by J. A. Kalis
As soon as she felt her lungs fill with oxygen, she plunged back into the lake. In a frenzy, she searched for Mike everywhere, descending even deeper than before. Yet, the bottom lay well beyond her reach.
Again, her lungs started to burn from the lack of oxygen. She realized she shouldn’t go any further. It was time to push her body up to the surface. A few interminable seconds later, she came up.
She was about to plunge once more when she heard her father’s voice. ‘Carol, stop it. It’s too late. He’s gone. You can’t save him. He’s been under the water for too long.’
‘No, he hasn’t. I must find him. I will. He is there somewhere waiting for me to come and save him. I can’t let him down.’
‘It’s pointless. You’re only putting yourself in danger.’
She didn’t listen and yet again jumped into the water with a loud splash.
A couple of minutes later, she re-emerged. Alone.
Panting and gulping for air, she climbed to the shore and collapsed in a heap. A chilly numbness spread through her limbs. She shook all over. To her dismay, she discovered her body had started to act strangely, as if it had a mind of its own and had decided to rebel against her will. She tried to stop it from shaking, but was unable to do so.
Her father was right. There was nothing more she could do for Mike. He was gone. Forever.
Mike was dead.
Finally, the realization was sinking in. Her chest heaved with spasms of grief. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she didn’t try to fight them back or wipe them away.
‘It’s my fault. He’s dead because of me.’
‘No, he’s not. It’s not true. You did all you could to save him. Stop blaming yourself. It won’t bring him back. Think about us now. We can’t afford to stay here too long. They may come back and find us. Remember, we’re not out of danger yet.’
Patrick’s words snapped her back to reality. Glancing his way, she noticed that he had somehow managed to drag himself out of the water, but was lying at an awkward angle on the upper part of the ledge leading to the shore. His face looked ashen, exhausted and etched with pain. He was still trussed up like a turkey. The thick ropes wrapped around his body were restricting his movements. He needed help.
Fighting back tears, she reached out her right hand to pick up the sharp-edged stone. Then, clutching it so tightly that her palm hurt, she hauled herself to her feet and staggered towards her father.
Ten minutes later, Patrick was able to shake the last strands of rope from his body.
Impatient to get out of their underground prison as soon as possible, they quickly closed the small gap separating them from the entrance to the tunnel.
Before venturing further into the tunnel, Carol paused and turned around to cast a last glance at the underground lake. The semi-transparent body of water gleamed serenely in the beam of her torch. Nothing marred its unruffled, jade green surface. The reflection of the light across it shimmered like precious jewels. She stood immobile, staring at the spot where Mike had disappeared, as if she hoped to see him reappear.
‘You did all you could to save him. Come on, we must hurry. We’ve got a long way to go.’ Her father urged her gently.
Carol turned around and went into the tunnel, shining the torch down its pitch-black, uninviting abyss. Patrick followed her closely, all his senses on high alert.
Since both of them felt drained of energy, their progress was slow. They hadn’t gone far when they came to the point where the tunnel branched off in three different directions.
‘Now what?’ A puzzled expression spread across Carol’s face.
‘I don’t know. We must make a guess.’
Making a random choice, she entered into the passageway running to her right. Within ten paces they emerged into a vast vaulted ceiling chamber with two more exits on opposite sides.
‘I don’t remember crossing this place. But maybe I did. It was too dark to see anything and I had to feel my way with my hands.’
‘There might be more than one passage that leads to the exit,’ her father suggested.
Without lingering too long, they headed towards the opening of the tunnel looming at the opposite end. Entering it, they discovered the passage was so narrow that their shoulders brushed both walls as they walked. After a couple of sharp turns and a short stretch of another, broader corridor, they came out into a vast chamber with a vaulted ceiling.
‘It looks like the one we’ve just left! No, it doesn’t only look like it, I’m sure it is the same cavern. We keep walking in circles.’ Carol was unable to hide the despondency from her voice.
