Chills raced up and down his spine, flying clear to his fingertips and toes. Yep, he was so done. Game over. He should have told Angélica he loved her before she ran off to get help.
To get help… Oh, God! She was coming back with help! No! They needed to stay away.
His focus centered on the tunnel. Somehow he needed to get these four bastards to go back to where they came from. If he could just make it past them without tripping or getting snagged by one of their wing talons, he could rush headlong into the tunnel and they’d follow him.
But how far could he go before they caught him? And what if the tunnel was full of more huge bats? An army full?
Damn it, he had to do something before Angélica came back with Pedro and Bronko.
The whistling he’d heard earlier returned, coming down through the hole overhead. This time several notes played out, making rippling, melodic music.
The bats all looked up toward the sound. The one on the altar stone chittered.
The biggest of the four let out several high-pitched chirps, and then its wings extended. A great, fluttering and flapping commotion filled the chamber. As Quint huddled low, the four bats flew by him, screeching and chirping as they arrowed up and out of the chamber.
Quint stared after them, listening as their calls grew quieter.
They were leaving, heading outside.
Angélica!
“I think we have enough,” Angélica said, dragging one more long vine over to the pile that Bronko and Pedro had collected. “If we use a few of these at once, maybe make a loose braid, it shouldbe strong enough to pull Quint out.”
Pedro slid his machete back into its sheath. “What are the chances of the floor caving in like that?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe when the wall shifted open, it caused something to fracture underneath.” She turned to Bronko, who was coiling the vines for ease in carrying. “Pedro said he gave you Quint’s machete.”
Bronko nodded. “It’s over next to the steps. I wanted it easy to grab if we had to rush in to help.”
“Okay. I’ll take it with us when we—”
A series of screeches and squeaks rang out from the bat-house.
She turned, shining her flashlight beam at the opening. “Did you guys hear …”
A creature that looked like a mix between a German shepherd and a bat flap-hopped out of the ruin, pausing at the top of the steps to look around.
Quint stacked the stones from the upper tunnel’s floor that had given way under him. How he’d managed not to get hurt in the fall was a wonder, but if he could pile the stones high enough, maybe he could climb up onto them and …
What?
He might be able to jump from there and grab onto the edge of the hole.
Then what?
He could try to pull himself up through the floor.
Or just dangle like a big meaty piece of bait.
If only he had some rope.
To tie to what, though?
He had to at least try to get topside again before those huge bats came back. His only other option was to go through the tunnel where the bats had spawned, and who knew what other freaky fiends with long, pointy teeth were waiting for him inXibalbaland.
All the better to eat you with, my dear.
Shuddering at the idea of meeting one of those bats in the dark,he glanced over at the tunnel opening and listened yet again for signs of more hair-raising visitors.
