As she shoved more dirt out of the way, silence greeted her. “Hey, you’re supposed to be talking.”
“I asked you a question.”
“Ask again. I was concentrating.” Obviously not on what he was saying. Getting out was more important.
“I asked you where you’re from. Where’s home?”
“I don’t have one. I’m the only one in my family who’s left, so wherever I lay down at night is home.” And it was far better that way. No guilt. No responsibility. Except Domino.Go home, Domino. Don’t starve on my account. I’m not worth it.
“I’m sorry. Was it just you and your parents?”
She shoved the next batch of dirt hard. “I thought you were the one talking.”
“You really don’t like talking about yourself, do you?”
“Is it that obvious?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm, but she didn’t care. Her past sucked, and she didn’t need to talk about it, no matter what the Army shrink said. Her present wasn’t so great at the moment either, and she had no future plans.
“Blatantly. So Dog, what can you tell me about Riley. She doesn’t want to hold up her end of the conversation.”
Despite how ridiculous it was, she found herself listening as if Dog would tell him something.
“Really? Now that I didn’t expect.”
She stabbed the dirt hard. He was making shit up. The dog couldn’t tell him anything. The dark must be getting to him. The first time she’d been buried, the darkness didn’t matter because she was happy to have the Taliban offensive on one side of the closed cave and herself on the other.
“Very interesting. I’ll be sure to remember that.”
She pulled back and shoved the dirt to the side again.Her mother was so fucked up. She’d never survive the darkness.“Have you gone completely nuts on me. You’re no help if you go crazy. You’re just an added burden. I can’t hold us together if you can’t even function.” She leaned far forward and stabbed the ground hard.
The voice that came out of the dark was soft. “I’m doing my best.”
“Well, your best isn’t good enough. Go get help. Go to AA or something. You need to be there for Carly. I don’t know when I’ll be deployed again.”
“Riley.”
She stamped down the small tunnel she made with her hands. “Don’t Riley me. I’m not the one who’s an emotional mess, you are. You need to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and save your daughter.”
“Riley!”
“What?” She pulled back lifting her spike in the air, ready to strike.
“Who are you talking to?”
She blinked. That was Garrett. What the hell? She’d been talking to her mother. Shit, it was just like in Afghanistan, but that was after days of being alone in the dark. She’d only been in here a couple hours and not alone. She needed to get out.
She ignored Garrett’s question and went back to digging. Stab, wiggle, tug, and shove. Stab, wiggle, tug and shove. She repeated the words in her head with each motion. Though the silence continued, she wouldn’t ask him to talk. She just needed to get out.
Stab, wiggle, tug and shove. Pat it all down. Is that where patty cake came from? What was a patty cake?Any cake would taste good right about now. She was low on supplies and if she didn’t see daylight soon, she’d starve to death. Even if it was nighttime, she’d know. She’d feel air movement, maybe even see the stars. The stars were so clear here. It had surprised her when she first arrived to see such beauty in such a war-torn country.
Pull back, pat down. Ignore the numb fingertips. Progress was paramount. Escape was necessary for survival. Whatever it took to survive. The beetles, the snake, the poor bird stuck in with her. She had to survive. Had to tell her superiors of the ambush, of her men shot down for no reason. No, there was a reason. They were Americans. They had a vehicle and that was reason enough.
What the hell were they doing over here. They all should go home. Not in body bags. She had to stay alive to tell their tale. She had to dig. Dig faster. Survive long enough to get out. Pat it down. Pull it out. Move forward. Get out. Get—No!
The swooshing sound of the collapse was not enough warning.
She spit out dirt, trying to breathe, the weight on her back pinning her down. The dirt suffocating her, covering her body. She couldn’t move. Survive! Survive!
Chapter Seven
