“Too bad there’s no old shovel or pick ax in here.” He continued to sweep the room, even shining the light on the ceiling.
Another flash hit her and she crouched again. “What is that?” Irritation flooded her at her involuntary actions.
He moved his gaze to her. “What is what?”
“Those flashes? Your light is reflecting off something.”
“I think it’s a mineral in the stone.”
“Well, stop it.”
He walked over to her. “Do the flashes bring back memories?”
She nodded, hating to admit that she couldn’t control her own body. She could almost see her father laughing at her.
“Then let’s get out of here. I’ll grab some spikes and we can see how they work.”
She rose slowly, thankful he didn’t comment on her weird reactions.
He picked through the stack as he judged each one for its strength and ability to move through dirt. She moved out of the small space, not comfortable with how tight the quarters were with two people in it, though it could make the perfect spot for a bathroom.
The cave she’d been buried in outside Chora had wide tunnels and high vaulted ceilings. The mine tunnels were barely five feet across, and the ceiling in some places was only high enough if she walked in the middle, the rock walls forming an arch.
She shivered, thankful for Dog’s little body warmth. Everything about the space was cold, harsh, and unforgiving. Even in the light, it was nothing but greys and whites with a few brown lines through it to break up the monotony. At least the cave had been all hues of brown, or as they used to call the scenery then, a whole lot of “blah.” Right now, she’d take blah over the mausoleum they were in.
Garrett stepped back into the narrow tunnel just in front of her. “Okay, let’s head back to the entrance and see what damage we can do. According to my phone, we still have a good half a days’ work we can get in.” He started forward, his stride like that of most cowboys set on a particular task.
The irony of his words hit her sideways. “Yes. We want to finish up our work before dinner’s ready. Then we can see what’s on television or stream a movie.”
He halted, and she barely stopped herself from running into him. As it was, she lost her balance and stumbled back a step.
He turned and held up the spikes in his hand. “And if we’re lucky, these will make that possible. Don’t assume the worst.”
She lowered her brows and stared at him. Where the hell did his optimism come from? Did he not understand that they were buried alive with no one to know they were missing for days? Sure, they could last that long, if, and it was a huge “if,” the cave-in could be cleared without the rest of the tunnels imploding. Had he noticed the cracks in the walls and the layers of loose rock in between what looked like solid rock?
“What?”
“Nothing.” She shrugged her shoulders. “If we’re going to do this, we should do it now, while we’re healthy.”
He nodded before turning around and striding forward. “I don’t plan on getting sick anytime soon, but you’re right. While we have the energy, we need to get as much done as possible.”
She followed him in silence until they arrived at the sight of the cave-in.
“Here, hold this.” He handed her his phone and two spikes.
She set Dog on the ground. “Once you get into position, I’m turning off the light.”
He frowned at her. “How am I supposed to see what I’m doing?”
“You’re not. The dirt will follow gravity. It’s more important to save the light for when you need it.” She looked at the phone’s battery life. “You only have about twenty-five percent battery left. You need to use it wisely.”
He didn’t move. “Why do I have the feeling you’ve done this before?”
Because I have.“Just start digging. If you’re lucky, light from outside will let you know when you’re close.”
“I hope that’s sooner rather than later.”
She did too. The opening was much smaller than her cave, but that could mean that the earth would be more compacted and harder to get through. Then again, since it wasn’t sandy, maybe that would help them and it wouldn’t refill in again.
