“Because of you,” Baruk snapped, “there are lives in danger.”
Ronan stuttered and fear then bravado flashed across his features. “It has to be a mistake.”
“We don’t have time for this,” Zadal cut in.
Lindsey was grateful he was with them. It was clear Baruk was running on pure emotion.
One of the workers standing with them spoke up. “We have extra breathing devices here someone can take down and then guide them out but none of us know where the evac point is. A wrong turn could delay the rescue attempt or trap another.”
Ronan paled, blubbering his protest. “I can’t go! I never learned the routes.”
“Let me go, Zadal.”
Lindsey shivered at the menace in Baruk’s voice. Zadal carefully released Baruk, standing close in case he needed to intervene again.
“Are you saying you are not aware of the evac points for this location?”
Ronan gnawed his bottom lip. “I was supposed to memorize them as a condition of employment but never found the time. The safety measures here never fail. It’s not an issue.”
This time Zadal was prepared when Baruk’s arm reached out. He caught Baruk’s hand before he could grab Ronan.
“Get him out of here. He’s pointless,” Zadal said over his shoulder as he blocked Baruk’s access to wreak havoc on Ronan.
There was a minor scuffle and Ronan complained the entire time as he was dragged away. The original three who had been in conversation with Baruk huddled close. “We’re sorry, Senate Leader. He’s been like this since he started a few months ago. One of us should have reported him and didn’t.”
“What’s your name?” Baruk asked in a much calmer voice.
“Cadd.”
Baruk tugged at his shirt and smoothed his clothes out. “I know where it is, Cadd. I can go in with the devices and find them.”
Of course Baruk would know but that didn’t stop Lindsey’s protest. “You can’t go in there.”
Baruk faced Cadd and the two others. “Give me a moment with my spouse partner and wife.”
They glanced at Lindsey with sympathetic looks and faded back some distance. Lindsey swallowed and tried to think of a way to stall Baruk from risking himself. Zadal folded his arms over his chest. “If you’re going in, then so am I.”
Baruk snorted and matched him glare for glare. “One of us needs to stay out here with our wife.”
“All the more reason I should go in and you stay out here after telling me where to go.” Zadal’s brows lowered as he made the announcement.
“That makes no sense. It’s easier for me to go. You don’t know anything about these mines, Zadal.”
A blond brow arched up as Zadal responded, “You’re too emotional and connected, Baruk. Your decision making is compromised by this situation.”
There was a pause and the two stared at one another without speaking.
Baruk broke the stare off. “If something were to happen, Lindsey—”
“Then we both go.” Zadal’s gaze was unrelenting. “Think of it as your chance to finally get me to follow where you lead, Baruk.”
Lindsey’s heart picked up its pace at the thought of both her husbands going inside a potential death trap. Then she thought of the ones trapped inside. What if they had spouses worried about them? Could she put Baruk and Zadal’s lives ahead of them if Baruk really could get them out?
“Can’t someone else go in?” Lindsey asked.
“No.” Baruk gripped the back of his neck. Fury blasted from his gaze though not directed at her. “There’s not enough time to wait for experts who know these mines the way I do. This is on my family. We assure the families that all safety measures are taken at every property we own.”
Lindsey rubbed his arm and made soothing noises. Zadal shifted beside her. “We’re wasting time, Baruk. I’m going with you. We’ll also have two emergency workers accompany us.”
Indecision crossed Baruk’s face. “It’s too dangerous. The risk—”
Lindsey slashed her hand through the air. “No. If it’s too dangerous for them, it’s too dangerous for anyone.”
“Zadal doesn’t belong in there!” Baruk roared.
Lindsey caught Zadal’s flinch before he masked his expression. “Actually, because of the marriage agreement, I’m fairly certain this property is one of the ones you added my name to.”
Because Baruk had generously given a portion of his fortune to Zadal without his knowledge at the time of their Triad.
