A low rumbling begins overhead, and small particles of dirt sift down from the ceiling. The timber supports creak ominously.
“Out!” I shout, grabbing the nearest documents. “Everyone out now!”
Jake helps Ella and Nora, who had wisely stayed near the entrance, while Kane is already ushering Kori and Mia out of the room toward the stairs, with Connor right behind them, carrying an armful of records.
Richard stands frozen, the metal box clutched to his chest. Lana is still beside the trunk, gathering as many papers as she can.
“Leave it!” I yell at them both, crossing the room in three quick strides. “We need to go!”
A larger chunk of ceiling crashes down near the center of the table, sending dust billowing through the chamber. The rumbling grows louder, and I can hear the support beams starting to splinter.
“Margret, go!” Richard shouts, pushing her toward the exit before turning back for more documents.
I grab Lana’s arm, pushing her toward the stairs as more debris rains down. “Come on!”
She clutches a bundle of papers to her chest but allows me to guide her toward the exit. Scout is already there, barking frantically.
We’re almost at the stairs when I hear Richard cry out behind us. I turn to see him pinned beneath a fallen beam, the metal box still gripped tightly in his hand.
“Caleb come on!” Lana urges, pulling my arm while she continues toward the stairs.
“I have to help him.” I don’t hesitate, rushing to Richard’s side as the chamber continues to collapse around us. The beam is heavy, but adrenaline surges through me as I brace myself and lift with everything I have, ignoring the screaming pain in my leg.
“Crawl out,” I grunt through gritted teeth.
Richard drags himself free, still clutching the metal box. “The documents,” he gasps, looking back at the table now half-buried in debris.
“Forget them,” I snap, hauling him to his feet. “Move!”
We stagger toward the doorway as the ceiling gives way behind us. I push Richard ahead of me to the stairs, the roar of collapsing earth deafening now. Something strikes my shoulder hard, sending a jolt of pain down my arm, but I keep moving.
The daylight at the top of the stairs seems impossibly far away. My lungs burn with dust, and my vision narrows to that single bright point. I can hear Lana calling my name, her voice cutting through the chaos even as I feel the stairs underneath me start to collapse.
Just a few more steps. Just a little further.
The ground beneath me shudders violently, and I lunge forward, throwing myself up the last few stairs as the world collapses behind me.
I burst out in a cloud of dust, strong hands grabbing me and pulling me clear as the last of the underground chamber implodes behind me. For several seconds, I can’t see anything through the billowing dirt, can’t hear anything over the thunderous rumble, and my own ragged breathing.
“Caleb!” It’s Lana’s voice, frantic and close. Her hands are on my face, brushing away grit. “Are you okay?”
I blink dust from my eyes, coughing violently as my lungs try to expel the debris. “I’m fine,” I manage between coughs, my shoulder throbs with each one. “Everyone okay?”
“All accounted for,” Kane says, handing me a bottle of water. “That was too damn close.”
As the dust settles, I take stock of our group. Jake and Connor are helping Richard to his feet; the older man is still clutching that metal box like his life depends on it. Margret stands nearby, her face ashen with shock. Ella has Nora wrapped protectively in her arms, the girl’s eyes wide with a mixture of fear and excitement, and Kori and Mia are stuffing documents in crates for transport.
And Lana—her hair now dulled to a dusty mauve—is kneeling beside me, concern etched across her features. “You’re bleeding,” she says, gently touching my temple.
I wince, only now becoming aware of the warm trickle down the side of my face. “Just a scratch.”
She gives me a look that says otherwise. “Let me see your shoulder.”
Before I can protest, she’s carefully pulling aside my jacket, revealing what will undoubtedly become an impressive bruise. Her fingers are gentle as they probe the area, checking for breaks.
“Nothing seems fractured,” she concludes, “but you’ll be feeling this tomorrow.”
“I’m feeling it now,” I admit with a grimace as I push myself to my feet. My leg protests sharply, reminding me that I’ve pushed it well beyond its limits today.
