by Jay Harez
“What do you think he’ll do?” DeMarco asked.
“No tellin,” Santi said. “No tellin.”
Lloyd Jr. and the rest of the party reached Pirogue and the others. The generators were up and running and the mine was lit up like New Orleans during Mardi Gras.
Salt mine tunnels are at least eighteen feet high and almost sixty feet wide in a ‘bedded’ mine like this one. They had to be that large to allow the massive trucks to move the mineral in quantity. The total excavated and empty square footage of a mine was seldom calculated but the tunnels could go for miles in any direction.
“Okay College, it’s your show,” Tyonne said without preamble.
Pirogue held a nylon bandolier with two large white circles positioned opposite each other on the loop. He then put one arm through and draped it over the opposite shoulder so it hung diagonally across his upper torso. He rotated it so that one ‘eye’ was in front and the other on his back.
“These white circles pick up toxic chemicals. If they are both white you’re okay. If they start to turn dark or go completely black, turn around and haul ass in the direction you came,” Pirogue explained, then handed one to each member of the crew.
“It’s hard to see,” Eleanor said. The men all realized that her ‘eye’ was right in the middle of her breasts and pointing slightly downward, when she adjusted it the circle sat on top pointing up at her chin.
“You look like a superhero,” Lloyd Jr. said.
“I feel like a stripper with this thing between my tits,” Eleanor said.
Lloyd Jr. blushed. Eleanor’s sexual orientation was the subject of ongoing, although whispered, debate. Lloyd Jr. had never thought of her as a woman or a lesbian, he only knew her as another miner. However, some of the men had strong opinions on the subjects of females, lesbians, and female lesbians working in a mine.
“Okay, what next?” Eleanor asked
Pirogue pulled out a couple of small boxes and each had a wand attached to a cord. Each wand was one-foot-long and had a perforated outer metal casing. There was a cord running from the wand and he connected it to the bandolier.
“As you walk keep this in your hand and let it swing with your arm. If the box beeps throw one of these on the ground.” He said holding up a small plastic bubble. “It’s a marker so I can check it out later.”
The boxes that the equipment came in were stacked and converted into a table. Pirogue unrolled a weathered map of the shaft.
“When was the last time somebody mapped this shaft?” Landry asked.
“Close to fifteen maybe twenty years I’d reckon,” Tyonne said.
“Well, we got plenty of side tunnels,” Lloyd Sr. said, then asked of Pirogue “You got priorities College?”
“I got the drill schedule from nineteen-sixty-two. There are three side tunnels I’m interested in. They are the ones where the least salt was removed hence the least explored,” Pirogue said.
As Pirogue unrolled the old documents they almost fell apart in his hands.
“We’re at four hundred feet so we’re three quarters of the way down.” Jean Lee replied.
“We could have gone a little further,” Hillock said.
“Yeah, I was concerned about…stability,” Pirogue said.
“You’re worried about the stability of this mine?” Tyonne asked.
“Well…” Pirogue responded.
Tyonne and Lloyd Sr. exchanged a glance. Lloyd Jr., being ever watchful saw it and didn’t ask. He was learning patience after all.
“Oh shit. Is Chatty Kathy worried about haints?” Warren Landry said.
Eleanor barely contained a chuckle. The group was still a little perturbed with Pirogues’s disclosure about the pay.
Lloyd Jr. had heard about haints all his life. They were said to be restless spirits of the dead who, for whatever reason, have not moved on from the physical world.
Lloyd Jr. remembered when a handy man had come by the house not long after his mother had died and offered to paint the ceiling of the front porch ‘Haint Blue’ as a deterrent to malevolent spirits. Lloyd Sr. had politely asked why blue offended the dead. The handyman didn’t have an explanation and left without getting the job.
“The boy has college, he knows better,” said Hillock.
“Does he though?” Sotolongo asked. “You listen here College, haints is real and will eat you alive,” Sotolongo chuckled as he said it.
