Joel was too busy taking it all in to realize that his dad was already making his way inside. Then he felt the pull of Gunner’s collar on his hand. Ben was already a few paces ahead and moving fast, given the slope of the mine shaft. Joel snapped out of it and followed along, ducking every few steps or so as he passed a set of timbers that ran up the walls and supported a heavy beam at the ceiling. The tunnel was high enough to stand up in, but the supporting timbers and random cables hanging from the ceiling occasionally forced him to bend down. Between the overhead obstacles and the loose shale pieces on the floor of the passageway, navigation took some effort. With Gunner pulling, at times Joel felt as though he were sliding downhill rather than making a controlled descent.
Joel stepped over an old lantern lying on the floor, steering Gunner to the far side of the shaft to avoid any broken glass. How far did this go? He wasn’t claustrophobic, but he knew enough about mine shafts to be concerned for their safety.
There was no shortage of abandoned gold and silver mines in the San Juan Mountains back home in Durango. In fact, the mines and long-abandoned mining camps were some of the most popular spots along the jeep trails he and his friends frequented. They were also among the most dangerous places if you wandered too far off the trail. There were plenty of stories about people who had ventured into the mines or old structures and were never seen again.
This place reminded him of some of the mines he’d shone a flashlight down into, but that was the closest he ever dared get. Some of the structural supports in here showed signs of rot and decay. Joel wondered how old this mine was, but even more importantly, how safe was it in here?
The temperature was the only good thing about the experience so far, and he was thankful for it. It must have been at least ten degrees cooler in the mineshaft than it was outside. That was little consolation, though, and Joel would gladly take the heat over this feeling any day. He found that there was no need to hold Gunner back anymore. The dog seemed as concerned as he was about where they were headed and was happy to stay well behind Ben. It was a good thing, too, because Joel needed both hands to help navigate the shaft and keep his pistol ready. The angle of descent was mild, but the loose rocks underfoot made traversing the cavern more difficult.
Joel noticed his dad slow down and stop. Then he signaled for Joel to do the same. Joel crouched down and grabbed Gunner’s collar again, pulling the dog against the wall with him and making them as small a target as possible. There was nowhere to hide in here, other than behind the timber supports that, at best, provided eight inches of cover.
Joel looked back the way they had come in. There was no way they had moved that far into the mountain. He’d been checking behind them occasionally, but he couldn’t even see the entrance anymore. They were a good ways down in the shaft, well past the distance he was hoping they would have to descend when they first found the mine. No matter what, there was no quick way out. Going back would be a lot harder on them, especially since they’d be moving uphill and fighting for traction the whole way.
While holding Gunner, he watched his dad and used the back of his pistol-holding hand to wipe his brow. As much as he tried to fight it, he was feeling the effects of the schedule they’d been keeping. The lack of sleep and good food was starting to bother him. He’d convinced himself that he was fine, but there was no denying the fatigue he felt now.
His limbs were heavy, and more than anything, he wanted to just sit down somewhere comfortable. But they were a long way from that, and he knew it. He couldn’t allow those thoughts any space in his head right now. He needed to push through and help his dad because he wasn’t just fighting for himself and his family—this was for Allie.
Chapter Nineteen
If it wasn’t for the missing gear and supplies, Ben would have abandoned this search long ago. The loss in elevation hadn’t gone unnoticed over the last fifty yards or so of the tunnel, and all he could think about was that if they did find their things down here, it was going to take a colossal effort to get them topside. He wasn’t sure where he was going to find the energy for that type of undertaking, although right now, he’d just be happy to find their stuff. This was their last hope.
Ben was optimistic, though. He could still hear an engine running. He couldn’t put his finger on it when they first heard the noise outside, but he was fairly certain it was a small generator. That would explain the lights. The farther down the shaft they traveled, the louder the noise became. He was expecting to find the source soon, maybe in a larger space with all their belongings. Judging by the way the sound echoed off the walls, he guessed that they had to be close. He certainly hoped so, because he was eager to get back to the others. They’d been gone longer than he wanted already. Searching the old man’s house had turned into a trip down a rabbit hole.
Ben checked back with Joel and made sure he was hanging in there. He was worried about his son after the incident upstairs and thought he was
