Torrent(73)

We didn’t have to go far to find Simon. He was on his way to find us. Before we reached the intersection, he popped into view ahead and waved enthusiastically.
“I found the way into the cave,” he said.
“We found the monster,” I said.
His waving hand drooped. “Down here?”
“It found another way in. As much as I’d like to explore this place and as much as I’d like to see that creature out of commission, I don’t think we’re capable of taking it on, and right now, it’s between us and the others, so we can’t count on them and that sword for protection.”
Simon’s shoulders slumped.
“Look, we can still wait outside the hole or by their motorcycles and see what they come out with.”
“Agreed,” Temi said.
“I wish I’d at least caught some pictures of it,” Simon said. “You didn’t take one of it swimming, did you?”
“Sorry, no. But there’s some gold back there.” I jerked a thumb behind us. “We can come back before the general populace finds this place and collect enough to pay the bills for a few months. No need to keep ads—or sensationalist pictures—plastered all over our business site.”
Simon shrugged in defeat and turned around.
We made it back to the intersection and climbed up the way we’d descended. The smooth walls didn’t offer any handholds, and soon we were all streaming with sweat. Temi never complained, but I heard hisses of pain, though she tried to stifle them. The leg she favored stuck out behind her, so she was using only her arms and her good leg to climb up the slope.
I kept waiting for the light to appear ahead of us, but it never did. My brow furrowed in confusion when we came to a dead end. I pointed my flashlight at the coarse rock blocking the way.
“There’s only one tunnel, right? We didn’t go up a wrong one somehow, did we?”
“No,” Simon said, his voice grim and without the confusion in mine. “This is our tunnel.”
The truth dawned on me. “Oh.”
The creature had blocked the exit.






 
    Nine by Night: A Multi-Author Urban Fantasy Bundle of Kickass Heroines, Adventure,   Magic
    
 


 

CHAPTER 24

Pushing against a boulder isn’t comfortable under any circumstances. I recommend it even less when doing it in a four-foot-wide tunnel with two other people trying to help. After suffering Simon’s hair up my nose and Temi’s elbow in my back for a small eternity—at least thirty seconds—I backed off and slumped to the ground. The others sighed and sank to their butts as well.
I pointed at Simon’s nose. “I want you to remember this the next time you wish to insult, demean, or stick your tongue out at a man-slaying monster.”
Simon opened his mouth as if he’d protest, but then he flopped against the wall. “Yeah, I am feeling a bit like the fox in the hunter’s trap.”#p#分页标题#e#
I rolled to an upright position, insomuch as I could in the low tunnel. “Let’s see this other exit you found.”
“We’re going into the cavern?” Temi asked.
“I don’t know. We can take a look. Didn’t you want to warn the others?”
“It may be too late by now,” she muttered.
“If they’re dead, we have to get that sword so someone can put it to use on the monster,” Simon said.
“Someone, not us,” I said. “Maybe we could recruit some uber warrior to use it.”
“Do they have uber warriors in Prescott?” Temi asked.
“I’m sure there are black belts in some martial art, not to mention all those soldiers who rolled in. At the least, there are better fighters than us. Besides—” I pointed at the boulder, “—we’re not getting out that way without explosives, and I forgot to pack the TNT.”
I started sliding back down the tunnel. At this point, I was willing to risk being horribly slain for the chance to stand up straight and stretch for a few seconds.
“I think they use C4 these days,” Temi said, crawling after me. With her stiff leg and six-foot frame, she had to be aching for a chance to stand up even more than I.
“Yeah, but we don’t have any of that,” I said.
“You have TNT?”
“In our storage locker in Phoenix,” Simon said. “We found some old unexploded sticks while we were scavenging around the Superstition Mountains. Don’t tell the manager. It’s not legal.”
“Legal? Is it safe?” Temi asked.
“No,” I said. “The sticks were tucked at the bottom of a crate of dusty mining helmets and lamps we found on an old claim. We’re lucky we didn’t blow ourselves up coming down the bumpy road out of the mountains.”