TWENTY-TWO

Ghost Mine

“Shit, I left my phone at Jack’s.” Dumping my bag on the seat of my Jeep, searching, but finding no phone, I looked up at the old “Ghost Mine” haunted mine tour and saw several people waiting for me. Hoping Jack didn’t try to call me while I was here, I took a deep breath to shake off the last week, grabbed my bag, got out of my Jeep, and then headed toward the waiting assembly of ghost and goblins.

“Are you Ms. Stewart?” a man dressed as a ghost miner asked.

“Yes. Are you Mr. Buckley?”

“Indeed. Pleasure to meet you. Thank you for coming and touring with us today.”

“I’ve been told I’m a kid at heart, so it’s my pleasure to be here. I love a good old-fashioned haunted house to get you in the mood for Halloween.”

“We brought in the whole crew to give you the full effect and invited our families as well. One can’t get into the atmosphere of the place unless there are plenty of people screaming.”

Thinking I’d had enough screaming to last a lifetime, I smiled at the man and then pulled out my camera to take pictures of all the actors in their costumes. I had them pose in different positions, reminiscent of the old time photos. When I finished, I put my camera back in my satchel and slung it across my body, ready for the tour.

“Ok, Mr. Buckley, lead the way.”

“Excellent. Places, everyone!” he shouted, and the group of actors headed into the mine to prepare for our tour.

I perused the crowd as I waited and saw many faces I knew, so I waved at them. Several teenage girls squealed as the line moved forward, and we had just started to move when I felt a hand at my elbow and turned to see Mandy standing there.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

“Carla’s brother works here and she invited me.” I turned to the woman on her right and smiled. My attention was quickly captured by the screams already coming from the narrow tunnel of the mine.

“You’re brave coming to this after the other night,” Mandy whispered in my ear.

“Ha, not brave. It’s called a paycheck.”

Mandy chuckled, “Right,” as the line kept moving. We entered the dark tunnel, and the air became much cooler. I shivered, wishing I’d brought a jacket. There were torches on the walls, throwing enough light in our path to see our feet, but giving the creepiness factor a boost. There was a turn in the tunnel and more screams were heard; a hand reached out from the dark and grabbed my arm, and I screamed, immediately jumping back into Mandy. She laughed in my ear, and it made me groan for reacting like a quivering child.

“You get in front of me if you think it’s fun being scared.” Mandy pushed past me, and I decided I was chicken enough not to care and grabbed the back of her shirt to hold on to. I saw a green glowing light up above and searched ahead to see if I could make out what was happening. All three of us jumped when something brushed across our legs, sending chills and thrills just like the flyer for “Ghost Mine” promoted through me.

“Shit, what was I thinking coming here?!” Mandy shouted over the haunting music and deathly cries emanating from the loudspeakers.

“Beats me, but you’re not leaving me here alone!” I shouted back. Carla pressed in close behind me, and as the green light got closer, a ghost miner jumped out from nowhere, swung his pickaxe high in the air, and shouted in a dead voice, “This is my Mine. All who trespass shall die.” I giggled at the teenage boy and his serious expression when a cold blast of air hit our necks, and we jumped again, screaming.

“Jumping Jehoshaphat,” I screamed, pulling both women back with me further.

“Jumping what?” Mandy laughed.

“Whatever,” I laughed.

Looking further down the tunnel, all I could see were girls screaming and people jumping, and I braced for what might be next. Someone pushed past us, shoving people out of the way, and I figured they had the right idea. Get out quick. I really hate my job right now.

More hands, more screams, men jumping from corners, women lying on floors bleeding, it was a frightening and nerve-racking culmination of sights and sounds that had me ready to leave…. Like, right now.

“You think this is almost over?” I whispered in Mandy’s ear. Her shoulders shrugged with the unknown answer. I thought that if I kept my eyes on her back, I wouldn’t see anything and therefore make it out without peeing my ever-loving jeans, so I did just that and focused on staring at a rose tattoo on her neck. A few nerve-racking turns later, there was a commotion in front of us, and we stopped. Some woman said hysterically, “That looks real, doesn’t that look real?”