Baruk snorted and dropped his hand to his side. “Of all the times to remember which properties you own or are a part of, you choose now?”
Zadal shrugged but Lindsey wasn’t fooled by the bland look in his brown eyes. Baruk’s words had hurt him for some reason.
“One of us needs to stay for Lindsey. Why risk both of us?” Baruk attempted a conciliatory tone.
“I don’t want either of you in there. BUT—” she held up a hand before they could interrupt and stared hard at Baruk. “the only way you’re going in there is if you take someone with you. It can be Zadal or someone else but you will not risk your life by yourself out of some misplaced guilt for the actions of another.”
Zadal smirked. “We need to hurry, Baruk. Save the martyrdom for work.”
Lindsey knew they’d won when Baruk sighed and signaled the three guys to come back over. “You’re right.”
Rubbing at the pimpled flesh on her arms, Lindsey watched carefully as Baruk and Zadal were fitted with black matte safety suits and handed the breathing apparatus to give the men inside. They also received special helmets with a front shielding panel.
“The map of the inner paths and sections are on here but nothing’s marked.” Cadd, the man who seemed to be in charge gave Baruk a silver wristlet with a wide band to match his own band.
Baruk snapped it on his left wrist. “I’ll find them. I know where the evac space is for each of the mines owned by my family.”
“Remember,” another added, “the air supply inside is good for another forty-five minutes. At that point, they will have to either start sharing the one personal breathing device available or attempt to come out.”
Baruk glanced at the wrist unit. “Right now the indicator shows they’re not moving which is smart. Has anyone been able to get in contact with them or let them know help is on the way?”
Cadd’s lips pressed tight and it wasn’t hard to sense his frustration. “Communication went down with everything else but the site tech is here and will keep trying to get it back up.”
“Then we move. You and another are with me and my spouse partner.”
Rushing off, Cadd approached one of the team and began an intense conversation.
Holding his helmet under his arm, Baruk approached Lindsey and cupped her face with his free hand. “Will you be alright waiting here?”
Tears burned but Lindsey blinked them back and nodded. “Just be careful.”
Zadal joined them, his body large and intimidating in the gear. Blond hair ruffled and brown eyes clear, he was the image of a strong warrior come to life. Lindsey sniffed and scrubbed at her cheek when a few tears spilled over. Zadal frowned. “If you cry now, what will you do when we come out?”
She released a watery chuckle and smacked his chest. “As long as you come out.”
Baruk smoothed his thumb across her cheek and leaned forward to kiss her brow. “We’ll be back shortly.”
He slid his helmet on and waited for Zadal to do the same. Her taciturn husband dropped his helmet on the ground instead and grasped Lindsey at the waist. She gasped and braced her hands on his shoulders for support. His kiss on her mouth was long and deep. When he eased up, he stayed close enough every breath wisped against her lips. “I love you.”
“Love you back.” Lindsey cupped his face. She stared into his eyes. There were so many things she wanted to say but nothing was going to happen to him so she pushed them back and only said in a husky whisper, “Watch, Baruk. His fathers di
ed in a similar accident.”
Zadal pressed his lips tight then nodded and stepped back. He bent to grab his helmet and then he and Baruk walked away with the pack containing the breathing devices slung over Baruk’s shoulder. Two men in matching safety suits joined them at the entrance and all four disappeared inside. Lindsey’s heart stuttered when she could no longer see their tall forms.
“Would you like to listen in?”
She spun at the voice to her left. Beside her stood a red-haired man holding a small black wire with a hook on the end. “Excuse me?”
She understood several of the languages and dialects spoken on Garulax since she couldn’t have an actual translator implanted but wanted to make sure she understood what he was asking.
“I’m Tamlin, part of the first crew to arrive. This is the mic which will let the team out here listen to them in case they need help or run into any trouble.”
Relief poured through Lindsey and she eagerly accepted it. The curved portion slid behind her ear easily and the thin wire extended along her jaw.