‘This place is a maze. But don’t despair. One way or another, we are going to get out of here. Now we’ve only got one more tunnel left to try. If it’s not the right one, we’ll have to retrace our steps back to the point where the first wide tunnel branched off and venture into another of the branches. That’s not such a big deal, is it?’ Her father’s words did little to calm her down this time.
The second passageway was as narrow as the previous one. In silence, Carol and Patrick squeezed their bodies through it little by little. Then, suddenly, after they’d advanced only a few steps, it broadened, enabling them to walk side by side. Impatient to leave the stone labyrinth behind, they gathered all their strength and picked up their pace. Before long they reached the end of the corridor. At the entrance to the next chamber, Carol stopped dead in her tracks. Her body stiffened. There was something vaguely familiar about the cavern looming in front of her. Her eyes darted around the interior. The stark beam of the torch swept across the rough stone walls, slowly revealing each detail. When the light fell onto a sleeping bag and pieces of rope scattered on the floor, her suspicions were confirmed.
‘That’s where he kept me … attached to the wall.’ Her left hand motioned to the exact spot. ‘I don’t know how many hours I spent here. I felt terrible, left alone in the darkness. I thought I would die here. All hope that anybody would come to my rescue, abandoned me. I was so scared. Terrified.’ Her voice trembled with emotion as the horrible memories rushed back to her.’
‘If we get away, I swear I’ll make him pay for what he’s done to both you and Sandy,’ said Patrick through tight lips, unable to keep the anger out of his voice. He glanced around. ‘So it seems we’ve just moved from one prison chamber to another.’
‘Well, at least I know where we are. The exit is quite far from here, but I’m sure that tunnel over there will lead us straight to it.’
‘Okay, let’s try it.’
The next passageway seemed to stretch on forever, weaving its way through the subterranean landscape.
When, finally, the torch beam revealed a broad opening to another chamber looming a short distance ahead, Carol let out a sigh of relief. She knew it was the one housing the amazing collection of calcified formations. It meant they were getting closer. They didn’t have far to go now. The awareness brought a faint smile of satisfaction to her lips.
‘We’ve almost made it.’
‘Almost. But we’re not quite there yet.’ Patrick tried to remain level-headed.
Hardly able to contain her joy, Carol quickened her pace.
Suddenly, the torch in her right hand flickered twice before going out completely.
Total darkness enveloped them. Carol shook the torch wildly and flicked the switch off and on a few times. It didn’t help. The bulb was dead.
‘Oh! That’s all we needed. And the chamber we’re about to enter is full of those strange calcified forms. What do you call the ones jutting up from the ground? Stalactites or stalagmites? I never know which is which. How are we going to find our way among them? From what I remember there is no straight passage. We’ll have to be careful and walk very slowly. Without light, it will take us ages to get across.’
‘I know which chamber you are talking about. I remember crossing this part with Lucien and Mike. Yes, you’re right, it’s dangerous to walk through it without the torch. I’d better take the le
ad now. Watch your step! Hold on to me, be careful not to lose your footing. Don’t worry, before you know it, we’ll make it out of here. The exit is not far away.’
About halfway through the chamber, Patrick stopped so abruptly that Carol bumped into him.
‘Shh! I think I heard something. Listen!’ His whisper was so low that it barely grazed Carol’s ear.
A murmur of voices floated their way. Faint at first, they grew louder with each second. Then, as the voices fell silent, another sound emerged from the darkness in front of them. The sound of footsteps on stone, steady and quick. It reverberated spookily from the rock walls of the cave.
‘It’s them. They are coming to get us. Quick! We must hide before they spot us.’ The urgency in Patrick’s voice deepened Carol’s feeling of uneasiness.
Before she had time to react, she saw a speck of light glimmer in the distance. The feeble gleam grew steadily in strength. For several dragging seconds, she stood petrified, watching it approach. Suddenly, she felt her father’s strong hand grip her arm and pull her aside.
