Fadir, in Arabic, said, “She has only been gone a short amount of time.”
“No, it has been too long,” Thomas insisted.
In the dark, Fadir squeezed his shoulder. “You are nervous.”
Thomas took a deep breath, knowing he was right. He rose to his feet and was startled to see the tunnel lighting up. Rafe and Badr walked towards them.
Fear clawed at him because there was only one reason they were down here. Rafe confirmed it when he said, “We have to go. The rain is here. We don’t have a lot of time, but we should be more than fine if we leave now.”
“Her Grace is in the fucking tunnel alone,” Benson snapped.
Damn it! Why did he let Lisbeth go? He dropped to his knees to yell into the hole again, but was greeted by her grinning face. She pushed two pieces of stone through the hole in a cloth. “I found them. You will never believe what else is in—”
“We have to go. It is raining,” Thomas said, relief flowing through him.
She pushed the lantern through next, and then he yanked her out. He grasped her shoulders. “Are you hurt?”
Lisbeth grinned, clueless to how much fear she’d caused him. “Did you hear me? I found the tablets and there are more objects to study.”
“We have to go now,” Rafe reiterated, starting to look nervous.
He grabbed Lisbeth, guiding her down the tunnel, but she pulled away. “We have to reseal the opening we created. There are priceless artifacts in the cavern. They are protected by the rocks that are preventing water from getting in.”
Rafe translated her words to the guides. The men nodded. Thomas, concerned for her, said, “We don’t have time. We were barely able to move the rock previously.”
“If we all help, we can,” Lisbeth insisted.
Thomas and Rafe looked at each other. They could now hear the sound of water. Lisbeth joined Fadir and Badr, along with Benson. Thomas said, “Fuck!”
Still, he and Rafe joined them. They slowly wedged the rock back over the opening. It slid back into place, settling as if it had never been moved. Lisbeth beamed at him. He handed the tablets to Rafe and the lantern to her. “Go.”
He raced behind her. A small amount of water was starting to weave its way down the corridor. They needed to reach the initial cavity with all the tunnels before it filled. If they made it, they could climb on the ledge and be safe. They hadn’t encountered rushing water yet, so that was good.
Thomas breathed a sigh of relief as they reached the cavern. The water was ankle-deep, but there was no rushing water yet. He pushed Lisbeth up the ledge, then Benson, and then Rafe. The sound of water was getting louder. Lisbeth peered over with the lantern. “Give Rafe your hand. It sounds like it is coming.”
He and Fadir hoisted up Badr. The roaring sound of water was now reverberating through the cave system. They weren’t going to make it up the ledge. Lisbeth saw the moment he and Badr stepped towards the opening that kicked out to the river. He didn’t have time to reassure Lisbeth because, seconds later, the water swept him away.
Thomas held his breath, remembering to keep as straight as possible and not hold onto anything. The water was moving so fast. In spots, it didn’t fill the whole tunnel, and he was able to get more air. Still, the blackness terrified him. Fadir had said it would be sixty seconds; he closed his eyes and embraced that he had no control. He began to count to sixty.
Chapter Eight
Lisbeth sat onthe ledge with Benson, Rafe, and Badr, shivering, unsure if it was from the cold or the shock of watching Thomas be swept away. She held back the tears threatening to burst from her eyes. Benson pulled the lantern from her clenched hand.
The water, while it swirled beneath, was still at least six feet away from reaching the ledge. Thomas and Fadir had been right below, and then they were gone. Her body shook; he couldn’t be dead. Rafe sat beside Lisbeth and frowned at her, concerned. “He made it out.”
Her eyes watered. “How do you know? You have no idea. Anything could have happened to him.”
“Thomas and I have been friends for a long time. While some of the stories written about him are exaggerations, the man has survived more frightening situations than anyone I know. He has survived stampedes, civil wars, other weather-related problems, and being attacked by thieves.”
His words did provide her some comfort, but Lisbeth couldn’t stop imagining him trapped in the tunnel. Rafe squeezed her shoulder, and their eyes connected. “Now is not the time to despair. Badr believes they will be fine. It isn’t the first time someone has been swept away.”
She took a deep breath. He was right. Hope was the emotion she needed to focus on right now. Still, the guilt that lodged in her chest expanded. “Do you think if we hadn’t resealed the opening, we would have made it in time?”
Rafe shook his head and frowned. “Don’t do that. We have no idea.”
Benson joined her on the other side. “He will be fine, Your Grace.”
She smiled, grateful for his reassurance. “I’m sorry you ended up becoming part of this.”
