“What we hadn’t noticed in the deeper cave was that there were bats all over the ceiling.When he began to scream, they started flying.Hundreds of them.Of course, we ducked and hit the ground.When we did, my hand landed on the flashlight.I shook it back to life and grabbed Ezra’s hand.I figured if the bats were leaving, we could follow them.So we crawled on our hands and knees, following the direction they went.When we made it back to the wide cavern, my grandfather stood there holding my hat that must have fallen off.Eyes wide and intense, hands shaking.He’d seen the bats pouring out and had gone to investigate.When he spotted us…” Noah paused.“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so mad.”
“I’m sure he was just scared.”
“No doubt he was.When he calmed down and listened to the whole story, he said that God had led us out with the bats.”
“And you believed that?”
Noah hesitated.His spine tensed next to her.“I did.”
The use of past tense didn’t escape her.“And now?”
He didn’t answer and just held her hand.
But she couldn’t let it go.She offered his hand another squeeze.“And now?”
“My grandfather quoted a verse that day.John 1:5, ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’And it did seem that’s what happened.”
“But?”
“That’s a story for another day.”His voice dropped.“But I got out of that cave before, and we’ll get out of this one.”
“I’m surprised you ever went back in a cave again.”
“I think my love of adventure was born that day.I refused to let nature win.”
She released a small chuckle.“You are such a control freak.You even have to try to control nature.”
“I am not a control freak.”
“You always assign yourself to the most dangerous jobs.”
“I’m the boss.”
“Most bosses delegate.You need to trust your team more.Liam and Teague are good at their jobs.”
“I know that.”
She shrugged and shifted her headlamp.That’s when she saw it.
A glint in the shadows.Tucked behind a jagged rock formation near the far wall.
Solid.Angular.Like…the treasure chest Nimue had found.
Her heart lurched.
The gold?Could it really be in here?
She opened her mouth to tell Noah, but Lydia gasped—a sharp, choking sound.Meg’s head whipped back.Lydia’s eyes were wide and glassy with pain, with her fingers clawing at her chest.
No.No, no, no!
“Noah, help me!”Meg’s voice cracked as she leaned over, her hands flying to Lydia’s neck.
The pulse was erratic—racing, then slowing.All wrong.
Meg pressed her stethoscope to Lydia’s chest—no breath sounds on the left.Now the right was muffled.Jugular veins bulging.Skin clammy and pale, lips darkening to purple.
“Cardiac tamponade.”Meg’s whisper was thick with horror.
