Jason leaned back against a stalagmite and attended to his game. At least he would have something to do while they waited. Immersed in the world of Nintendo, it was almost like he was back home. By now his mother was usually complaining about the noise from his Game Boy. Sighing, he plunged his character into level twelve.
'Jason, could you turn that off,' Blakely said, standing up. 'The noise.'
Jason grinned. Just like his mother. What was it with grown-ups anyway?
'Please, Jason, hurry.' There was a note of urgency in his voice.
He clicked off the game and stood up, crossing closer to Blakely. 'What-'
'Shhh! I thought I heard something.'
Jason held his breath, picturing another of those creatures sneaking up on them. He shifted farther behind the doctor. They waited for several tense heartbeats. It was difficult to hear with the waterfall crashing so close. Straining with so much churning water nearby was beginning to make his ears ring. He swallowed hard, his mouth dry. Maybe the doctor had just thought he heard something. Like one of those desert mirages, but with sound. He sure as heck hoped so.
Blakely shook his head. 'I don't know-'
'
Blakely looked at Jason. 'Someone's out there! I can't believe it!'
Jason watched as Blakely climbed on top of a boulder. It took the old man a few tries to boost up on top. Jason clambered deftly up next to him. 'Who do you think it is?'
'I don't know, but let's find out.' Blakely cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, '
Jason listened for a reply. Nothing for several heart-beats, then an answer: '
'I told you someone would find us. I told you.' Blakely suddenly sounded exhausted and wheezy as he scooted from the boulder.
Jason watched the doctor slump to his knees beside the rock. Something was wrong.
Jason hopped down and crossed to the doctor. Blakely coughed raggedly, then slipped to his side and collapsed.
'Dr. Blakely!' Jason tugged on his arm. He didn't respond.
Jason's heart seized in his throat. He searched around him, desperate, his hands shaking. Jason darted to the boulder top and screamed at the shadows, '
Linda hurried to catch up with Khalid, her pack dangling from one shoulder. She stared across the cavern. 'That sounded like Ashley's son.'
Khalid grunted and continued deeper into the cavern, aiming for the foot of the falls. He held a pistol in his left hand. 'If it is Jason,' he finally said, 'then we must be near the base. Blakely would not let the boy travel far from the security of the camp.'
She eyed the gun. 'What're you going to do?'
'Complete my mission.'
'What do you mean?'
'That depends on you.'
Linda swallowed hard. 'Listen, Khalid, I don't want
His eyes became shadowed under heavy brows. 'Then keep your mouth shut. As long as they stay blind to my mission, I'll spare them.'
She remembered Villanueva murdered so suddenly and needlessly. 'I won't say a word.'
Khalid nodded and set up a quicker pace again. Within a few yards, he pointed forward. 'Over there. On top of that rock. I can see him. It's the boy.'
She squinted. There were boulders everywhere. Then she saw the tiny figure waving his arms. She called to him, '
Jason saw them. Two people wearing helmets; their lamp lights sparked across the fungus-lit cavern. They had seen him. Someone called to him, but the falls drowned out the words. Still, it didn't matter. The important thing was they were coming.
He clambered off the rock to check on Blakely. The doctor's color had blanched, his lips purplish. He still breathed, but each inhalation rattled, as if pebbles filled his chest.
Jason hugged himself, shifting from foot to foot. 'C'mon, Doc, don't die. Help is coming.' He turned in the direction of the rescuers. Hurry, he prayed.
He sat down next to Blakely, picking up one of his hands. So cold, he thought. He rubbed the hand, like Aladdin with a lamp, wishing for the doctor to get better. As if in answer to his wish, a groan escaped the old man's lips. Jason rubbed harder, then darted to the other side and rubbed his left wrist and hand. 'C'mon, Doc, c'mon.'
The doctor's eyelids fluttered apart, pupils crossing, then his eyes snapped back into focus. He let out another loud groan, then just breathed thickly. Finally, he spoke: 'J-Jason?'
'Are you okay?'
The doctor's lips were taut with pain as he whispered, 'M-my m-medicine. Nitro… nitroglycerine.'
Jason looked around him. 'Where?'
The doctor lifted his hand, but it dropped limply. 'M-my pocket. Inside… my jacket.'
Jason patted the doctor's clothes and discovered a tell-tale bulge in the inner breast pocket. He fished out a red plastic bottle. 'Is this it?'
'Y-yes.'
'What do I do?'
'One… no, two pills.'
It took Jason a minute to get the childproof cap off the bottle. He tapped two pills into his palm.
The doctor's eyes opened again. 'Good boy.' His voice sounded ghostly. Almost like he was some ventriloquist doll and the speaker was miles away. 'U-under my t-tongue.'
Jason reached across and dropped the two pills inside the doctor's mouth. He watched as Blakely worked the tablets around. Then the doctor closed his eyes and took several deep breaths.
Letting his head hang in relief, Jason thanked whoever was watching over them.
Just then a voice spoke directly behind him, causing him to jump in fright. 'Jason? My god, what happened?'
He whirled around and stared into a familiar face. Her hair was stringy with mud, and dark shadows circled her eyes, but she was still a wonderful sight. 'Linda!' He jumped up and ran into her arms.
She hugged him tight, and tears burst forth from his eyes. He cried into her shirt, all the pain and terror of two days releasing in a single torrent.
'Oh, Jason.' She rocked him in her arms. 'You're okay.'
He continued to cry, knowing he should stop, but he found he couldn't. He let himself be held and rocked, his body wracked with sobs. He didn't ever want to leave her arms.
An accented voice intruded.
Jason peeked a moist eye open and saw the blue-steel pistol in the Egyptian's hand. He stiffened in Linda's arms.
'So what the hell happened here?' Khalid asked.
BOOK FOUR
TWENTY-ONE
