Ahead the tunnel split, halting her forward movement.This wasn’t right. There were supposed to be three. She blinked, not comprehending.
A bark came from the left tunnel. She shook her head as her brain cleared itself of old memories. Dog. She was here in Arizona looking for the dog. Grasping onto that thought with her mind, she moved closer to the entrance of the left tunnel.It felt wrong. She wanted to go right. Right was where the hole to the cavern was that only she could fit through.
No! This wasnotAfghanistan. Dog was in the left tunnel. “Come on O’Hare, hold it together.” The sound of her voice helped her stay focused. “Dog, are you down there?”
A small woof floated up the tunnel followed by scratching and a whine. Was he hurt? “I’m coming. Don’t move from there. Wait for me.”
She started forward again keeping the light on the ground. Staying between the rails was easier now as less rot had occurred and the wood cross-ties made a fairly clear walkway. “I’m coming. Where are you?”
She lifted the light to peer down the infinite darkness, movement at the very end of her beam catching her attention. She hurried forward, focused on the rump and tail of Dog. As she drew closer, she moved faster.
“Shit.” Two fallen beams had left a small hole big enough for a rabbit to burrow through, but too small for Dog’s hip bones, or she hoped it was too small. Dirt littered the ground around Dog as he wiggled to get through.
Dropping to her knees, she grabbed him with one arm, but as she pulled him back, he tried to get away, causing the beams to shift. Dropping her phone, she wrapped her other arm around him and pulled him back. The top beam slammed down on the one below it, closing off the hole.
Dog squirmed in her arms, but she held on until he licked at her face.
“Ugh, stop that. Gross.” She let go one arm and wiped her face with the towel.
Dog barked.
“Ow, I’m right here.” Grabbing her phone, she turned the light toward dog. He was dirty, but didn’t appear to have any scratches. “The rabbit’s gone home. You ready to get the hell out of here?”
Dog wiggled in her grasp, and she released him. He immediately turned back to the beams and sniffed.
“See, I told you. It’s gone. Now let’s go home.”
Dog pawed at the wood.
“Oh, no. You are not digging under there. Come on.” Bending over, she scooped him up again and headed for the exit. Even with her phone light on, she couldn’t see it. Her heart thudded as her memories threatened to play with her head.
She grasped dog tighter. “We’re in this together.” Last time she was alone. Now, she had Dog and an open exit. She just needed to get back to it. “Okay, you weren’t that far down here. It’s probably only a quarter mile at best. Stay with me here.”
She was only talking to keep her own sanity. “There are plenty of other rabbits out in the desert for you to chase, and I’m sure when Whisper comes home, she’ll introduce you to all of them. Though I doubt she’d be happy if you decided to bring one home less than alive. She’s very particular about her wildlife. No, you don’t qualify as wildlife.”
Part of her was glad no one else could hear her. “I may be insane talking to you, but it’s better than going bat-shit-crazy in this crappy mine. As soon as we get back, I’m making it a priority to board this hellhole up.”
As they exited the rabbit tunnel where it connected to the main one, she halted. Now it looked like two tunnels, one to the right and one to the left. She turned the light back toward the ground to see if she could see her footsteps. She wasn’t sure, but it looked like a possible print to her right. Removing the towel from her neck, she walked back the way she came, searching for an outcropping in the rock. Finally finding one, she hung the towel on it. “There. Now if I choose the wrong direction, I’ll know this was the tunnel where you went down the rabbit hole.”
Moving back to the intersection, she turned the light beam to the ground. The last thing she needed was to twist an ankle on her way out. She was almost there. She had to be.
“Riley, you in there?” The loud voice sent dirt skittering down the walls.
Her heart jumped in her chest. “Shhhhh.” Great. Now she had to deal with Garrett, too. How had he found her, and why wasn’t he at the ranch with Wyatt?
“Riley?” More dirt hit the ground.
She snapped. “Will you be quiet! Can’t you see this mine is unstable.” At her words, a fallen timber ahead of her shifted from where it leaned against the wall and fell, slamming onto the rails, the force vibrating the ground beneath her feet.
Fuck! She started to run, no longer caring about being Army. She wanted out!
Footsteps coming toward her made her stop.They found her! She spun to run back the way she came.
“Riley.” Garrett’s quiet voice, stopped her.
She turned back to see a light like her own. What was she doing? This was Arizona. Grasping Dog close, she started toward the exit again. Light meant escape.
It took her a few moments to understand the light was from Garrett’s phone, but it didn’t matter. He’d come from outside. She had to get outside.