They all heard the metallic scraping noise followed by the first crash. The noise came from the skip or to be exact, the noise came from the shaft above the skip. They looked toward the large elevator platform that they had ridden down on. It was there; empty of equipment, and the control lever was in the locked position. They heard the second crash within seconds, followed by an increasingly loud scraping sound of metal being ground against rock.
“Fall back!” Lloyd Sr. shouted.
They all began running as fast as they could away from the skip, and whatever was making its way down the shaft. The noise would stop and start with equal suddenness and each crash was louder than the last. The group had run so far that the skip appeared as a dimly lit square on the horizon when they stopped and turned to look back. The final crash was magnified due to the vastness of the man-made cave. The noise reverberated off of the concrete lined walls and even at that distance the sound was deafening. A cloud of concrete, dust and salt began to drift toward the group. Lloyd Sr. and Junior reached into their respective back pockets and produced bandanas that they used to cover their noses and mouths, tying them behind their heads. The two looked like old west train robber’s.
The pause between crashes was long enough to embolden the group. They began walking back toward the skip cautiously.
“Is that a truck?” Pirogue asked, his voice slightly muffled.
Black smoke began to emerge from the cab of the vehicle. A man’s arm dangled from the driver’s side window and twitched. The group began to move more quickly toward the wreckage. The truck was vertical with its grill flush against the floor of the skip. The group moved with a mixture of caution and urgency. They wanted to get the passenger out before he burned to death but none of them wanted to be caught in an explosion.
Lloyd Sr. and Tyonne led, followed by Lloyd Jr. and Eleanor. Behind them Guilbeaux, Landry, Hillock and Pirogue began to slow as they drew closer to the vehicle. The truck’s front end was destroyed. The driver’s side faced the approaching group.
“Holy shit that’s Preet!” Lloyd Jr. said before he thought about it.
Lloyd Sr. and Tyonne took off at a run toward the vehicle. The driver’s side door was damaged beyond function so the two of them pulled the unconscious Preet out through the window. They dragged him several yards away from the still smoldering vehicle.
Tyonne and Lloyd Sr. knelt beside the Preet watching him intently. He was breathing erratically. “What in tarnation?” Eleanor asked of no one in particular.
“That boy’s been a fool since I met him,” Guilbeaux said.
“Maybe you should stop meeting people,” Landry said.
The attempt at wit was poorly timed and poorly met.
How did a man driving a truck get down the shaft? Why was a man driving a truck anywhere near the skip? How is it he wasn’t dead? These questions went through the crew’s minds. The situation was baffling.
“It’s not as if it was an accident,” Eleanor said. “He had to have intentionally…”
“Yeah, we get it,” Lloyd, Sr. said.
“I may kill him in his sleep,” Tyonne said.
The rest of the crew kept a respectful distance. The realization that they would have to get the truck off of the skip in order to get out had been instantaneous and they were all angry, bordering on rage. This was Saturday and no one was going to think to look for any of them for at least three days.
The truck moved, then it made a brief grating noise. When the metal began to groan the crew all took a few steps toward the smoldering truck. There was nothing they coul
d do. The threat of an explosion was still a very real. Then with the combined noise of breaking glass and wrenching steel the skip gave way. The truck vanished taking the collapsed housing of the skip with it. The outer cage where the hoists and pulley system was housed and connected came apart at the bolts.
The system was old. Most mine elevators required maintenance and inspections once every six months depending on use. This one had only had a cursory inspection yesterday when Tyonne oiled it and gave it a couple of runs up and down the shaft. Regardless, the skip was not designed to have a one-and-a-half-ton vehicle dropped on it from just over one thousand feet.
Almost three seconds of silence went by. Then a series of crashes began and repeated as the vehicle - and what remained of the skip – plummeted along the second, and final leg of their descent.
Each time the vehicle and ancient steel frame struck the concrete sides of the shaft the entire group winced. The sounds were loud and reverberated throughout the massive mine complex. Seconds later the final crash was heard. Everyone exhaled with relief, then stopped when they heard the scream.
It was a soul-rending scream of something in agony.
Lloyd, Sr. knelt next to Preet studying the man. Tyonne slapped Preet’s face harder than needed to wake him.
