Subterranean

"What the-" Michaelson began.



"Hush," she said to him. "I'm gonna try to make him understand. This may be our last chance to win an ally." She turned Michaelson so he faced her. Then she craned her head toward Tru'gula. She pointed to the Major. "Mo'amba." She again grabbed Michaelson's shoulders and repeated, "Mo'amba."



Then she took a step back and pointed to herself. "Sin'jari." She pantomimed his mincing gait and pointed to herself again. "Sin'jari."



Tru'gula just stared blankly at her.



Ashley rolled her eyes but proceeded to imitate Sin'jari. Stepping in front of Michaelson, she pretended to remove a knife from an imaginary scabbard, then pantomimed plunging the knife into Michaelson's chest twice. Then she stepped back and fingered her chest. "Sin'jari!" she said fiercely.



Tru'gula's eyes narrowed, his wounded face tightening with rage.



Ashley stepped away. Did he understand? If he did, did he believe her? She had just accused one of his fellow elders.



"Sin'jari," Tru'gula hissed. "Sin'jari!" He stepped toward Ashley.



She resisted the urge to step away, knowing instinctively that she needed to stand her ground, to proclaim the truth. She stared him in the eyes, never flinching, as he stopped toe-to-toe with her.



He stared for what seemed like several minutes, then spoke, obviously struggling with his words. He pointed to his head. "Mo'amba… wise." He grabbed Ashley's shoulder. "Mo'amba… trust… you."



She nodded, encouraging him.



"Harry's obviously been working with him," Michaelson mumbled.



The leader of the hunters turned to the Major. "Blood brother." He clenched his arms around his chest. "Trust." He then turned back to Ashley. "Tru'gula… Tru'gula… trust… you."



Did she hear right? Understand correctly? He believed her! In her relief, she reached over and hugged Tru'gula, tears coming to her eyes.



Tru'gula broke free of her embrace. "Dan… ger. Here. Go! Now!" Tru'gula tried to tug her toward the entrance.



"Wait." She resisted, pulling her arm free of his grip. "If you trust us, then you could tell the others. There's no need to run."



He just stared back at her in confusion. He didn't understand. He glanced at the doorway, then back at her. He sighed in frustration. "Tru'gula… trust you." He waved as if to encompass the entire village around them. "No trust."



Ashley realized he meant to help them escape from here. To run from her accusers. He didn't believe her innocence would be accepted by his people. The villagers were too suspicious of the strangers.



"Go. Now." Tru'gula repeated.



Ashley stood still. "No."



Michaelson stepped next to her. "I think we'd better accept his help."



"If I run, it'll be as good as admitting my guilt. I can't leave these people thinking we're just cold-blooded murderers."



"But Ashley. The risk."



She shook her head. "You mentioned a plan earlier. A way to prove my innocence. I thought it was a pipe dream. But with Tru'gula's help it might work."



"Might? Those are long odds when you're gambling with all our lives."



She stared him in the eyes. "I have to try."



Linda's legs felt heavy. She stumbled after Khalid, on autopilot, one leg following the other. She stared at Khalid's back as he weaved his way toward the distant elevator. She knew she should hate him, despise him.



But she was numb.



She had failed Jason. She had promised him she'd be back. She pictured his eyes as she bound him to the column. He had known he was going to die. Somehow she should have been able to stop it, but her fear had broken her. Fear of Khalid. Fear of death. Through her own inaction, she had sealed his fate.



A single tear rolled down her cheek.



Fear had always ruled her life. Whether it was her cloying claustrophobia or some other anxiety, fear had been her constant companion. Finally, her crippling weakness had resulted in the death of a boy.



With Jason's death, her fear was vanquished. Now all she had left was her guilt.



Khalid had stopped ahead. "Listen. Do you hear something?"



Linda heard nothing. She didn't answer him, finding words too difficult to form.



Khalid pointed. "There!"



Linda looked to where he pointed. Across the length of a football field, spotlights still speared the darkness above, highlighting the towering elevator shaft. Something moved up there. It was an elevator cage, descending toward the floor. Someone was coming.



As she watched, she could make out rifles and other weapons bristling through the bars of the cage, like some armed porcupine. Reinforcements were arriving.



Khalid's eyes narrowed to black slits. "So damn close. Just a few more minutes."



Linda allowed a smile to come to her lips, enjoying Khalid's consternation. "I guess you're not leaving that way."



