Slip and Slide

by Patricia Logan

  Thayne reached out and grabbed Elijah by his strong shoulders. The man came upright, snorting as he prepared to do war with him. The look on his face was so fierce, it was like looking into the face of death and Thayne knew if he stared at him a second more, fire was going to come roaring out of his flaring nostrils.

  “You need to get Jase out of this mine right now, Elijah,” Thayne said, shaking the man’s shoulders.

  “No, I have to…” he stopped, staring at Thayne.

  “Do you know how to diffuse this thing?” Thayne shouted at him.

  “No, I—I…” Elijah stuttered.

  “Well, Jarrett and I do!” Thayne reached into his pocket and dug out the key to the mantrip, thrusting it at Elijah. “Now, get your brother the hell out of here and leave us to do our jobs. It’s time to retreat, Elijah. You feel me?”

  Elijah nodded and reached out, clasping Thayne by both shoulders. “Get it done, Thayne, and then get my brother the hell out of this motherfucking place! I’ll take care of Jase.” The look in his blue eyes was so like Jarrett, Thayne shivered.

  The next thing he knew, Elijah was gone and Thayne was turning back to the device. He heard the motor of the battery-powered personnel carrier start up and he glanced back over his shoulder to see Elijah standing beside the cab of the mantrip unlocking Haney’s handcuffs. As if in slow motion, Elijah shoved the mining safety manager away from the cab and climbed in. Haney tripped and fell on his ass, staying there only a few seconds before literally diving into the back of the vehicle beside Jase as Elijah told Jase to hang on. Elijah began rapidly backing the thing out of the mineshaft. Within a few moments, the lights on the front of the mantrip disappeared out of sight.

  Thayne heard Jarrett curse from nearby and he glanced at him. The tape was hanging from one side of the device his partner had found and the digital display read forty-five seconds. Thayne turned and reached down and began ripping at the tape on his device as well. By the time he was able to peel it back, the display on his device read thirty-seven seconds. He whipped his head around as Jarrett ran up to him. His lover grabbed his arm and their eyes met in the relative darkness.

  “No time to diffuse these. Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Jarrett growled. “I can smell the methane buildup in this part of the mine. We’re going to face a fireball if those things blow.”

  “We have to try, Jarrett. There’s enough C-4 packed in just one of these to collapse the whole mineshaft and Jase and Elijah are still not free of it.” Thayne was yelling but Jarrett was already tugging him away from the devices.

  “Come on, Thayne!” he shouted, eyeballing him frantically. He grabbed both sides of Thayne’s face, forcing him to pay attention. “I can’t lose you, darlin’!”

  Thayne stared at Jarrett’s frantic expression and then finally nodded.

  “Fuck this! Let’s go!” Thayne said. He latched onto Jarrett’s hand and started running.

  Jarrett held on to him and ran as fast as he could beside him. In the distance, they could barely see the faint lights of the mantrip as Elijah drove it out of the mineshaft as fast as the thing would go. Thayne and Jarrett practically tripped over their own feet, putting on steam as they ran. He could hear Jarrett panting from beside him but the sound of their boots pounding on the hard-packed earth seemed to drown out everything. Thayne tried to estimate how much time they had before the devices blew and he began to count off seconds in his mind as they ran hell for leather after the mantrip.

  Ten—nine—eight—seven—six—five—four—three—two—A massive explosion went off behind them, rumbling through the mine in a deafening roar as Thayne was thrown off his feet by a blast of smoke, heat, and pulverized stone. He hit the ground in a tumbling pile of his own body parts, each hitting harder than the last as he reached up and covered his head. Strong arms closed around him, clasping his body as he and his lover rolled together.

  Thayne couldn’t see at all as the lights were extinguished around them. Somewhere in the roll of limbs, he realized he must have lost the flashlight he’d been holding and he could no longer feel the hard hat or backpack with the life-saving SCSR device he’d been wearing just seconds before he began tumbling.

  “Jarrett!” he shouted but he couldn’t even hear himself as a blast of choking black dust engulfed his body. The dust mask he’d been wearing ripped from his face and shards of something sharp pelted him from all directions. He squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath as he waited for the tons and tons of the mountain above to come crashing down on their heads.

