“Come and get it.”
Richard advanced on me.
Andrew went after him.
Vitali caught Andrew’s backpack and dead-legged him, knocking Andrew to the ground.
I smashed the iPhone screen on the pedestal edge.
Everyone stilled, their wide eyes on me.
“Why would you do that?” William howled.
The action shocked my system.
Blood hammered in my ears. I wiped sweat off my forehead, dirt scraping my skin. “Because now I’m the only one who knows the way around this hellhole.” Did this put me in more or less danger?
“You stupid bitch!” Brie barked.
My palms closed into fists, and I fought the urge to boob-punch her.
Andrew got up and fixed the bag straps on his shoulders. He stepped up to Tweedledee. “Do something like that again, and you won’t leave here alive.”
“Save your threats. Vitali doesn’t understand English.” Brie ambled to Richard. Taking him by his forearm, she steered him towards one passage, stopping shy of its entrance. They colluded in hush tones, him casting a sideways glance at me. My stomach twisted into a knot. Whatever they were talking about wouldn’t play out well for us.
Andrew gently guided me aside. He lowered his mouth to my ear. “You all right?”
“Yes,” I whispered, pressing my damped face to his stubbed cheek. “The paths lead to the same place. Some just?—”
Brie said something in Russian. Igor and Vitali nodded, their eyes cutting to Andrew and then me.
“Okay.” Richard pushed his crusty blond hair back off his forehead. “Which way?”
I eyed each entryway. The image showed all routes feeding into one location. The left one had too many markings, which could mean nothing good. The right one had a break in the line. That could signify anything from a not easily crossed ravine, to an impenetrable obstruction, to something as simple as the graphite had rubbed off over the years and the passage was safe. The two in the middle, which had much larger gateways, had shorter paths with fewer symbols.
More sweat beaded over my skin. The air in the cave was surprisingly warm, or maybe it was the stress of working under the threat of death by gunshot, of an enormous snake that might or might not live here, or of being lost in the cavern labyrinth forever.
“This one.” I pointed with my flashlight at the second opening to the right.
“And why is that?” Richard asked.
I looked over my shoulder. “Because I want to live and the others present challenges.”
Andrew leaned in and kissed my temple. “Do you want me to go first?”
I might know the way, but it didn’t mean I was brave enough to be the leader. I nodded, taking his hand into mine.
He took cautious steps, and I followed him.
Brie appeared at my side, her shoulder grazing my arm. “I don’t trust you,” she hissed.
“The feeling is mutual,” I retorted.
We were ten feet into the passage when Brandon screamed, “Igor, no!”
A breath lodged in my throat, and I turned, my fingers slipping out of Andrew’s. Richard, William, and Tweedledum were with us but Brandon and Tweedledee were somewhere back in the room.
There was a loud creak, then a bam. The floor dropped out from beneath me.