“I have you on mute for when they activate it,” he added with a grin and thumbs up before sauntering away.
***
As soon as they crossed the threshold of the mine entrance, the worker next to Cadd tapped the side of his helmet. “Turning on audio to the crews outside and switching to air supply.”
“Activating,” Cadd said, mimicking the steps.
Baruk did the same and confirmed with a nod when Zadal did his. Once they went below, there would be no breathable air.
“We have all four of you on live,” someone from the outside responded.
The sound was crisp and clear in Baruk’s ear which meant the others heard it as well.
“You didn’t have to come,” Baruk muttered to Zadal when they were out of earshot of the others.
His voice was muffled and distorted due to the helmets they wore but Zadal heard him clear enough. He snorted. “I had the feeling you would need my rational approach to situations as your own may be skewed by the past.”
Baruk’s shoulders stiffened but he didn’t slow or turn to face Zadal. They were moving through the twisting, dark tunnels at a pace faster than a walk but slower than an all out run. Baruk only glanced at the digital map displayed on the wrist unit about his arm once. He really did have the layout of this particular mine mapped out in his memory.
Every breath Zadal took echoed within his helmet. His vision never fogged and the face shield remained clear giving him an impressive view of the mine. If he didn’t know he was underground, he’d believe he was in a high tech lab facility.
Shoulders hunched, their group squeezed through narrow spaces wide enough for one at a time and slogged through ankle high water flowing from the walls. At least, the hard surface of the flooring was solid beneath their shoes.
“I take it this isn’t normal?” Zadal asked when Baruk didn’t respond to his earlier taunt.
Baruk’s helmeted head shook in the negative, his face glowing briefly from the dim light mounted on the helmet. “There’s a leak in the pipes imbedded through the walls. The integrity has been compromised causing this.”
The walls themselves were pearly white, a sheen reflecting the substance coating it to keep the interior cool in the warmer clime and warm during the colder temps. Recessed lighting in the ceiling kept the space bright instead of the dark one would expect for an underground work site.
Then the lights flickered.
Zadal glanced at Baruk who signaled to Cadd and the other worker with them to keep moving. “Its running off of power from the emergency system activated by the collapse while the main power has been shut down and rerouted.”
Cadd spoke up to be heard over the intermittent alarm beeping from above. “The life beacons are solid green so we know those trapped down here are still alive.”
For now. Zadal didn’t want to be grim but it was very likely that the workers down here might not make it out. He glanced around. The likelihood of all of them getting out was a concerning factor as well.
They came to the end of a tunnel and faced a ladder built into the wall. Zadal looked to Baruk for direction, trusting him over the men he didn’t know.
“Up through the hatch. There’s a hall that will lead to a security access panel. It’s behind a sealed door accessible with a specific code.”
Considering they’d spent almost fifteen of the forty-five minutes and would have to travel the same distance back, they needed to hurry. Cadd stepped forward and grasped the rails. “I’ll go first, Senate Leaders.”
Baruk followed and Zadal waved at the last guy then brought up the rear. Cadd shoved a removable section of the ceiling aside, creating an opening to go through. Zadal made sure to not close it behind them.
“Hurry,” Baruk said, taking the lead once more.
Their pace picked up to a trot, boots thundering and echoing off of the walls. The lights continued their eerie dance, winking in and out. Zadal held his breath, waiting for when they would completely give out. Baruk smirked in his direction. “Afraid of the dark?”
Zadal muttered a curse under his breath which caused Baruk to chuckle. Based on what Lindsey told him right before he left, Zadal hoped their typical bickering would alleviate some of the stress creasing Baruk’s face.
Chapter 4
Baruk kept his breath calm and steady. He was an expert at presenting a calm façade on the outside. Internally, he was fairly certain his nerves were strung tight. The late night comm followed by the news of an incident at one of his property would have usually caused a modicum of worry. The fact the incident occurred at a mine and actual workers were trapped inside shifted it into something far more complex.
