“Yeah, something like that,” Trent replied, nodding, even though he had no actual idea what Quicksilver might be trying to convey. “For the moment, let’s follow these tracks. Perhaps they’ll lead us to Zina.”
“Pirrp! Piruup prip!”
Nodding, Trent put Quicksilver back on his shoulder, where it immediately perched happily.
Hold on Zina, just a little bit longer. I promise, I’m coming for you,Trent thought, as he set off at a jog down the mine.
Chapter 19
“Come on now, Zina. This is silly. You’re just prolonging the inevitable, you know.”
Crouching, Zina made her way along the wall of the mine, the darkness around her completely enveloping.
Thankfully the night vision goggles were enough to deflect the bullet he fired at me, but I sure could use them right around now…
Zina knew she’d been lucky –beyondlucky. If she hadn’t been wearing the heavy goggles, Sumner would have fired two perfect shots right into her head. But as it was, one had been diverted into the wall, and the other had buried itself in the heavy mechanism and thick padding of the goggles, stopping it before it buried itself in her brain.
She’d taken the goggles off and tossed them aside as soon as she’d figured out what had happened – but now, she was stumbling around in the darkness, Goldie and Dusty still tucked into the front of her shirt, trying to keep at least a few steps ahead of Sumner.
I don’t even know what he shifts into,she thought, as she felt her way along the wall.If it’s something that can see in the dark that’s probably not great. But on the other hand, if he shifts, at least he won’t be able to fire the gun…
Zina honestly wasn’t sure what was the better option. Right now, she just had to keep going, and hope that whatever tunnel she was heading down would take her somewhere useful. Or at the very least, not right down into the dead-end of the mine shaft.
“Zina! Zina, use your brain. Do you really think you can win?”
Regardless of all that, she could hear the frustration that was edging into Sumner’s voice. For the moment at least it seemed he was either unwilling – or unable, for some reason – to shift.
Maybe it’s because he can’t taunt me if he’s in his shifted form?
The thought was silly, but Zina wondered if it might be the truth. James Sumner alwayshadloved the sound of his own voice.
She couldn’t ignore the fact that the air was growing staler the farther she walked, however, which seemed to indicate she wasn’t heading toward an exit – she was going down deeper into the mine, and farther away from any kind of escape.
And Trent…
Where had he gone? Was he grappling with the Bloodhound right now? She knew he could take care of himself and that, just like her, he was a highly trained field agent. And she’d seen him prove himself time and time again while they’d been on the run together – he’d always been able to get them both out of the sticky situations they’d found themselves in.
But still, I have to find him. He might need me.
Not to mention, shehadto get Dusty and Goldie to safety. Letting them fall back into Sumner’s hands simply wasn’t an option.
But if I want to get out of here, I’ll have to get past him first,Zina thought, glancing over her shoulder.Right now, I don’t think I’m going the right way.
Within her, her antelope’s ears twitched, and it shook its head. It seemed cowed, depressed – it didnotlike being underground one little bit.
There’s nothing ahead of us but more rock,it told her mournfully.No fresh air, no open space. We must turn around.
Grimly, Zina knew she had no choice. If it had been just her, she simply would have made a charge at Sumner – throw everything into a last-ditch effort, and trust to her instincts. But with Dusty and Goldie to protect, she didn’t dare take the risk.
But I have to get past him somehow. I have no other choice.
There had to be a way. Zina simply refused to believe she wouldn’t be able to find a way out of this. She hadn’t come this far, only to let Dusty and Goldie fall back into Hargreaves’s hands now.
Crouching down, Zina called her antelope as far forward into her senses as she dared. It was still twitchy and panicky, and she knew if she let it take her over, the chances were it would simply tear off on its own, searching for the surface, doing whatever it could in its panicked state to get back to wide open spaces and fresh air. But she also needed its sensitive nose and heightened instincts, its swift reaction times and ability to move faster than the wind.
I’ll get Dusty and Goldie out of here, and then I’ll find Trent and Quicksilver. And together, we areallgetting out of here.
All she had to do was find a fork in the tunnel; all she had to do was follow her senses.
