Grave Peril

by Mary Alford

Shadow grinned smugly at Paxton’s reaction. “He did. He would have sold his soul for the amount of money I offered him. Your friendship, well, I guess it didn’t mean as much to him as you thought.”

  Once the explosives were in place, Shadow and his goons prepared to head out.

  Shadow looked directly at Jamie. “So long, Ms. Hendricks. It’s too bad you had to find out the truth like this, but at least you know your father wasn’t responsible for his friend’s death. That should be some comfort to you before you die.”

  With those chilling words, Shadow left them to their deaths.

  Jamie watched Uncle Paxton. She could see how hard he was taking the news of his friend’s betrayal. Yet now was not the time for emotions.

  “Uncle Paxton, we have to get out of here. If those explosives go off this close, we’ll die.” Her words finally got through to him.

  She looked down at the man lying unconscious close to her.

  “Gavin, wake up. We’ve got to get out of here.” She shook him as hard as she could, and he slowly opened his eyes, staring up at her confused.

  “What happened?” he mumbled. He touched his head and winced in pain.

  “They wired the place with explosives. We have to get as far away from here as we can.”

  Gavin stumbled to his feet with Jamie helping him. He leaned against her for a second longer, then together they grabbed hold of Paxton and hurried from the room, running as fast as they could down the dead-end tunnel.

  Jamie couldn’t see anything but darkness. With her heart in her throat, she kept running.

  Her phone. She still had it in her pocket. She took it out, illuminating their way.

  Up ahead, the end of the passage came into view. Would it be far enough away from the blast to save them?

  “Hurry, we have to get as far away from the blast area as we possibly can,” Gavin said, struggling to keep up. He’d been through so much over the past few days. She wasn’t sure how much more he could take.

  “Keep fighting, Gavin. Please, you can’t give up.” She tightened her grip on Uncle Paxton, trying to take some of the weight off Gavin.

  They were just short of the end of the passage when the blast ripped through the tunnel behind them.

  Jamie looked back. A cloud of smoke boiled toward them.

  “Get down! Face away from the blast!” Gavin yelled, but there was no time.

  The world around them shook like an earthquake was ripping through the area. Rocks and other debris flew past.

  The blast flung them through the air. Jamie landed hard against the side of the tunnel. She screamed in pain and slid to the ground. It was a struggle to keep from passing out. The strength of the blast embedded bits of rock into her flesh.

  As the world around her spun, she struggled to breathe through the dust-clogged air. Each inhalation was excruciating. And it felt as though she’d cracked a few ribs when she slammed into the stone wall.

  When the world finally cleared, Jamie glanced around, trying to locate Gavin and Paxton. Her uncle was close, a few feet away. She leaned over and shook him. He moaned pitifully.

  Gavin had taken the brunt of the explosion. Right before the blast, he’d pushed her and Paxton in front of him. She saw him and scrambled over. He wasn’t moving.

  “Gavin!” she screamed in horror and then leaned close. “Gavin, please be alright. Please don’t die on me.” She was in love with him and she couldn’t bear the thought of having to live without him.

  * * *

  He could hear her calling him. She sounded so far away. His body felt glued to the ground. Somehow, he managed to move his arm. Pain ripped through his body and took his breath away. He’d cracked several ribs.

  “Gavin, wake up!” Jamie still sounded far away, and yet someone was shaking him. He moaned as the agony caught up with him.

  “Oh, Gavin, you’re hurt.” He could hear the tears in her voice, and he forced his eyes open. Jamie wasn’t far away; she was leaning over him, tears spilling down her face. His heart broke. She was worried about him.

  “I’m okay. Just a little banged up.” He reached up and brushed the tears from her face.

  She leaned down and kissed him with all her heart. “I thought I’d lost you.”

  Gavin pulled her closer and kissed her again. He was alive. So was she. They might not have much time left, but they were alive for now.

  She held him tight. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she whispered against his lips.