I turned to the right where she was pointing and saw a man lying in a vignette of barrels and cobwebs. The blood on the floor around him still seemed to be flowing, and I wondered how they got it to run out like that. As we pushed forward, watching, I was thinking that any minute the man would jump up and scream at us. As I passed the body, I saw movement from the corner of my eye and turned to see Gerry lunge from behind a barrel.

I stood stock-still and smiled at him. He hadn’t told me he was working here. I noticed he had fake blood on the front of his t-shirt, and I wondered why he wasn’t in costume. He was heading right for me, so I waited for him, when his hand rose from behind his back, and I saw the jagged knife he was holding. I felt my face fall a split second before my brain interpreted what was happening.

Gerry screamed, “Whore!” and quickly ran towards me.

A hand from behind me grabbed my arm, and a panicked Mandy screamed, “Run, Jennifer!”

***

“This isn’t happening,” I chanted as I ran down the tunnel, the screams of those behind me echoing around me, keeping me company. Jesus, what was happening with my friends?

Mandy had shoved me forward and screamed, “Run!” then turned towards Gerry like some sort of bodyguard. I’d turned back to get her when Gerry punched her in the face, sending her falling to her knees. Men who were near tried to stop him and I saw more than one get stabbed in the arm for his trouble. Gerry was trying to pull away when he turned his head toward me, and I felt the ice-cold fury in his face run through my blood. That’s when I knew he wouldn’t stop until he was free and had buried that knife deep in my chest. I had to save others from his wrath and avoid any more bloodshed, so I did as Mandy said: I ran, praying it would draw Gerry after me and leave those behind safe from harm.

I’d guessed correctly. I heard his feet pound the rock ground in pursuit, but I didn’t chance looking back to see how close he was. There were more people up ahead, and I screamed, “Move, hide!” but all I got in return were a few screams and giggles from girls who thought I was part of the entertainment.

“Oh, God, where’s the exit?”

I could hear him getting closer when an opening in the tunnel came up, so I darted left down an unlit corridor and slowed my pace, hand to the wall guiding me. I realized my mistake immediately, though. I should have zigged when I zagged…Left took me further into an unknown tunnel when forward would have taken me to the exit. I stopped and listened, trying to keep my breathing quiet. I plastered myself against the wall, praying I’d been far enough ahead that Gerry didn’t see my wrong turn. That’s when I heard the footfalls and knew he was coming. Without any choice, and praying someone got to the exit and phoned Jack, I kept moving forward.

***

I should have called Bailey this morning. I could have told her I loved her one last time. I can do this, I can do this. Don’t make a noise and hide when you can. Simple, really.

I kicked a rock, sending it flying across the floor, and then it went silent. Holding my hand over my mouth to keep from crying out in frustration, I listened but heard nothing. Had he turned back?

“I heard that, whore. I’ll find you, and when I do, I’ll send you to hell with all the other whores. You’re nothing like my Annie. I can’t believe I fell for your temptress ways.”

Shaking in terror and in shock that my friend, a man I considered family, was a maniac, intent on ending my life, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Inch by inch, I moved down the side of the wall, careful not to kick any more rocks.

I moved my foot an inch more to the right, and I felt the ground disappear from under it. Grabbing hold of the rough wall, I stopped myself from falling. Reaching around with my foot, I felt the ground until I found the edge of the opening, so I dropped to my knees, and crawled forward, searching for a way across. Scared I’d have to turn around, I heard footsteps coming and panicked. I was trying to stand when a light from a cell phone hit my eyes, blinding me.

Gerry roared, “Time for you to die, whore!”

Oh, God, I was trapped. He ran straight at me, and I didn’t have time to react. Petrified and without thinking, I stepped back and lost my footing just as he reached me. The ground disappeared from beneath my feet as Gerry hit me, and we both fell…. and fell.