  Jarrett’s hand ripped away from his and panic flooded Thayne’s veins as his lover was torn from beside him as he rolled. The rumble of the mountain collapsing was deafening and Thayne prayed for it to end… waited for the blackness to knock him unconscious… waited for death to at last tear him from Jarrett and this world.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Why didn’t I tell him I love him? Why didn’t I hold him in my arms and tell him I love him when I had the chance? I waited too long. He’ll die without knowing how desperately I love him. Thayne heard the chant in his mind as he tumbled. The rolling finally came to a halt as his body slammed into something soft rather than the hard surface he’d expected.

  Jarrett.

  Thayne reached for his lover, forcing himself to take tiny breaths of smoke and coal dust as he held his face against the warm body in front of him. He kept his eyes closed as he tried his best to breathe while the rocks settled around him, pelting his body in a tiny shower of stinging shards falling from above. He clung to Jarrett, covering the back of his head with his hand to protect it from falling rocks. He groaned in pain as he tried to speak against his shirt. The effort sent him into a coughing jag and it was a full minute before he was able to suck in a gasping breath. The body he lay against was still and Thayne felt a sob rise in his throat as he opened his mouth to speak. When strong arms suddenly closed around him, his heart soared.

  He’s alive. Thank you, God!

  Jarrett began to cough, the massive chest Thayne’s cheek rested against heaving as his lover tried to catch his breath. Wherever they were entombed was completely and utterly dark, not the tiniest pinprick of light poking through anywhere around them. The sound of pebbles raining down all around with choking dust ebbed, finally vanishing altogether. Jarrett’s arms held him tight and when his breath rasped across his left ear in a whisper, his heart pounded so hard Thayne was certain it would burst right out of his chest.

  “You okay, darlin’?” Jarrett’s words were barely a whisper at his ear and followed by a cough. The gritty voice was the sweetest sound Thayne had ever heard. He lifted his chin and looked in the direction Jarrett’s lips should have been. It was blackest midnight, impossible to see a single thing.

  “I—I think I’m okay, Jarrett,” he choked out on a sob. He did a mental check of his limbs. Nothing shrieked in pain as he slowly moved his arms and legs one by one. “Jarrett, you okay?” His own voice was raspy and sounded like an older sickly man.

  Jarrett’s lips touched his forehead softly. “I’m here… think I’m in one piece. Nothin’ seems broke and by some miracle we ain’t burned beyond all recognition.”

  Thayne couldn’t help but smile to himself. The sound of that fucking West Virginia drawl was the most magnificent thing he’d ever heard. “Thank God.” He turned his face up to Jarrett’s, finding his lips from the sound of his voice. He pressed his lips against his lover’s and Jarrett kissed him back. After a few seconds he pulled away and whispered. “Are you really all right?”

  Jarrett grunted as he shifted below Thayne and that’s when he realized the cushion of his body was actually Jarrett lying beneath him.

  “Oh shit, am I on top of you?” Thayne did his best to move off of Jarrett, rolling to the side in their cramped quarters. The ground was cold and covered with rocks that pressed into Thayne’s flesh so
he kept close to Jarrett even as he felt the man take a deep breath. The effort resulted in a strong cough as Jarrett sought to clear his lungs.

  The air was beginning to clear and Thayne was relieved that the smoke he thought he’d smelled wasn’t smoke at all… only dust. If a fire had started in the mine as a result of the explosion, it wouldn’t have taken long for them to die. At least being trapped under rubble with clear air was better than that.

  He pressed his ear against Jarrett’s chest, hearing the comforting thud of his heartbeat steadily beating and he blew out a breath, finally beginning to relax. Thayne felt Jarrett move as his arms let go. A moment later, he sensed his lover straining then a scratch above them followed by a grunt.

  “Fuck. Looks like we’re trapped,” Jarrett said. “Rock above and hemmed in on this side. How about you, darlin’?”