  He smiled against her mouth. “Me, too. Now let’s see if we can find a way out of here.”

  With her help, he managed to sit. Every move he made hurt like crazy and drained his pitiful strength.

  Gavin leaned against her, and she held him close. “It’s okay. Take your time,” she whispered near his ear.

  He closed his eyes until the world righted itself. “Is Paxton okay?”

  Jamie stared behind them. “I think so.”

  Gavin saw the man lying on the ground, mumbling to himself. It was hard to see much in the sooty darkness. How much space did they have? If they could figure that out, they’d know how much air supply was left.

  Jamie shone the phone’s flashlight around. What he saw was disturbing. They were enclosed in a small space. Keeping the panic at bay was hard, but he tried, for Jamie’s sake.

  She clamped a hand over her mouth, seeing what he did. “Oh, Gavin, what are we going to do?”

  He put his arm around her. “We wait. The FBI should be here any moment. They know we’re here. It’s only a matter of time before they get to us.” It wasn’t exactly the truth. The FBI would be expecting them to leave the area, and they’d be tracking his phone. It was with Shadow. Would the FBI turn their search that way? If so, he, Jamie and Paxton would be dead soon.

  Gavin looked into her eyes and tried to be strong for her. “We just have to stay alive a little bit longer.”

  She forced a smile, not seeming to believe him.

  Paxton stirred and sat up.

  “Where are these Feds you’ve been talking about? Because we all know we won’t make it more than a couple of hours with the air supply we have here.”

  “They should be here anytime.” Gavin prayed they would search the surrounding area and not give up on locating them.

  “With everything that happened, I almost forgot. Shadow told me he’s been working for the Southern Mafia.” She recounted what Shadow had said while Gavin was unconscious.

  The news settled around Gavin uncomfortably. So it was true. Shadow was planning to take over at the helm of the Southern Mafia? He remembered the recent car bombing in which Ericson’s driver was killed.

  “He’s got to be stopped. He killed your father and was responsible for Ava’s heart attack. We can’t let him get away with the crimes he’s committed,” Jamie said.

  She was right, but even if they did manage to somehow get out, how were they going to bring down Shadow when all the evidence Paxton had gathered was gone?

  A thought occurred to her. “Each of us can act as a witness. He admitted killing your father to get his mine, and he told me that he worked for Ericson. That has to be enough to arrest him on those charges.”

  “Plus there are the backup files I left with Ava for safekeeping,” Paxton announced calmly, and both Gavin and Jamie turned to stare at him.

  “What did you say?” Gavin asked. He wasn’t sure he’d heard Paxton correctly.

  “I said I have backup files. I left them with Ava. You think I’m foolish enough not to make copies?” Paxton scoffed.

  Gavin had looked through most of the stuff at his grandmother’s house. He hadn’t come across any files. “Do you have any idea where she put them?”

  Paxton shook his head. “No, but I gave them to her on a thumb drive small enough to keep in a safe location. She told me she was going to put it so
meplace no one else would ever look for it. Obviously, Shadow had no idea she had the evidence otherwise he would have mentioned it.”

  There was only one place Gavin could think of that she’d hide the drive. But they had to get out of here in order to find it.

  The air was still thick with dust particles. Every breath he took reminded him that his last one was getting close. He wasn’t going to let Shadow win.

  He held up Jamie’s phone. “We need to make a video recording of everything that we know...just in case.” He looked into her eyes and knew that she understood they might not make it out alive.

  EIGHTEEN

  A faint scratching noise came from somewhere above them. “Did you hear that?” she asked in amazement.

  Gavin studied the ceiling. “I didn’t hear anything. What did it sound like?”

  Bits of dirt fell to the ground. “Like someone scratching on something.”

  “Or someone digging...”

  Her gaze locked with his. “They’re here. The FBI is here.”

  They had a chance. If they could stay alive long enough for the FBI to rescue them, they had a chance.

