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Khalid scowled, rubbing at his arm where the ammonite had bit him. "I'd rather avoid that ecosystem myself and stick to dry land."
"I found something!" Ben called from several yards away.
Khalid craned his neck to stare over at Ben. He stood by the cavern wall with a match in his hand.
Ashley called to him. "What is it, Ben?"
"I found another passage out of here."
Who was he kidding? Ashley thought, eyeing the narrow crack, buried in the shadowed fold of the rock face? It extended from floor to ceiling, but gapped only a foot wide. Easy to miss. "Nobody could fit through there," she said. "It's too narrow."
"No, I measured it," Ben said.
"With what?"
"My boot."
She gave him a blank stare.
"It's a caver's rule of thumb. 'If it's wider than your boot, through there one can scoot.'"
"I don't think so. Especially Halloway. He's a big guy."
"It would be a tight squeeze, but I know he could've fit."
"Besides, who knows if there's anything on the other side?"
In answer, Ben held up a lighted match to the crack. The flame bent away from the opening. "Wind," he said. "There's a breeze blowing from beyond there."
Ashley watched the flame flicker. Perhaps…
A scraping from the wormhole behind her drew her attention away. A pair of legs slid backward out of the opening. It was Villanueva. He stood up, wiping his hands on his knees.
"It's blocked," he said, huffing a bit. "There's a rock-fall blocking the passage about thirty yards in. I had a hell of a time backing all the way up here."
Ashley swore. If it was blocked, then there was only one other way to proceed forward.
Linda stepped up and peeked into the narrow slit. "But would Halloway have gone this way?" She seemed to eye the crack with fear. "I mean, why would he even cross the river?"
Villanueva answered, "If something attacked him. Something he couldn't handle. He would try to lead it away. Keep it from surprising us like it did him."
"Why do you think that?" Ashley asked.
Villanueva met her eyes. "It's what I would have done."
Ashley chewed at her lip. "So what do you suggest we do?"
"He's trying to buy us time to escape. I say we use it."
She closed her eyes, hating the thought of abandoning him.
Ben called from where he had edged into the crack, exploring the passage. "Come see this!"
As Ashley approached Ben, he reached a hand toward her from the narrow slit. His palm was covered in blood. Fresh blood.
"He's been this way," Ashley muttered. "Just recently." She turned back to Villanueva. "So do you think we should still go back?"
His jaw muscles tightened. "You're the leader."
Ben climbed from the slit. "So who's going through first? We should hurry."
Ashley sighed. Obviously Ben had been deaf to their discussion. "It's more complicated than that."
"What? We're right behind him."
"Villanueva thinks Halloway might be trying to draw something away from us."
Ben's voice rose in anger. "Or maybe he's just bloody hurt! Seeking shelter." He grabbed her shoulder. "Ash, I swear he's just ahead of us. We can't leave him."
She rubbed at her tired eyes, then nodded. "Okay. Let's go."
Linda stood in her underwear, shivering by the wall. She had shed her backpack and even her coveralls. Less to snag and catch, Ben had said. Narrows the profile. She shuddered. How could she possibly wedge her body into that slit? The walls would squeeze the breath from her chest.
They waited for Ben to report on his reconnaissance of the crack. He had squished into the black rock over three minutes ago. Ashley and Michaelson stood as sentries to either side as he reported his progress.
"I'm through," he called, his voice echoing into their cavern. "The passage is only six feet long, then it abruptly widens into a decent-sized tunnel. It's a piece of cake. Only one doozy of a tight spot just near the end."
Ashley faced the group. "I'm gonna send Villanueva next. He's the widest of all of us. If he can make it through, then we all can."
No one argued.
Linda held her breath, hoping the SEAL would fail; then she wouldn't have to face the crush of those walls. Her heart sank when she heard Ben's cheer.
"He's through! Scraped his chest a bit, but no harm done."
Ashley rubbed her hands together. "All right! Let's move!"
Khalid went next. Before he left her side, he gave Linda's hand a squeeze. She hardly felt it. Linda watched as he disappeared, a rope trailing from his waist. Once through, the rope would be used to ferry the packs through the slit.
"All clear!" Ben called. "Send the packs next!"
It took ten long minutes to hook and drag the packs of supplies and weapons to the far side.
"That's the last of them," Ashley yelled. She turned to Linda. "You're next."
Linda didn't move, staring at the black crack. She willed her legs forward, but they refused. It was getting hard to hear the others over her pounding heart, her wheezing breath.
"Linda?"
"I… I… can't do it."
"Sure you can. Villanueva is twice as big as you."
She shook her head, swallowing hard, pushing the words through her constricted throat. "No. I can't. It's too tight."
Ashley came over and put an arm around her. Linda shivered uncontrollably. "We can't leave you behind." Ashley tightened the arm around Linda's shoulder. "I tell you what. I'll go with you. Be right behind you. You can do this, Linda."
Ashley stepped forward, forcing her to follow.
"I… I'll try," Linda said dragging her leaden feet. "But please hold my hand. Don't let go." Her voice cracked at the end.
"I won't. We'll do this together."
Linda attempted a smile, but failed miserably. Led by the hand, she was coaxed forward. Her mouth felt as if someone had poured a bucket of sand down her throat.
"Just keep your helmet light pointing forward," Ashley said. "Lean your back on the left wall. According to Ben, it's the smoothest. Then just slide."
Linda maneuvered her left shoulder into the crack, her toes pointing forward and backward. Inching into the crack, she tried to halt the panicked flutter of her heart and just concentrate on going forward. Up ahead, light diffused around the curve of the narrow crack. Just steps away, the others waited for her.