Everything about this was an emotional storm he struggled to battle through yet he couldn’t stand back and let others with no knowledge of the location step in. That would have been akin to creating a greater failure and he already shouldered the bulk of the blame for not realizing that lead supervisor Ronan was incompetent before this disaster occurred. Whatever happened here, he was ultimately at fault.
“Wait!” Baruk held up a hand for everyone to stop. He studied the walls and compared it to the mental map he recalled and the diagram on the wrist unit. A glance to the right assured he was in the correct space. Baruk pointed toward a seemingly empty room. “In here.”
“This is just a utility back up,” Cadd said, his tone puzzled.
“Only in appearance.”
It was designed that way in case of various scenarios. He and his mother had gone over everything with a certified structural team when redoing all of the mines their family owned. She’d also contacted Baruk’s best friend, Ruin, and gained their family’s agreement to upgrade the safety measures at their facilities as well.
Sofia Laars hadn’t wanted anyone else to suffer as she had when she’d lost both of her husbands in an incident during a routine tour. She’d raised him and his sister with a strong hand, guiding influence and above all compassion toward anyone who worked for them. Wealth came with privilege and they tried to wield it wisely.
Inside of the room, Baruk went directly toward the main wall and pressed along the center, fingers searching for a familiar bump. Once he made contact, a small panel opened. The others crowded around him. A holo-screen and keyboard took up most of the space inside the panel.
“Are you sure your code will work?” Cadd asked.
Baruk nodded as he entered the long sequence of numbers. His family had an override for almost everything and it was updated annually. A series of clicks and a whoosh signaled a release of pressure as a door across the room swung open.
“Where does this lead?” Zadal asked, peering inside the dark interior with the others.
“It will take us underground and get us to the other side since the damage so far is limited to top side.” Baruk hefted the pack carrying the breathing devices higher on his shoulder and hoped the workers inside were well enough to make it out under thei
r own strength. If not, this task would get exponentially more difficult.
There were a dozen stairs to descend into the underground tunnels. Once they reached the bottom, water ceased to drip and run about their feet. The emergency lights gave off a green glare which reflected off of their helmets. Baruk kept to the front and led the way. The group stayed on his heels, the air vibrating with fear and worry at what they’d find.
They were almost to the evac point and Baruk had a moment to hope he wasn’t mistaken in assuming that those who worked here would be aware of the emergency procedures. What if Ronan had ignored other mandatory training? He shook off the negative thoughts and said a brief prayer.
They reached the final door designated with a large red X within a red circle. This was the evac point. As Baruk entered another string of numbers on the keypad to the right of the handle, sweat trickled down his temple. His heart rate sped up, fingers trembling when he entered the final number.
The door squeaked then popped open. They all jumped back. Cadd gripped Baruk’s arm. “Allow me, Senate Leader.”
Not wanting to waste time, Baruk gave in. Zadal crowded at his side. One by one they entered the sparse room and relief hit Baruk hard. Seated on the floor wearing expressions of hope, were the three mine workers.
Baruk’s breath escaped on a shudder and his knees weakened. Zadal squeezed his shoulder and Baruk accepted the support. As much as they bothered one another personally, they stood side by side publicly.
He rushed forward to access the state of the closest man. Silver streaked his dark hair and lines etched the corners of his eyes.
“I’m Baruk Laars. My family owns this facility and we’re here to help you out.”
“I’m Janz, Senate Leader Laars. Thank you for coming.”
“Survivors found,” Cadd reported as he kneeled next to one of the men.
Cheers erupted in Baruk’s ears and he found himself smiling also.
“We have roughly twenty minutes to get out of here,” Zadal reminded as he helped a worker to stand.
“Is anyone badly injured?” Baruk asked, watching Cadd and his partner manage the last worker between them.
Stolen Moments (A World Beyond Book 8) Page 11