Khalid glared at her, slipped out of his backpack, and began rummaging through it. He removed a transmitter from his pack. It was different from the one that controlled the bombs she had helped set.



"What're you doing?"



"Get down." He raised the transmitter and pressed the button. A green light flashed on the device. Khalid grabbed her in his arms and leaped behind a partially collapsed building. An explosion rocketed from ahead of them, blowing debris and smoke their way.



After the worst of the smoke billowed past them, Khalid climbed off of her and checked his handiwork. She followed to see what he had done.



A smoldering crater now existed where the supports for the elevator had stood. She stared up. Only one spotlight was still intact, illuminating the ghastly scene. In slow motion, she saw the remainder of the tower start to collapse. The cage hurtled toward the cavern floor, uncontrolled. Even with her ears echoing with the blast, she could hear the screaming.



She swung back behind the damaged wall, closing her eyes. For what seemed like years, she waited. Then she heard it. The booming crash as the cage hit the floor. She listened. The screaming had stopped.



Khalid stepped next to her. He lit a cigarette, his hand trembling slightly. "I'm glad I set those explosives the night before the team set out. I knew from the start this mission might end this way. But I thought with planning…" He shrugged.



"What are we going to do now? We can't leave."



He puffed a cloud of smoke toward the distant roof. "I must try to contact my superiors, apprise them of the situation. We can try Blakely's communications center. See if I can raise anyone."



"Then what?"



He shrugged. "Then we die."



THIRTY-SIX



THAT BLOODY SIN'JARI! IT ALL CAME BACK IN A FLOOD. Ben pushed himself up, wincing. The back of his head throbbed with every movement. The echoes of the explosion that jarred him back to consciousness still reverberated across the cavern.



Groaning, Ben stood shakily. He peered back toward the distant glowing base. What happened? But he knew the answer: Khalid.



Should he head back to the base? Harry and the others could be in trouble. Fingering the tender spot at the back of his head, he glanced at his watch. Time was running out. He had been knocked out for almost an hour. He needed to get to Ashley. Free her.



First, though, he had to know what was going on. He sat on the floor of the cave and closed his eyes, letting his mind drift. He pictured Nob'cobi and called to him.



The answer was almost immediate. Nob'cobi's image coalesced out of the darkness. His facial whiskers were burned.



"What happened?" Ben said. "Is Jason okay?"



Nob'cobi nodded, out of breath. "Cage thing destroyed. Harry and my brother went to look for your enemy, to try to stop him. I took the boy and woman to the office place. They're safe. I'll guard them. Harry says you must hurry."



"I know."



"Bring help!"



Ben broke contact and pushed to his feet. He needed to get that statue back before… Bloody hell! He realized something was missing. His rifle still lay on the floor where he had dropped it. He patted his back and searched the tiny chamber. His pack was gone. And so was the statue it contained.



Sin'jari!



The bastard hadn't finished him off because he'd found what he needed to thwart the mission. Without the statue, Ashley would die.



Sneaky little bugger. Ben stared around the chamber, his eye settling on the aluminum transport sled with the diamond axle. He grabbed a knife from his belt and sliced the train of plastic sleds still attached to the gas-powered sled. Maybe…?



Ashley could tell Tru'gula was perturbed by her demands, but he had finally acquiesced and agreed to bring her and Michaelson to umbo's chamber. To reach the chamber, Tru'gula had to elbow the other hunters out of his way, several of whom gave their leader a look as if he had gone mad. He managed through bullying and what sounded like threats to gain them access.



Michaelson paced the room, eyeing the male statue of umbo with a mild look of distaste on his features. "It's only a guess," he said. "I don't like that you're putting your life in jeopardy based on my supposition."



"Your reasoning's sound. Sin'jari will surely try to make it back to the village through here. We just need to wait for him. Confront him."



"What if he's already back?"



She sighed. "I don't think he is. He would've made himself known. His voice would be raised loudly against us by now." Ashley glanced around the small chamber. It seemed crowded with the six mimi'swee guards and Tru'gula. Other hunters guarded the way here, but eventually word would spread and others would come and investigate. She just hoped they could capture Sin'jari before a circus erupted. A crowd could get ugly before she could prove her innocence.



As if confirming her thoughts, a commotion could be heard brewing out in the tunnel. Voices were raised. Suddenly an explosion of bodies burst into the chamber. Several figures, still wrestling, rolled into the room.