And why two people were in grave danger.
Joseph peered into the rock opening. Could there be a way through here to where Annabelle and Nugget were being held?
A sound, almost like someone calling Annabelle’s name, reached his ears. Joseph squeezed in deeper. Could they have escaped?
“Annabelle....” The word echoed to his ears.
They were there. Had to be.
He squeezed back out of the cave and motioned to Wes and Frank. “I can hear someone calling to Annabelle through here.”
Without waiting for their answer, Joseph returned to where he’d positioned himself.
“I’ve got a lantern.” Wes’s voice sounded behind him, and light filled the tight space.
Joseph pressed against the wall, realizing there wasn’t enough room for two men to walk comfortably in the space, which dead-ended only a few feet ahead of him.
“Annnnnnnaaaaabellllllleeee....” The voice came again. “Bring out my silver, or we’re going to use dynamite.”
Dynamite. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as the air grew distinctly colder.
In a cavern like this, who knew how stable the rocks around them were. Dynamite could get them all killed.
A child’s voice singing “Rock of Ages” echoed through the cavern. Nugget.
“Give me the lantern.” He reached back to Wes, who handed him the light.
Joseph held it up, shining it against each side of the rock around them. Surely there was some passageway to lead them to the girls.
* * *
Light seeped through the crack of the boulder that Nugget had said her father pushed aside to get her out. Was it one of Slade’s men? Or someone come to save them?
“Rock of Ages, cleft for me. Let me hide myself in thee.”
Though Nugget’s childish voice spoke of Christ, Annabelle looked around for a hiding place in the rock they were already hiding in. Was there a deeper place for them to find themselves in?
A small voice inside her told her to have a little faith. And she was reminded that she needed to simply believe.
“Annnnnaaabellleee....” Slade’s voice came from the other end, though sounding closer than his previous threats had been. “Bring out my silver, or I’m going to use dynamite.”
Surely he wouldn’t be threatening dynamite if he was sending someone else in through the other side.
“Nugget.” Annabelle got the little girl’s attention, and indicated to the rock. “I see light coming from there.”
The little girl jumped up. “Papa!”
She ran to the boulder and clawed at the crack. “Papa, we’re here. The bad men are trying to steal our silver.”
“Nugget!”
Joseph. Tears clogged her throat at the sweet sound of a voice she’d never imagined she’d hear again. Annabelle closed her eyes and breathed a simultaneous prayer of relief and prayer for his safety. Against these evil men, Joseph would be no match.
Still, he was alive. All the regret over his death could be erased. She could love him, and let him love her in return.
If they got out alive.
She spoke low and urgently, not wishing for their voices to echo back to Slade. “We’re both here, and we’re safe. But I don’t know for how much longer. Slade is threatening to use dynamite if we don’t bring out silver for him.”
“Papa moved the rock out of the way to get me out of here,” Nugget added.
“Who else is there?” Slade’s voice called out. He yelled something to his men, probably to either look for the other entrance or ready the dynamite. Neither would end well for them.
Annabelle knelt in front of Nugget. “Can we send some silver their way? If we tempt them with something, it will give Joseph more time to get us out of here.”
Nugget looked in the direction they’d come from, then back at the boulder. “But Papa said...”
“If there’s a lot of silver, it won’t matter if we give them some. Besides, it’ll give the sheriff a way to find them.”
The little girl examined her like an older, wiser, person would. Weighing the risks and benefits of her plan. But mostly, she looked like she wanted to cry.
Nugget nodded slowly, then walked over to another rock. “Behind there.”
It looked like any other rock in the place. Part of the many piles of rocks that seemed to lead nowhere. But she trusted Nugget. Annabelle pushed against the rock, but it didn’t budge.
“Help me.”
Nugget joined her, pushing with all the might the little girl had. Her face reddened with the exertion, but nothing seemed to move.
From the direction of the other boulder, Annabelle could hear sounds of scraping at rock, but no movement.
“Annnnaaabellle....” Slade’s voice threatened.
“I’m trying,” she called back. “Truly. I just need to move this rock.”
She pushed harder, using all of her strength. Nugget grunted as she helped Annabelle push against the rock, which began to move slightly.
Finding silver would give them more time for Joseph to get through the other entrance.
“Dynamite can move the rock.”
His voice sounded closer, like he’d managed to find a way through the tiny passageway.
Nugget seemed to realize that, too, as she cast a worried look in Annabelle’s direction.
“Come on.” She motioned to Nugget, and pointed at the other boulder.
They moved to the other boulder. “Slade is coming,” Annabelle said in a harsh whisper.
“Push!” Annabelle said loud enough for Slade, or whoever he might be sending after the silver, to hear.
They gave a couple of shoves at the rock, just as Slade entered the larger cavern.
Annabelle’s heart stuck in her throat, and she willed it to go back to normal. To cling to the hope that Joseph would find a way to get them out.
Slade’s clothes were torn and covered in dust from using a pick to get to them. Dirty, messy work, and he clearly wasn’t happy about having to do the work himself. And, she noted, he’d had to leave his gun behind. Maybe they stood a chance after all.
He tossed the pick at them as he held up the lantern. “What kind of trick is
