“Hold on there, missy. I never killed your big sis,” Hunt protested in a wounded tone.
“You were chasing her, and she fell! You might as well have killed her!”
The cowboy’s voice grew wary. “Now how’d you come to know that? Were you hidin’ out in the shop someplace?”
“I had a nightmare, and you were in it. I saw everything!”
“Cass,” Erik cautioned. It was the first time he’d actually used her name. “You really don’t want to upset the nice man, do you?”
“That’s right.” Leroy nodded approvingly. “You listen to that boy. He’s talkin’ sense. You ought’nt to rile a feller who’s got a gun pointed at your head. It just ain’t smart.”
“As if that matters!” Cassie could feel tears of frustration and sadness welling up in her eyes. The man who had pointlessly ended her sister’s life was about to end hers for no better reason.
“Mr. Hunt,” a voice called out tentatively from the shadows.
“Daniel,” Hunt shouted over his shoulder. “You stay behind me and point that flashlight so’s I can see everybody.”
“But Mr. Hunt,” the voice pleaded. “The Fallen Ones have given us all the information we need. We should be leaving now.”
“Don’t tell me my business, boy!” Leroy shot back. “Your daddy give me a job to do, and I’m gonna see that it gets done proper.”
“But Mr. Hunt,” the voice was more urgent now.
“Mr. Hunt, nothin’!” Leroy bellowed. “Do like I told you and train that flashlight over here.”
Cassie could hear the sound of feet scuffling through the dirt some distance behind her. A light flicked on obediently to reveal her two companions with their hands raised over their heads. Erik looked tight-mouthed and tense while Griffin was still gaping in shock. For once in his life, he seemed to be at a loss for words.
“I believe we got some loose ends need tyin’ up,” Hunt said pleasantly. “How about you two boys walk on down that ramp and go inside that tomb you was just lookin’ at.”
“Why should they?” Cassie demanded. “You’re just going to kill us all anyway!”
“Cass!” Erik warned again.
“Maybe I will, and maybe I won’t. There’s a lot of maybes could happen in the next five minutes or so.” He paused and regarded the two men who remained motionless.
“Daniel, you keep that light steady on them boys.” The beam traveled to the men’s faces, causing them to blink. “You fellers go on and do like I told you.”
Erik and Griffin, arms still overhead and flashlights still in hand, exchanged looks and complied. Hunt followed with Cassie in lockstep slightly ahead of him. She could feel the gun scraping against her temple as they walked. Daniel followed, his flashlight pointed dutifully ahead of the strange procession.
The men paused in front of the stomion.
“Go on now,” Hunt urged once more. “Inside.”
They had to crawl through the top half of the doorway since the bottom half was filled with fallen rock and gravel.
Once they were inside, Leroy threaded his way carefully down the rock-strewn ramp, still gripping Cassie by the neck.
He stopped right in front of the doorway. “Alright, missy, it’s your turn. In the hole. And don’t try runnin’. No way you can get past me anyhow without takin’ a bullet. Might as well join your friends inside.”
Cassie had no intention of trying to make a break for it. The dromos was only three feet wide, and most of it was clogged with debris. She wouldn’t be able to move in any direction without being caught. Hunt released his grip on her neck so she could breathe freely again. She knew the gun was still pointed at her as she crawled through the stomion into the tomb. Her companions trained their flashlights on her to make sure she was alright. She gave them a tremulous smile and walked to the center of the chamber. Erik pulled her behind him in a futile gesture of protection. Griffin closed ranks next to him.
“Daniel, come on down here and hand me that light,” Hunt instructed, his voice calm and matter-of-fact—as if he were asking someone to pass the peas at the dinner table.
“Please, Mr. Hunt!” the voice whined from the darkness once more. “I’m sure Father never intended for something like this to happen.”
“The hell he didn’t,” Leroy said over his shoulder. “Why’d you think he pulled me into this mess? To babysit you? You better do like I say, or he’s gonna know what a gutless wonder his boy is. You want that? You want me goin’ back and tellin’ your daddy how you let him down?”
“No,” the voice quavered.
“Good, that’s settled then,” Hunt said emphatically. “Now hand me that goddam light!”
Daniel wordlessly complied.
The cowboy leaned across the pile of rock that filled the lower half of the stomion, a flashlight in one hand and a gun in the other.
Cassie looked around the circular burial chamber—stone and mortar, no windows, not even a dark corner to hide in. They were trapped.
“Well, ain’t this handy. More folks ought to get snuffed right inside a tomb. Saves on funeral costs.” Leroy took aim and murmured, “Easy as shootin’ fish in a barrel.”
Cassie instinctively shut her eyes and put her hands over her ears. She didn’t want to know what was coming next.
What came next was something nobody expected. Without warning, a low rumble emanated from beneath their feet. The earth began to shiver. Cassie lost her balance. It seemed as if rock was raining down from the sky. The dromos walls were collapsing.
Leroy quickly retracted his head from the stomion.
Cassie could hear him calling to his companion. “Looks like Mother Nature is gonna finish the job for us. Come on, Daniel. We best get outta here while we still can!” The sound of footsteps sliding over gravel echoed in the tomb as the men scampered over the rock pile. The noise of their hasty retreat had barely faded before rock came crashing through the doorway, filling up the stomion completely, and burying the Arkana team inside.
When