“Look alive boy!” Tyonne said through clenched teeth.
Preet jerked awake looking confused.
“Boss?” Preet asked.
“Preet I need you to think hard for just a minute. Was there anyone in the truck with you?” Lloyd, Sr. asked.
“What...no. I…” Preet stammered as he looked at the angry group of miners.
“You what?!” Tyonne asked.
“I was just trying to...I just wanted to park my truck so’s to block the skip coming up for a couple of hours…” Preet started.
Tyonne straddled Preet, put his hands around his throat, and started to squeeze. Lloyd, Sr. wrestled Tyonne away subduing him with a half-Nelson.
“I’m gonna murder that sumbitch!” Tyonne said.
“No! You are not!” Lloyd, Sr. said.
The two men struggled for just a few seconds then Tyonne relaxed. Lloyd, Sr. relaxed his hold and the two took a moment to gather themselves.
Preet pulled himself into a sitting position and coughed while massaging his throat.
“Well what now?” Hillock asked.
Tyonne and Lloyd, Sr. Dusted themselves off then stood staring at Preet.
“I’m real sorry boss. It was Santi and DeMarco told me you thought I was dumber than your dogs an…” Preet stopped.
Tyonne took a moment and resumed command.
“Hillock, Landry head down this tunnel. At the third shaft on the left you should find the equipment skip,” Tyonne said.
“Is it working?” Landry asked.
“That is what I need to know. Now get there,” Tyonne said.
Landry and Hillock left at a steady trot. The group new that time was their enemy now. It was Saturday, Sunday the mine was closed, Monday was the holiday so Tuesday was the earliest they could count on help.
Granted, none of them thought they were going to starve or die of thirst in the next three days, they were still trapped in an abandoned mine.
Preet wasn’t hurt beyond a few scratches and he wisely kept his mouth shut. The group was angry and he didn’t want to find himself at the bottom of a shaft.
“I’m still amazed at the size of these tunnels...” Pirogue stopped himself.
“College, you ever been in a mine?” Tyonne asked.
“Yeah,” Pirogue said sheepishly.
“Where?” Tyonne pressed.
“I went to college in Pennsylvania and...” Pirogue explained.
“Coal,” Lloyd Sr. interrupted flatly.
“Well shit,” Tyonne said with disgust and walked away.
Little experience was one thing. That may have been offset by some book-learning. Lack of experience and training was a different animal entirely.
“Are we not gonna talk about what we all just heard?” Hillock asked.
“That was metal scraping against rock. That’s all,” Tyonne said.
Lloyd Jr. looked at his father who shook his head subtly. He understood that now was not the time to pursue that line of questioning.
The group sat in silence. Lloyd, Sr. checked his equipment and his lunch. Lloyd, Jr. followed suit. Eleanor stood with Guilbeaux and Sotolongo across the tunnel from Preet. The three spoke in low voices and every once in a while one of them would look in Preet’s direction. Preet was afraid for his life and with good reason.
Lloyd, Sr. finally took notice of the lapsed time.
“Ty, it’s been too long,” Lloyd, Sr. said.
“I swear to God himself if those two got lost I am going to leave them down here,” Tyonne said.
Within a minute of this declaration they heard the scream. This one wasn’t like the first. This one was clearly Landry and he was terrified. They saw him in the distance coming out of the side shaft at a dead run. He attempted to make the turn to sharply and his feet failed him. Although he was far away the mine lights clearly showed him slide like a runner heading for home and jump back to his feet. As he began to build momentum a squat figure emerged from the side tunnel. The figure was wrapped in what appeared to be black rags or a long coat. It stumbled just as Landry had but when it recovered its footing it stood still and appeared to be waving.
Landry continued to run toward them and the group began to understand what he was creaming.
“Grunchers! Grunch…!” Landry slowed, stumbled and fell face first.
The group stood mystified for just a moment as the figure darted back into the side tunnel. All at once they took off at a run toward Landry’s prone form.
When they approached they saw the handle of a throwing knife sticking out of Landry’s back. The blade was buried almost to the hilt just to the left of his spine.