  Thayne could barely turn, but he reached for the wall to the side of him, touching jagged rock as he tried to get a feel for where they were and how much space they had. When he realized he could only just barely touch the rock at his side when he stretched out his arm, his heart began to race.

  “I have about three feet here.” He reached up and his fingertips touched the rock above. He sighed and rolled back into Jarrett’s arms.

  “We’re trapped,” Jarrett said, coughing again. “Jes have to wait, I guess. Don’t like bein’ buried.”

  Thayne consciously tried to slow his heartbeat. He realized if he started to panic, his breathing would increase and he’d use what little oxygen they had much more rapidly. As it was, he figured they didn’t have much trapped inside with them. Fortunately, the stink of methane was gone, probably burnt off with the incineration of the two bombs that had entombed them. Their chance of getting out of the mine wasn’t looking all too hot right now, but at least he was with Jarrett. He swallowed hard and ran a hand over Jarrett’s muscled chest and Jarrett took his hand, lifting it. Thayne felt him press a kiss to his palm and his heart swelled.

  “Thing aren’t looking too good, are they, Jarrett?”

  He felt Jarrett shake his head and then draw him closer. “No, darlin’, they ain’t,” he whispered. Thayne was silent, not wanting to say anything that sounded trite or frightened, even though he was terrified at the possibility of them dying down here. “Didn’t want to go this way, though.”

  “Dying in a mine collapse?” Thayne asked. When Jarrett didn’t respond, he said, “I suppose you always hoped you’d die in battle.”

  Jarrett was silent for only a few seconds. “Battle? No. I always hoped and prayed I’d die in the arms of the man I love,” he whispered. “When I do pray, that is. God ain’t had time for Jarrett Evans for some time, though… I suppose He thinks it’s funny… doin’ away with me in a fuckin’ mine, like I always dreaded.”

  Thayne caught his breath, not believing he’d heard what he’d heard, even though he’d stopped hearing after Jarrett’s first line. “The man you… love?”

  Jarrett was quiet and Thayne held his breath as he listened to his heart, pounding steadily beneath his ear. After a pause that seemed like ages, Jarrett blew out a long breath. “Do I really have to say it to you, Thayne? Don’t you know it by now?”

  “Know… that you love me?” Thayne asked, too stunned to believe his own ears. There was another long pause before Jarrett finally spoke.

  “No, Thayne… don’t you know that I’m in love with you.”

  Thayne felt something brush his cheek and he realized it was Jarrett’s fingers. He slowly tightened them on his chin, lifting it just enough that his lips could reach Thayne’s mouth. Only a second later, Jarrett’s lips were on his, brushing softly at first, then harder. Thayne kissed him back, tasting every bit of Jarrett, pouring every ounce of love into the way their lips met. When Jarrett finally raised his head, Thayne reached for his face, caressing both cheeks as he laid his forehead against Jarrett’s the way they had so many times before.

  “I love you too, Jarrett,” he whispered. “I don’t know why I haven’t told you before.”

  Jarrett kissed him again and Thayne felt his smile against his lips. “You didn’t have to tell me. I knew.”

  “You knew? But you never said anything. You never told me you loved me until now. Why now, Jarrett?”

  Jarrett sighed against his lips in the dark. Thayne cursed the fact that he couldn’t gaze into his eyes and see the truth for himself. When he finally did begin to speak, the words were slow as though he was forcing each one to come out.

  “You don’t know the kind of man I was before we met, Thayne. When I joined the Corps, I was a kid. I had God in my heart and a flag on my shoulder. I had clean hands. And I ain’t seen that man in the mirror for more than ten years. And believe me, I get up every morning and look for him and guess what? I don’t find him…” He paused. “I mean… I ain’t been able to see him until you came into my life, darlin’. I didn’t want you to see that man. I was too… ashamed, I guess.”

  Thayne’s heart pounded in his chest and the urge to cry and cling to this amazing brave man was overwhelming. He stayed silent as Jarrett continued.

  “Somethin’ deep inside me changed after we met.” He paused again and Thayne heard the shakiness in Jarrett’s voice. “I suppose I was seein’ myself for the first time through your eyes.”

