If I can get enough distance between us, then I can start looking for a way out,Zina thought. She thought the air might be getting fresher already – a sure sign that there had to be an exit around here.
It was likely that Sumner had brought some more goons with him as well – there’d been quite a few of them back in Adelaide, after all, and with the Bloodhound when they’d tracked them to the motel. But Zina decided she’d just have to deal with that when it happened.
One problem at a time! Right now, I’m in a mining cart, and I have to get two baby dragons to safety, and find Trent and Quicksilver and get them out of here, too. I think that’s enough on my plate for the moment! At least I’m getting a bit of distance from Sumner…
Or so shethought,until another gunshot rang out, and she heard the bulletping!off the side of the cart.
How is he still in range?!Zina thought, risking a quick peep over the lip of the cart.
Oh, shit…hefound a cart too?!
It seemed to be true – because there was Sumner, riding in his own mining cart, speeding down the tracks toward her.
It must have been down the forked path he’d been going down, Zina thought as she crouched low in her own cart, still making sure to protect Goldie and Dusty with her body – not that the dragons seemed at all aware of their predicament. They chattered at her,chirrupingandcheeping as if they were on a fairground ride, which, in their minds, they probably were.
Zina, however, was all too aware of their problems.
Sumner was gaining on them – her cart was already beginning to run out of momentum, whereas his was still going strong.Andhe had a gun, and he clearly wasn’t afraid to use it. Another couple of shots rang out, and Zina curled herself even lower into the cart.
“Zina! Stop being so ridiculous! I’ve already won!”
Not yet you haven’t,Zina thought grimly, as, reaching down into the corner of her cart, she picked up a couple of good-sized rocks that had collected there. Turning and putting her head up over the side of the cart as much as she dared, she hurled them with all her strength at Sumner’s head, where it was just barely visible in the darkness of the mine.
“Argh!”
She must have hit him, if his outraged shout was anything to go by, but not hard enough to do much damage, since he fired the gun again in what was clearly a petulant rage a moment later.
No matter what, however, Zina knew she couldn’t defeat the laws of physics, and her cart was beginning to slow. She turned her head, looking around wildly – but the only thing she could see in her future was more bad news, in the form of some collapsed rubble that was covering half the track.
In just a few moments, her cart would hit it, and come unstuck from the track – or at the very least, she wouldn’t be able to go any farther.
The only thing I can do is brace myself –
There was a bone-crunching jolt as the cart, still going at a good speed despite having slowed down somewhat, crashed into the pile of rocks and rubble that blocked its path. Zina heard the agonized screech of metal as one of its fitted wheels tore loose from the tracks, and then the whole cart overturned, falling onto its side on the floor. Zina wrapped herself around Dusty and Goldie, clutching them close to her chest as she crawled out of the cart, choking, hacking and sputtering on the dust that had been thrown up by the collision.
I have to run. I have to get up and run –
“Zina!”
She looked up, still disoriented, wondering if she might have hit her head and started hallucinating.
That sounded just like Trent – but… I guess it’s just my wishful thinking –
“Zina, quickly, get up!”
If it was a hallucination, it was a reallygoodone, because now Zina could feel large, warm hands pulling her to her feet – hands she knew well, hands that left a tingling sensation on her skin everywhere they touched her…
“Trent?!”
Finally, her mind snapped back to reality. She stared, not sure she should trust her own eyes – but it reallywasTrent, standing before her, his hands on her shoulders, supporting her against him.
“How – how did you find me?” she asked, as Trent began pulling at her, urging her to movement.
“I just followed my nose – by which I mean my instincts,” Trent said, his face uncharacteristically grim. “But come on – I’ll explain later. For now, let’s get out of here –”
“Not so fast, either of you!”
Zina froze as Sumner’s voice rang out, echoing through the close space of the tunnel.Hiscart, unlike Zina’s, was coasting to a relatively sedate stop – though it only took Zina a moment to figure out why: his hand was resting on the lever of a brake built onto the side of his cart, a feature that hers hadn’t had.