  “Down here! We’re down here!” she yelled as loud as she could.

  A few minutes later they heard a response. “It’s Sheriff Lawson. I’m going to try to dig you all out. I followed Shadow and the others and saw where they took you. Hang on, I’ll see if I can get you of there.”

  Horror filled Jamie. “Oh, no. Gavin, it’s Andy.”

  Gavin appeared as shocked as she was. He shook his head. “Something doesn’t add up. If he’s working for Shadow, why would he want to save us?”

  “Unless he isn’t saving us. Maybe he was sent here to make sure we’re dead.”

  He gathered her close. “The FBI should be here soon. His digging will hopefully give us an air passage, but just in case...”

  Gavin took her cell phone that held their recorded messages and hid it behind a rock.

  Above them, chunks of rock broke free from the ceiling. They backed away from the spot.

  “This place is unstable. It could collapse at any moment.” Jamie wondered if that was the sheriff’s purpose.

  “Andy, hold up. The whole ceiling is about to cave in!” Gavin yelled up at the man.

  The digging stopped immediately, and Jamie breathed a sigh of relief. If Andy were trying to kill them, he’d have kept on digging. “He’s not working for Shadow.”

  Gavin nodded. “No, but if he doesn’t find a way to get us out of here soon, it won’t matter.”

  The reality of those words washed over her, and she hugged him close. “We need God’s help more than ever.”

  “You’re right. Let’s pray.”

  Gavin took her hand. “Father, we need You to guide Andy’s hands. Help him find a way out. There are bad people out there intent on hurting others. Please don’t let them succeed.”

  With the prayer, a sense of peace slipped deep inside of her. God was in control. He wouldn’t let them die; she truly believed that.

  “I’ve called for backup. Help is on the way. Hang on down there. I’m going to see if I can dig in a different area. At least get you some fresh air coming in. Just to be safe, I need you to get as far away from this side of the tunnel as you can.”

  “Thanks, Andy!” Jamie called up. She and Gavin tried to help Paxton to the area where the mine had collapsed, but he refused.

  “Hang on a minute up there, Lawson.” Paxton obstinately stood his ground.

  “Uncle Paxton, he’s trying to help. If we don’t get air in here soon we’ll die.” She loved her uncle, but he had a stubborn streak a mile wide.

  “And I’m telling you I know an easier place to dig,” he announced in a gruff tone that had Jamie staring at him in surprise.

  “Lawson, if you go to the north wall, there’s a crack in the rock there. It should make for easier going, and I don’t think the rock is that thick.”

  “Got it,” Andy told them. Jamie could hear movement outside, and then a few minutes later the digging started again.

  The oxygen level in the mine was dwindling with each breath. They had maybe another half hour’s worth of air left in the small space. Any amount of exertion was an effort.

  Jamie sank down to the ground. Gavin did the same. He tugged her close. She didn’t want to die down here like this. Not after she and Gavin had found each other again. She wanted to have a life with him. Wanted to make up for the years they’d lost.

  “How long do you think it will take him to get us free?” Jamie asked in a labored voice, because she needed something to hold on to.

  “By himself...hours.” Her uncle didn’t mince words, and the small amount of hope Jamie was holding on to threatened to crumble. There was no way they’d make it that long. Had they come all this way, finally discovered the truth behind Charles’s murder, only to take the secret with them to this dusty grave?

  Gavin held her close. “But he’s not going to be alone for long. The FBI is on their way here now. Don’t give up hope, Jamie. We’re going to get out of here, and then we’re going to bring Shadow and those dirty cops to justice.”

  As she looked into his eyes, she believed him. She’d fight with everything inside of her to see that they all made it out of the mine alive. Then they’d bring Charles’s killer to justice and break up the heroin ring that had Darlan in its grasp once and for all.

  * * *

  Jamie closed her eyes and leaned against his chest, her breathing shallow, like his. They were dying. As hard as Andy tried, he wouldn’t be able to free them alone.