***

“Swear to Christ the woman can’t listen to a simple request to stay in touch for more than a minute.” I was racing down the highway to the abandoned gold mine, because the one time I needed that woman to have her phone on her, I’d found it sitting on my kitchen counter. I could feel the tension of the past week riding up my neck, but I ignored it and put my phone to my ear and called the station.

“Sheriff’s Department.”

“Amy, call Grady and the boys and tell them I’m headed to the old gold mine haunted house. I’ll be out of range soon, so if they need me, they'll know where to find me. I’ll call in as soon as I’m done and let you know where I’m headed.

“Will do, Sheriff.”

I threw my phone on the seat and thought back over what Ben had said. Christ. Jenn had sat there with that bastard, talking about the killer, and he’d played along, never giving anything away. I punched the steering wheel with my palm, wishing I had Gerry’s neck between my hands. He’d murdered four women in his demented approach at winning Jenn’s love. How a man’s mind could turn that sick was beyond me, but I’d seen enough in my twenty years as a cop to know that, as sick as he was, there were more out there just like him, some of them maybe even worse.

My phone started ringing, and I looked at the screen. An unknown number scrolled across, so I picked it up, thinking Jenn had borrowed someone's phone and was finally calling in.

“Jac…hel…Ja…r you there?” I heard what sounded like Mandy coming broken across the line and then it went dead. Prickling ran across my spine, and I hit redial and listened to the phone ring on the other end.

“Jack, are you there?”

“I hear you Mandy, just barely.”

“Old gold mine…. Gerry…. knife.” And the line went dead again. I felt a cold sweat break out across my forehead and didn’t want to think about what it meant that Mandy was calling instead of Jenn. I pushed the accelerator to the floor, grabbed the CB and prayed I wasn’t out of range.

“Base, this is Gunnison, come in.”

“Base, this is Sheriff Gunnison, come in.” The CB crackled to life, and a faint voice came across the wire.

“Base to Gunnison, we hear you, Jack.”

“Find Grady and the boys, and get them out to the old mine haunted house. Repeat, the old mine haunted house. You copy that?”

“We copy that, Sheriff. Contacting now.”

I dropped the handheld and drove faster. Within five minutes, I saw the sign for the old mine coming up on my right. I took it too fast and fishtailed, straightened out, and gunned the gas. The road was bumpy, and the contents of my cab went flying as I raced towards the mine. As I neared the entrance, I saw a large group of people standing around and others sitting or lying down on the ground.

Mandy ran towards my truck, while I scanned the crowd, looking for Jenn. I threw the truck in park and jumped out of the cab as Mandy reached me, screaming:

“Gerry’s the killer, he’s in the mine with Jenn! He chased her down an unmarked path and neither has come out.”

My breath caught on her words, but I quickly shook it off, grabbed her arm, and pulled her with me as I moved towards the entrance.

“Someone needs to show me where they disappeared.” A man in his forties moved forward, so I stopped and looked toward him.

“You know the way?”

“Yeah, I saw her turn down the passage, and he followed her. We have two men at the entrance in case he comes out.”

“You didn’t go in after her?” I thundered and grabbed the man by his shirt.

“You let a defenseless woman be chased down by a man wielding a knife?” I hissed, and the bastard had the decency to go pale. I grabbed his arm and hauled him with me to the entrance, then shoved him in and on a shout threatened, “You haul your ass down this tunnel to where she disappeared like your life depended on it, ‘cause if any harm has come to her, I will personally rip you in half.”

He didn’t hesitate; he turned and started running. I pulled out my flashlight and gun, then followed close on his heels. After a few minutes of running, we came up on what looked like a body on the ground, and I hesitated, afraid it was Jenn.

“He’s dead. We checked him already but didn’t want to move him.”

