He was suddenly grateful that the darkness obscured the view below. It didn't seem so dangerous when he couldn't see how far he would fall if he slipped.
'Stop,' Nikos whispered. He was pressed up against the wall, his face in shadows.
He was about to ask what was wrong when he heard the clatter of footsteps ahead on the ledge.
Someone was moving along just ahead of them; the rocks hid whoever it was. There was no time to do anything but try to melt into the boulders. He pressed himself against the wall, and recoiled in pain as a jagged stone poked him in the side.
The footsteps grew louder. He saw movement in the dark. Whoever it was stopped, probably sensing their presence. They were trapped.
A weird, pathetic bleating cut through the silence and Nikos laughed. 'It's just a goat with three little ones behind her.'
'What are they doing here?'
'They live up here. They're wild.'
Nikos softly called the goat, but the animal obdurately held its ground. 'Is there any other way we can go?' Indy asked.
'No.'
Indy looked around, and spotted a thick branch hanging over the trail. He unhitched his whip, and with a smooth snap of his wrist snared the branch. Then he swung out from the ledge and around the goats, landing on the far side of them.
'Move it,' he hissed, and the goat and its little ones hurried ahead.
'How did you do that?' Nikos asked, amazed.
'Lucky, I guess. Let's go.'
They cautiously worked their way around the rocks until they could see the mouth of the cave. Light flickered from the interior. Someone was there.
Indy patted Nikos on the shoulder. 'Good going. You were right.'
They edged closer.
A tree grew from somewhere above the ledge and its branches shrouded the cave's entrance. No wonder they hadn't seen the light from the fire when Nikos had first pointed out its location. As they moved within a few feet of the opening, Indy heard the murmur of voices. Behind him, Nikos cleared his throat. Indy turned to him, touched a finger to his mouth. But he tripped over a loose rock, sending it tumbling into the ravine.
'There, did you hear that?' It was Dorian's voice. 'Alex, go out and take a look.'
Indy held his breath. Oh, God. If that eagle was his protector, he needed its help now.
'I was just out there,' Mandraki barked. 'I told you it's goats. Stupid little goats.'
'Sorry. I guess I'm nervous,' Dorian answered.
Indy wiped his brow. He thanked God. He thanked the eagle. He thanked whoever else might be responsible for keeping Mandraki in the cave. He carefully moved for ward until he reached the corner of the opening. He dropped to one knee, and peered into the cave. A fire burned in the center of the cavern, its smoke disappearing through an unseen chimney in the roof. Several figures were seated around the blaze.
Dorian's back was to him, and next to her was Mandraki. Across from them, he could see two soldiers with rifles.
His eyes adjusted to the flickering light, and now he
could see two bodies lying prone beyond the fire. They were on their stomachs, hands tied behind them.
Beyond them were three long, shallow holes and a shovel lying on the ground. Was this an excavation site that he didn't know about? He doubted it. The holes looked more like graves. New ones. Three of them.
'Alex?'
'What?'
'This was a big mistake,' Dorian said. 'We should have left them alone.'
'No. It wasn't a mistake. If I'd allowed them to talk to Jones, he'd be gone, and we need him tomorrow.'
'By now he knows something is going on. He won't show up at the ruins. He'll be looking for his friends.'
'We can control that situation,' Mandraki assured her.
Indy motioned Nikos to move back. Cautiously, they edged away from the cave entrance until they were out of hearing range. 'Listen, Nikos, I want you to go back to the hotel. If anyone asks for me, say I came back early and went to bed.'
'What are you going to do?'
'Find a safe place to keep watch. Sooner or later, Dorian and Mandraki will leave. That's when I make my move.'
While Nikos headed down toward the ruins, Indy worked his way above the ledge until he found a spot with a view that would allow him to see anyone leaving the cave. That is, if he could stay awake. He gathered together leaves for a cushion and sat down, propping his back against a tree. He rubbed his sore thigh, and adjusted the band covering his ribs. He tried to relax, and puzzled again over what Dorian and Mandraki would want with Shannon and Conrad, and why the two men had come here. But the more he thought about it the more baffled he became.
He closed his eyes, started to doze, and jerked awake.
He stood up and paced to stay alert. Just as he settled down again, he heard a noise, not from below but from the rise above him. He turned his head and listened. Must be the goats.
Below him he saw a dancing shadow. He leaned for ward, and watched. Then he realized it was light from the fire in the cave. They'd probably just stoked it with more wood. He readjusted his position, hunkering lower against the trunk as he tried to get comfortable. He hugged himself, rubbing his arms. It was chilly and damp. If the four in the cave were taking turns watching their captives, it was going to be a long night.
His eyelids felt heavy again. He blinked, rubbed his cheeks, and stared ahead. He imagined Dorian and Mandraki huddled by the fire staying warm, then the image slid away and shifted. He and Dorian were in a berth on the train snuggled together. Warm, safe. But then he sensed something ominous. It was near, but he couldn't see it. It was a man, a blond-haired man staring down at him, the same man who had followed Dorian after she'd spoken to him, the man who had disappeared on the train. The man pointed, and his mouth moved. What was he saying? A warning about something, but Indy couldn't hear him clearly.
Indy jerked awake, shaking his head.
Someone was disturbing his sleep. He should know who it was. He should do something, but the voices blended with a dream in which he was back in Chicago. Dorian's voice.
Dorian didn't belong in Chicago. He blinked his eyes open, and took his bearings.
The moon was dipping behind the mountain, but there was still enough light to see the ledge. No one was there.
But a man's voice issued from the cave. Then Dorian's voice. They were arguing.
How long had he slept? He pulled out his watch. He'd been here more than two hours.
'I'm leaving,' Dorian said.
'All right. I'm coming with you,' the man answered. He spoke in a lower voice to someone else, then Dorian emerged from the cave.
Indy peered down at the ledge as Mandraki followed her. He watched them until they were out of sight.
He waited, listened. The sound of their footsteps receded, then vanished. He stood up again, a hand resting on his coiled whip. Now he was ready.
He worked his way along the ridge above the ledge, looking for the way down. The scent of the air was rich, cold, almost sweet, and made him want to close his eyes again, sleep again. Somewhere along there the under brush opened enough to climb down, he thought. Okay, this was it. He was about to descend when the snap of a twig brought him up short.