  Thayne reached up and touched Jarrett’s face when he stopped talking. The lump in his throat wouldn’t allow him to speak to the beautiful warrior with his deeply wounded heart. His own was very nearly on the verge of breaking.

  “Before I met you,” Thayne finally said, “I dated around and I fucked around, but I never found my other half… until you.” He swallowed hard. “At first I tried to deny what I was feeling, telling myself it was only attraction at first and later on… I tried to tell myself it was only lust.” He paused. “Then I knew. I couldn’t deny it anymore. I knew it was love.” He closed his eyes and took another deep breath. “I almost told you so many times.”

  Jarrett squeezed him tighter and he sighed. “What stopped you?”

  Thayne had to think only a moment. “Fear, I suppose. Fear that a man like you would think love was foolish… or that I was foolish.”

  Jarrett’s hand brushed Thayne’s face again and Thayne was certain he heard a tiny scoff when he spoke. “A man like me? A killer?”

  “A killer? No!” Thayne pressed a kiss to Jarrett’s lips. “The bravest man I’ve ever met, Jarrett. A hero.”

  Jarrett was silent for a moment and then suddenly he was kissing Thayne again, stealing the very breath from his lungs as he took all he wanted from him. Thayne kissed him back, clinging to his body as he did his best to wrap around him in their cramped quarters. After what seemed like a lifetime, Jarrett finally raised his head, breaking the contact of their lips.

  “I think it’s pretty fucked-up that neither one of us could admit it.”

  Thayne pecked him on the lips again. “For such different reasons.” He stopped as he felt Jarrett stiffen. “What?”

  “You hear that?” Jarrett whispered.

  Thayne listened hard in the stillness of their tomb. He finally became aware of scraping sounds followed by thumps. He tightened his arms around Jarrett. “Someone’s out there, digging for us.” He felt Jarrett nod against his head. He loosened his arms and they both began to yell.

  “Help! Help! Here! We’re here!”

  A series of hard blows short and long rang in their tight cocoon. Thayne’s heart leapt. It was Morse Code. We. Are. Coming. Hold. On. Someone had heard them! He opened his mouth to yell again when Jarrett’s fingertips lightly covered his mouth.

  “Shh. They heard us. They’ll check in now and then but for now, we’ll save our oxygen until they signal or call out again.” He sounded so sure of himself, Thayne found himself relaxing as he continued to hold Jarrett.

  His lover
was right of course. Jarrett had probably been trained in mine safety when he worked in one as a teen. They lay still, listening to the sounds of people working above them, scraping with shovels and probably pick axes. They relaxed against each other, whispering quietly. Now that they knew rescue was inevitable, they waited quietly, trying not to use up whatever air they had by limiting their movements to breathing and gentle touch. When light finally peeked into their tomb, air came rushing with it. Thayne gasped in the freshness of it as he thanked God again.

  “Jarrett? Thayne?” Elijah’s voice called to them and relief washed over Thayne as he realized if Elijah was okay, Jase must be also. The bright light of a flashlight suddenly shone in and Thayne squeezed his sensitive eyes tightly shut as Jarrett cursed beside him.

  “It’s us!” Thayne shouted.

  Thayne heard muttered sighs of relief. “Are you both okay?” It was Steel’s voice. Thayne realized he must have returned to help after rallying the rescue party.

  “We’re both fine.” Thayne listened to shouts of happiness as the scraping sounds resumed.

  “Jase?” Jarrett called.

  “He’s okay, bro. Hang on. We’ll get you out of there as soon as possible.”

  Thayne relaxed as Jarrett resettled against his body. In the dim light coming from the hole the searchers had made, Thayne caught sight of Jarrett’s face. He was covered with dust and what looked like blood. He instantly frowned.

  “You’re bleeding! Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Just a little cut on my head. Nothing big,” Jarrett practically growled as he looked down at Thayne.

  Thayne caught his breath. Jarrett—the man he loved—even covered with coal dust, blood, and a thick layer of dirt, was the most incredible thing he’d ever seen. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against Jarrett’s chest as the scraping went on.

  ****