They rolled Landry onto his side. No one wanted to remove the knife for fear of making things worse. Landry convulsed for a few minutes then he started muttering.
“They’re here boss. They ain’t never left, they took Hillock…it was Grunchers,” Landry said. Then Landry died.
“Somebody tell me what in the cornbread hell he’s talking about!” Eleanor bellowed. Her voice was starting to quiver and she was yelling to release the tension and fear.
Everyone kept glancing toward the side tunnel he had come out of.
“He’s delirious. Ignore him,” Tyonne said looking down the tunnel toward the side shaft.
“Tyonne, call it out,” Lloyd, Sr. said.
“Head back to where we came in. Find a side shaft, one that’s not too deep and we can barricade ourselves in until Tuesday,” Tyonne said. “Someone will look for us, see the damaged skip and the fire department will be down here in the blink,”
“What about Hillock?” Preet asked.
“If we find him we find him, but we stay together until Tuesday,” Lloyd Sr. said.
“What the fuck do you mean if we find him?” Guilbeaux asked.
“And what about Landry? He needs medical!” Eleanor asked.
“Bring him along if you like, but I think he’s beyond Earthly remedy,” Tyonne said as he started to walk back toward the wrecked shaft.
“What have you got in those supply crates college?” Lloyd Sr. asked while keeping the pace Tyonne was setting.
“Uh…” John-Lee stammered “Maybe a dozen blasting caps, batteries for head lanterns but it’s mostly sample collection stuff,”
“Lloyd, get Eleanor, Pirogue, Preet and Lloyd Jr. safe. The closer to the skip the better, and like I said, dig in. Guilbeaux, Sotolongo, come with me,” Tyonne said as he turned to face the direction of the side tunnel Landry had come out of.
“Splitting up the squad Captain?” Lloyd Sr. asked.
“I have to know what else is down here,” Tyonne responded.
The parties went their different directions. Guilbeaux and Sotolongo went al
ong quietly.
Part of the group walked in silence following Lloyd, Sr. When they reached the skip they found all of the equipment boxes torn open and the contents strewn around the area.
“Mr. Dougette, sir, at this point I…we need to know what the fuck is going on,” Pirogue said.
“That would be good,” Eleanor confirmed.
“Collect all the blasting caps along with any plastic or glass containers. We need to take all of these crates over to the entrance of the nearest side tunnel and build a partition. Then I’ll tell you what I’ve been told,” Lloyd Sr. said.
Lloyd Jr. went about righting boxes and collecting whatever he could. The others followed suit. Minutes later the group had gathered a few dozens of the caps and relocated in a nearby side tunnel. It was only as wide as two men walking abreast.
This was an exploratory tunnel. Minimal effort was put into any untapped area until salt was discovered in enough quantity to make it worth the mines time to pursue. This one was only about fifteen feet deep. It was a tight fit for the group.
The caps were the ‘electric match’ kind that combined electrodes dipped in an ignition mix. Blasting caps are relatively harmless, being equivalent to two or three firecrackers. Though small, if mishandled they had been known to remove fingers, eyes and on a few occasions, toes.
Lloyd Sr. removed a small set of pliers from his belt and began dissecting the caps, placing each of the three components in a separate pile. Then Preet, Eleanor, Pirogue and Lloyd Jr. watched as he reassembled the components into deadly explosive devices and tell his story.
“In nineteen fifty-seven a circus train was on its way from New Orleans to Houston,” Lloyd Sr. began. “Back then circuses were different. They had fewer animals and more of what we called freaks. Most had the usual attractions, bearded ladies, Siamese twins and the like, but it was smoke and mirrors. This circus however specialized in freaks that were beyond hideous. They gathered deformed children from all over the world, treated them like animals and put them on display for a nickel. Tyonne and I took our wives. It was a terrible spectacle and none of us spoke of it after,” Lloyd Sr. stopped to pour the explosive mixtures into different vials.
After the devices were complete Lloyd Sr. took some gauze out of a first aid kit and made a small palette. He gently placed the homemade grenades on them within easy reach.
