Subterranean

Linda allowed a smile to come to her lips, enjoying Khalid's consternation. 'I guess you're not leaving that way.'

Khalid glared at her, slipped out of his backpack, and began rummaging through it. He removed a transmitter from his pack. It was different from the one that controlled the bombs she had helped set.

'What're you doing?'

'Get down.' He raised the transmitter and pressed the button. A green light flashed on the device. Khalid grabbed her in his arms and leaped behind a partially collapsed building. An explosion rocketed from ahead of them, blowing debris and smoke their way.

After the worst of the smoke billowed past them, Khalid climbed off of her and checked his handiwork. She followed to see what he had done.

A smoldering crater now existed where the supports for the elevator had stood. She stared up. Only one spotlight was still intact, illuminating the ghastly scene. In slow motion, she saw the remainder of the tower start to collapse. The cage hurtled toward the cavern floor, uncontrolled. Even with her ears echoing with the blast, she could hear the screaming.

She swung back behind the damaged wall, closing her eyes. For what seemed like years, she waited. Then she heard it. The booming crash as the cage hit the floor. She listened. The screaming had stopped.

Khalid stepped next to her. He lit a cigarette, his hand trembling slightly. 'I'm glad I set those explosives the night before the team set out. I knew from the start this mission might end this way. But I thought with planning…' He shrugged.

'What are we going to do now? We can't leave.'

He puffed a cloud of smoke toward the distant roof. 'I must try to contact my superiors, apprise them of the situation. We can try Blakely's communications center. See if I can raise anyone.'

'Then what?'

He shrugged. 'Then we die.'

THIRTY-SIX

THAT BLOODY SIN'JARI! IT ALL CAME BACK IN A FLOOD. Ben pushed himself up, wincing. The back of his head throbbed with every movement. The echoes of the explosion that jarred him back to consciousness still reverberated across the cavern.

Groaning, Ben stood shakily. He peered back toward the distant glowing base. What happened? But he knew the answer: Khalid.

Should he head back to the base? Harry and the others could be in trouble. Fingering the tender spot at the back of his head, he glanced at his watch. Time was running out. He had been knocked out for almost an hour. He needed to get to Ashley. Free her.

First, though, he had to know what was going on. He sat on the floor of the cave and closed his eyes, letting his mind drift. He pictured Nob'cobi and called to him.

The answer was almost immediate. Nob'cobi's image coalesced out of the darkness. His facial whiskers were burned.

'What happened?' Ben said. 'Is Jason okay?'

Nob'cobi nodded, out of breath. 'Cage thing destroyed. Harry and my brother went to look for your enemy, to try to stop him. I took the boy and woman to the office place. They're safe. I'll guard them. Harry says you must hurry.'

'I know.'

'Bring help!'

Ben broke contact and pushed to his feet. He needed to get that statue back before… Bloody hell! He realized something was missing. His rifle still lay on the floor where he had dropped it. He patted his back and searched the tiny chamber. His pack was gone. And so was the statue it contained.

Sin'jari!

The bastard hadn't finished him off because he'd found what he needed to thwart the mission. Without the statue, Ashley would die.

Sneaky little bugger. Ben stared around the chamber, his eye settling on the aluminum transport sled with the diamond axle. He grabbed a knife from his belt and sliced the train of plastic sleds still attached to the gas- powered sled. Maybe…?

Ashley could tell Tru'gula was perturbed by her demands, but he had finally acquiesced and agreed to bring her and Michaelson to umbo's chamber. To reach the chamber, Tru'gula had to elbow the other hunters out of his way, several of whom gave their leader a look as if he had gone mad. He managed through bullying and what sounded like threats to gain them access.

Michaelson paced the room, eyeing the male statue of umbo with a mild look of distaste on his features. 'It's only a guess,' he said. 'I don't like that you're putting your life in jeopardy based on my supposition.'

'Your reasoning's sound. Sin'jari will surely try to make it back to the village through here. We just need to wait for him. Confront him.'

'What if he's already back?'

She sighed. 'I don't think he is. He would've made himself known. His voice would be raised loudly against us by now.' Ashley glanced around the small chamber. It seemed crowded with the six mimi'swee guards and Tru'gula. Other hunters guarded the way here, but eventually word would spread and others would come and investigate. She just hoped they could capture Sin'jari before a circus erupted. A crowd could get ugly before she could prove her innocence.

As if confirming her thoughts, a commotion could be heard brewing out in the tunnel. Voices were raised. Suddenly an explosion of bodies burst into the chamber. Several figures, still wrestling, rolled into the room.

Michaelson yanked her behind him. Even Tru'gula stepped in front of her, blocking the way to her.

She watched as the hunters tangled with other, puglike mimi'swee, but the few hunters were quickly overwhelmed by the score of attackers. And to make matters worse, a single jab by an attacker's spear or dagger sent the mildly injured into convulsions.

Soon only she, Michaelson, and Tru'gula were still standing. At least ten of the short, muscular attackers surrounded them.

'Silaris!' Tru'gula said, and spat in their direction.

The offenders made no move toward them, seeming nervous about attacking one of the elders.

A noise behind them drew everyone's attention to the wormhole. As she watched, Sin'jari slipped out of the tunnel, followed by two ugly mimi'swee. Ashley recognized them as the two who were with Sin'jari before. She also recognized the resemblance between them and the attackers blocking the exit. They were Sin'jari's men, his clan.

Sin'jari smiled, showing all his teeth. He didn't have to say a word. He just fingered a dagger and stepped toward Ashley.

Groaning, Ashley realized she'd led them all into a trap.

Ben willed Harry's sled to faster speeds, the rock walls a blur around him. Going downhill with the throttle fully open had increased the speed to fifty miles an hour. On turns, he banked to the ceiling.

He squinted forward, needing to pay close attention, ready to brake as soon as he saw the exit. To fly out of the wormhole at this speed was certain death. He shifted the rifle from under his hip where it chafed.

C'mon, the exit shouldn't be too far ahead, he thought. Maybe if he concentrated, used his heri'huti powers, he'd get an inkling of how far he had to go.

He relaxed his eyes and willed his heart to slow. Even before he'd achieved the proper state, someone reached him. Someone was calling to him. An image coalesced in front of him, superimposed over the sight ahead like some wispy ghost. A scarred face. Tru'gula.

The figure blinked a few times, then spoke. 'Hurry!'

'I know. I got that message already,' Ben said.