at the last moment. Christian’s footsteps thundered behind her.
“Red, what’s going on?”
She handed Christian the torch when he caught up and jumped into the water. As she splashed toward the wall, he let out a soft curse.
Groping along the slick rocks, she felt for the opening. A moment later, she banged her forehead against the stone and echoed Christian’s curse. The water had risen. Significantly.
“Can we get out?”
She shook her head. Though she could swim far on one breath, it was too dangerous. Too dark. Too many unknowns. He blew out a breath and she paddled back to the ledge.
His hand clasped around hers, lifting her from the water with ease. “I had Tommy tell the men to stand by. Will your crew wait until the next low tide?”
She walked into the tunnel and stared at the skeleton. “Of course. But they will worry.”
He lowered the torch to the dirt and twisted it, snuffing the flame. Darkness curled around them and she instinctively took a step closer to him, away from the bones.
“What’d you do that for?”
“We need to conserve it. No way it’ll last another twelve hours.”
Her eyes adjusted to the muted grey light and she blinked a few times. “Christian?”
He brushed his fingers across her shoulder, sending a little thrill up her spine. It would be so easy to turn into him. To kiss him again.
Instead, she stepped away, following the faint light. “We might not have to wait.”
She hurried back to the big cavern. A single shaft of light came from overhead, where the wall met the ceiling and she pointed.
“It has to lead outside.”
Christian frowned and navigated to the wall, weaving around crates and boxes until he stood below the spot.
“It’s much too small to climb through. Barely bigger than thewidth of my arm.”
Samantha joined him and peered up at the smidge of pale blue sky. Pulling her lip between her teeth, she grabbed hold of a layer of limestone and boosted herself up. Wedging the toe of her boot into a crevice, she got herself a little higher.
“Find something that we can stick through the hole.”
His eyes lit with understanding and he held up the torch. “Will this work?”
Of course.
“Tie your shirt to it.”
She focused on getting up to the small opening and when she twisted to take the torch from him, the ray of light glanced off honed muscles. She snatched it and turned back to her task before her eyes could wander.
Taking a deep breath, she angled her face toward the opening and brought her fingers to her lips after propping the wood between her and the wall. When she whistled, the shrill sound echoed through the chamber. Another breath. Another whistle. One more.
They couldn’t be too far from the sinkhole, and she willed Griff or any of the men to hear her signal.
Now to get the makeshift flag out in the open. She shoved the torch into the hole and wiggled it. With Christian’s shirt, it filled the entire space. Darkness surrounded her as she forced it through, inch by inch. With one big push, it broke free and light splintered through the cavern once more.
If she could only get it a little higher. She shifted, stretching out to pull herself up.