I shoved him forward, and we picked up the pace. I had my gun drawn, ready for anything, praying that we’d round a curve, and I’d find that bastard standing in front of me so I could empty my magazine into him.

Within a few minutes, we came upon two men who were standing at the entrance to a dark tunnel, holding metal pipes in their hands. I tamped down the disgust I felt, knowing Jenn was down there fighting for her life, and these so-called men just stood there and did nothing. I recognized both of them, but didn’t have time to shove my boot up their asses for being less than men.

“How long have they been gone?”

“Forty minutes, hour tops,” one said. Without another word, I turned with my gun and flashlight held high, sweeping back and forth as I quickly made my way down the corridor, praying I wasn’t too late.

***

No sign of struggle anywhere, so I kept moving. Knowing Gerry would see me before I could see him, I kept my finger on the trigger instead of the safety position, ready to fire if I saw the whites of his eyes.

Still nothing. Where the hell are they?

Something dark opened up before me; it was a sinkhole in the floor of the tunnel. I scanned for a way around it and saw none. How had Jenn gotten around this in the dark? Jesus. Fear hit me, and I ran to the edge and pointed my light down. Twenty feet down, I saw Jenn lying unconscious, not moving.

I shouted, “Jenn!” and dropped to my knees to get a closer look. There was a foot near her head, so I pointed my light over and saw Gerry, knife embedded in his chest, no movement, just stone cold dead. I shone my light back on Jenn and watched for movement. I was holding my breath, paralyzed, thinking she was dead, but then I noticed her chest rise and fall.

“Jenn, can you hear me?” Nothing.

“Baby, open your eyes,” I pleaded. Nothing. I watched her, trying to decide how to get her out. No phone would work in here, and it was too deep for me to reach her and carry her out. I needed the fire department, and I needed them now. With one last look to assure myself she was breathing, I knew I had to run back the way I came and get help. Then I’d come back, climb down in that pit and hold her until help arrived.

***

I reached the end of the tunnel, running faster than I had in years, to find none of the men waiting for me. Too worried to give it a second thought, I followed the lights down to the exit and walked out into the light. My eyes were trying to adjust, so I pulled my sunglasses on to see, and was headed toward my truck when one of the men from the tunnel came into my view. Without even thinking I grabbed his shirt, shoved him back, and punched him in the jaw.

“You left her to die!” I thundered at the three of them, my worry for Jenn multiplying ten-fold the longer I was away from her. With no time to spare, I turned my back on them and ran to my truck.

Screw the mayor. He wants my badge, he can have it. All those men deserved that and more. I didn’t have time for this shit. I needed to get Jenn help and I needed it now, so I moved to my truck, opened the door and grabbed my cell.

No. Fucking. Bars.

I grabbed my CB and, with a prayer to God, turned it on.

“Base, come in.”

“Base, this is Gunnison, come in.”

Nothing.

I was ready to shoot every man who was standing there out of frustration, when I heard a faint crackle.

“Sheriff?”

“Base, do you read me?” No reply.

“Base, if you read me, I need Fire Rescue to the mine. I’ve got an injured woman in a twenty-foot hole, and a dead body to retrieve. Over.”

I waited, and then, as if my prayer had been answered, I heard, “Affirmative. Fire Rescue on the way, Jack. Over.”

“Thank, Christ.” I turned to the back of my truck, opened the tool chest and pulled out my rappelling gear, first aid kit, and more flashlights. I heard vehicles approach and looked up to see Grady, Barry, and Phil pull in, so I moved to them quickly and brought them up to speed. Barry grabbed his rope and started heading to the entrance.

I turned to Grady and Phil, and with a quiet calm I didn’t’ feel, ordered, “Check these people for injuries, and then get them out of here. Mandy can stay, but the rest, especially the men, I want them gone. Secure the crime scene in the tunnel and have Mandy direct Fire Rescue to the tunnel entrance when they arrive.”

Both nodded, and with one last look at them, I turned my back and headed to the entrance, praying to God I wasn’t too late.