  He peered around the small space, his thoughts growing fuzzy.

  Outside, he heard footsteps and said a grateful prayer. Help had arrived.

  Don’t let them be too late...

  “What are you doing here?” Andy’s voice was barely audible through the solid rock.

  Gavin strained to hear the answer. When he did, he almost lost all hope. It was Andy’s father. “I can’t let you do this, son. I can’t let you free them. They have to die down there. What they know is too incriminating.”

  “You’re going to shoot me?” Andy asked in amazement, and Jamie stared up at Gavin in horror.

  Their last hope would be gone with Andy’s death.

  “No, you can still walk away from this. Pretend you don’t know anything about it,” Raymond told his son.

  “I can’t do that. I’ve lived with my suspicions about you far too long. I won’t let you and Shadow corrupt this county any longer.”

  The silence that followed was chilling. Then shots were exchanged, and Gavin held Jamie tighter.

  When the shots ended, the silence was the most alarming.

  If this is Your plan, Lord, then so be it. Gavin wasn’t sure he could fight any longer.

  “They’re here!” Andy called out to them. “The FBI is here and they’ve brought reinforcements. Hang in there, guys. This is almost over.”

  Within minutes, heavy equipment could be heard rumbling up the mountainside.

  Just the promise that the sound gave roused them.

  “Take small breaths. We’re going to be okay,” Gavin tried to assure Jamie. Paxton was the worse for wear. Gavin noticed that his eyes were shut and he wasn’t moving.

  Gavin scrambled over and shook him hard. “Stay with me, Paxton. This is almost over. You can’t give in yet.”

  The older man opened his eyes. “I ain’t givin’ in ever,” he mumbled then closed his eyes again.

  Gavin left him alone. There was nothing he could do now but keep his prayers going up to God.

  He went back over to Jamie. She barely had the strength to open her eyes. “Hey, look at me. Keep looking at me. Keep fighting for me.”

  She briefly opened them and smiled up at him. He held on to her. He didn’t want to lose her like t
his. Not when they were so close to freedom.

  “Agent Dalton, this is Sam Wilson with the FBI. We’re going to have to push the rest of the way in. Get as far away as you can from the spot and cover up. We’re coming in five.”

  The only protection they had was a boulder that had dislodged during the explosion. He lifted Jamie in his arms and carried her behind it, then dragged Paxton over. The man mumbled to himself, and Gavin was terrified they’d lose him before they could be rescued.

  Once they were all safely behind the boulder, he called out to the agent, “We’re as protected as we can get!”

  Within seconds, a heavy piece of equipment began pushing against the mountain. Soon, the compromised wall gave way, splintering it into chunks of rock. Fresh air rushed in, and Gavin drew in a lungful. The room around them shook and threatened to collapse. Several men poured into the space.

  Gavin struggled to his feet and hauled Jamie into his arms. She wasn’t moving. Was the rescue too late?

  “We have to get out of here now. The place is unstable,” he told one of the men. “Can you get Paxton out?”

  The man nodded, and he and another agent hurried to rescue Paxton.

  All Gavin could think about was the woman in his arms. He loved her. He couldn’t lose her. Not like this.

  Outside, the day had just begun to break. There were agents everywhere. Gavin spotted Andy Lawson kneeling next to a man on the ground. His father. Andy had been forced to take his father’s life to save theirs.

  An ambulance waited nearby. Gavin hurried toward it. Two EMTs raced for him with a stretcher.

  He placed Jamie on it gently. “Help her. Please, don’t let her die.”

  He loved her so much. Never stopped loving her. Now he just had to find a way to be worthy of her.

  The two men placed an oxygen mask over her mouth and nose while they took her vitals.

  “Her pulse is weak, but she’s alive. We need to get her to the hospital right away.” A few seconds later, Paxton was brought over. Both he and Jamie were loaded into the ambulance. Gavin started to get in but one of the agents joined him.