Frantic, all their instincts on high alert, they meandered through the labyrinth of stalagmites, feeling their way blindly around, venturing deeper and deeper into the chamber, until they came to a place they judged to be safe enough to hide. There, they took cover behind some calcified formations, crouching low, pressed tightly against the cold, smooth stones. Carol’s heart raced so fast that she was afraid it would burst out of her chest at any moment. Every muscle in her body tense, she struggled to slow her rapid breathing. As she drew in deep gulps of air, a rancid smell assailed her nostrils. It was a mixture of ammonia, salt, sulphur and something else, difficult to define but also rather unpleasant. Her lips puckered in distaste. Suddenly, she froze, hearing a man’s voice just a few steps away. She recognized Lucien.
‘Before we start looking for the girl, we’d better go and finish off those two in the lake.’
The torch he was holding in his hand painted pale yellow circles on the ground that came dangerously close. Its stark beam waved around, sending long, eerie shadows dancing on the cave walls.
She ducked even lower behind the stalagmite, wishing to become invisible. Risking a quick glance at her father, she saw he was as tense as she was.
The light moved. The shadows shifted, stretched, then receded further down the wall. A murky gloom enveloped their hiding place, deepening until it became total darkness. Gradually, the footsteps subsided. Only the muffled echoes still reverberated through the vast cavern.
Daring at last to shift from her uncomfortable position, she exhaled with relief. The movement helped to reduce the prickling sensation in her legs that was becoming quite unpleasant. Craning her neck, she risked peering out from behind the limestone column. A mushroom-shaped structure blocked her view and she couldn’t see either of the figures. Judging by the flickering light of the torch and the shadows on the wall, she concluded that only a few steps separated Corinne and Lucien from the entrance to the long, snaking tunnel. Any moment now, they should disappear into its depths. Her impatient eyes focused on the light beam, following its progress.
What happened next caught Carol by surprise. Instead of fading away, the torch stopped moving.
Raised voices penetrated the stillness. From that distance, she couldn’t make out a single word of what the couple was saying. Even so, there was no doubt in her mind they were quarrelling.
Her body tensed, waiting for them to finish arguing and get going. A minute ticked by, then another. Cheek pressed against the cold, smooth stone, she listened. To her dismay, it sounded as if the argument was escalating. The next few minutes seemed to stretch on forever. Then, finally, the angry voices fell silent.
Everything went quiet except for the sound of footsteps. Waiting for the sound to fade away, she leaned forward, straining her ears. Suddenly, another sound pierced the air: the flapping of wings followed by a high-pitched screech above her head.
A bat?
A prolonged rush of air against her face told her there was more than one of these night creatures flying around. There must be a bat colony here. Hence the reason for the foul odour hanging in the air, she thought. The light and the raised voices must have disturbed the bats. Some of them were flying so low that they almost brushed her hair. Instinctively, she moved aside to avoid their wings touching her.
In the meantime, the sound of footsteps intensified. It seemed as if, instead of entering the tunnel, their enemies were coming back. The shadows on the wall grew larger, threatening, resembling gigantic monsters ready to attack. A beam of light cut through the darkness, pointing in the direction of the bats. Petrified, holding her breath, Carol stared at it, listening. The footsteps were coming closer. The beam moved around, flickering.
All of a sudden, she found herself caught in a pool of light. It was too late to move away from it. Squinting, she lifted her hand to block out the strong glare that was stinging her eyes. At the same time, she heard Lucien’s voice float towards her from a short distance away.
‘Relax, Corinne! It won’t take me long. I just want to check out the bat colony. Believe me, it’s an unusual sight. I don’t want to miss it. There must be …’ He paused a split-second before crying out, the incredulity clear in his voice. ‘What the …? Well, well, look whom we’ve got here. Can you believe it? Our dear lost friend found again.’ The torch moved to Carol’s right. ‘Oh, no, look at that! It gets better by the moment. Incredible. It’s not just the girl but her father too. I wonder where the third one is. It would be nice to make the party complete.’
