by Billy Kring
“I guess so.”
Hunter touched his shoulder, “Before we go in there, I want to tell you something.”
He told Mike about finding Vincent’s skeleton in the mine, and the message Vincent left. He also handed him the skeleton’s finger. “That’ll be DNA proof.”
Mike held it a moment, then put it in his pocket. “I’ll protect Adan.”
“He’s your nephew. I hope you do.”
They went deeper into the cave, stopping where it forked. Hunter couldn’t find any tracks in either tunnel on the rock floor.
“We’ve got to split up.”
“Okay. I’ll go down the right. You okay with that?”
Mike nodded and took the left tunnel, soon disappearing in the dark as the light on his phone faded.
Hunter took the right tunnel at a fast jog, until the floor and walls roughened, then she slowed to keep from breaking an ankle.
Ten minutes later, she saw a pile of rubble by the right-hand wall. Slowing to look at the pile of stones showed the wall where the stones came from. A mine entrance had been dug into the cave. When she spotted the portion of a footprint, Hunter didn’t hesitate and entered the mine.
A bullet smashed into the wall by her face and sprayed her with stinging fragments. The report echoed down the mine and cave as it reverberated several times before fading.
Ellis called out from the mine, “I won’t miss again! Go back!”
“Let me have Adan, and I will!”
“He’s my insurance.”
“He’s slowing you down. You know you can’t get out of here.”
“Don’t count on it.”
“We have people in the entrance, and more coming.”
Ellis was silent for a moment, then said, “Screw you.”
Just as Mike came up behind her, Hunter charged into the mine. He followed close on her heels as she used her phone for light.
A shot whizzed down the mine toward them, but missed.
Hunter made several sharp zigzags. She spotted Ellis standing near a bucket-sized growth of bright red cinnabar crystals, the crystals level with his head and half-hiding him. Adan crouched on the floor, hands over his ears. She raced toward Ellis, sprinting at her top speed.
Ellis kicked Adan forward so he hit on his stomach. He hid his head behind the crystals, then took a quick peek.
Hunter shot on the run.
The heavy .45 bullet smashed into the red crystals and exploded them like a small bomb.
Ellis yelled and clutched at his face as Mike raced by Hunter to Adan, catching him under the arms to jerk him from Ellis and spinning them both against the far wall, out of the line of fire.
Hunter stood with the pistol down at her side and said, “Ellis, drop your pistol.” She shined her phone flashlight on his face from twenty feet. He looked like a bizarre science fiction monster, with red crystals embedded in his face, reflecting crimson light the color of blood. Running down his face between the crystals was real blood, flowing in rivulets to his neck.
When he turned his face to her, she gave a start, for his eyes were filled with cinnabar crystals. Ellis was blind.
She said again, “Drop it.”
He made an animal-like scream and brought his pistol up toward her. Hunter almost fired as Mike leapt at Ellis, striking him in the head with a rock the size of a softball. The two men went down in a tangled heap.
Hunter walked to them, as did Adan. He helped Mike to his feet, and all of them looked down at Ellis. She checked for a pulse, but there was none. She rose and said, “Let’s get out of here. We can tell the Deputy outside. I’m getting claustrophobic in here.”
They walked out together, and saw Winston in handcuffs, flanked by Raymond and Norma. Carlo Diaz, the deputy was there and they told him the story, all of it. He recorded a lot of it before saying, “Why don’t all of you come by the office tomorrow and we can get it down pat.”
Norma stood beside Hunter, and Raymond walked out with Carlo and Winston. Mike and Adan were the last to leave the home. He said, “It’s going to take a bit of getting used to, but I would like for you to stay with me.”
“Here?”
“Not here. I don’t really like this place. I have a place in Alpine, up on the hill. You want to do that?”
“I would like it very much.”
“Okay, then. Let’s get out of here.”
Adan said, “May I call you Uncle Mike?”
Mike Hart’s eyes glistened as he said, “You bet.”
Hunter watched them leave as Norma stood beside her and said, “I could use a drink after that, how about you? Lynne’s game, too.”
Hunter put her arm over Norma’s shoulders, “I’m buying.”
Carlo said, “Nope, I’ve got this one.”
Norma said, “That’ll get you a dance with me. Maybe two or three.”
Raymond asked Hunter as they walked from the mansion, “What do you think will happen now?”
“With Adan?”
“Yeah.”
“I think he’ll be fine. So will Mike Hart.”
“You okay?”
Hunter was silent for a moment as her mind replayed images of Dario’s smiling face. She wiped her eyes and said, “I will be. Give me a little time.”
-The End-