From the opposite side, her father’s urging whisper rang in Carol’s ears. ‘Carol, run. Now! Try to reach the exit and hide in the forest. I’ll take care of them both here.’
She felt her survival instinct kick in. Although still stunned, she staggered to her feet. Acting on impulse, her mind a blank, she turned around and dashed forward. Ignoring a lightning bolt of pain shooting up her thigh and arm each time she bumped against hard rocks, she kept on running as fast as she could, dodging and twisting her way through the maze of stalagmites. All she could hear at first were her own ragged breathing, the throbbing of blood in her temples and the hammering of her heart.
Then, all at once, angry voices and sounds of a struggle intruded upon her senses, drowning out the other noises. Frightened, she picked up her pace and continued meandering through the vast expanse of the cavern, intent on reaching the tunnel looming ahead. The moment she entered it, blackness enveloped her, forcing her to slow down. Careful not to lose her footing, she ventured deeper into the passageway. She hadn’t gone far when she heard several popping sounds – gunfire. A scream of agony exploded from the direction of the shots. She stopped dead in her tracks.
The sound that reached her ears was muffled and distorted. Was it her father? Was he injured? He might need her help. Instead of being selfish and running away to safety, she should go back and see what was going on. Without a second thought, she turned on her heel and retraced her steps. She almost closed the gap separating her from the entrance to the chamber, when her ears picked up a thudding of footsteps. The noise grew in rapid tempo. Someone was approaching. Fast.
She halted, wondering who it was, undecided as to what to do next.
A beam of light shone in her eyes, and someone twisted her arm behind her back.
‘I’ve got her,’ she heard Corinne yell, discerning a note of triumph in her voice.
Even before the echo of Corinne’s words had faded away, Carol’s initial paralysis passed. She lashed out with her right foot and her free arm, trying to fight her attacker off. It didn’t work. Corinne’s grip on her other hand tightened. Just as she was ready to launch another wild kick, she heard a commotion behind her back. Every muscle in her body tensed in fearful anticipation of what was going to happen next. Ready to help, Lucien must have joined Corrine. Her heart sank at the realization that she wouldn’t be able to fight off both of them.
Where was her fath
er? The question had hardly crossed her mind when she felt Corinne’s grip on her own arm slacken. Another pair of hands took hold of it, pulling her along, this time gently.
‘Come on, Carol! We must get out of here before she comes round,’ she heard her father say.
Her brow furrowed with surprise at seeing a torch in his hand. Before she had time to ask where he’d got it from, he was pulling her down the tunnel.
An adrenaline rush gave them extra energy. They quickened their pace. Breathless, they kept running until they reached the exit. One by one, they squeezed through the narrow opening and emerged into the forest.
Outside, it was broad daylight. Although the sunshine that filtered through the canopy of trees had lost some of its intensity along the way, it was still strong enough to blind them. They blinked, hardly able to see a thing at first. But they couldn’t afford to give their eyes time to adapt to the changed conditions. Realizing that haste was necessary, they pushed forward. They weren’t out of harm’s way yet. Each second mattered. Eyes narrowed to slits, arms outstretched, they dashed among the trees and underbrush as fast as they could, only slowing down when they thought they’d gone far enough to be safe.
CHAPTER 19
Corinne rolled over and groaned, as pain shot up her body. She opened her eyes but all she could see was darkness.
What had happened?
Then she remembered. The girl’s father punched her square in the face, knocking her out. Bastard. How long had she been out? By the looks of it, long enough for those two to flee.
She listened. Nothing disturbed the stillness around her. No footsteps. With effort, she pushed herself up to a sitting position. She leaned forward. Feeling the eroded tunnel floor, her hands searched for the torch, but she couldn’t find it.
There was no time to lose. She staggered to her feet, bracing against the wall. She needed a gun and a light. Lorenzo had both. After taking a couple of steps forward, she halted.
‘Where are you? I’m coming your way. But I’ve got no light so be patient. It might take me some time to get there,’ she called out at the top of her voice into the murky gloom of the vast chamber looming in front of her.
