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After we sign off with Ryan, Dash goes to confer with Finn and Fallon slips down in the seat beside me. “You okay, Sai?” she asks softly.
I shake my head, trying my best not to get emotional, but it’s so freaking hard. “He’s always been larger than life, you know?” I’m trying my best not to break down. “When they quarantined us together, I assumed we’d end up killing each other.”
A small smile tilts Fallon’s mouth up. “You do have a bit of a tempestuous relationship.”
“We ended up talking. He confided things to me that I never imagined possible, Fallon. And he asked me out.”
Fallon’s blue-green eyes go wide. “Like on a date?” she exclaims.
I nod and sniff. “We’re going out next week,” I say. “Or, at least, we’re supposed to, but now…” My voice trails off and Fallon leans forward and gives me a hug.
“I can’t wait to hear all the sordid details,” she says quietly. “I know Eden will want them, too.”
I hug her back hard, so grateful to have one of my best friends here with me.
We spend the rest of the flight reviewing the plan over and over, accounting for multiple ways things can go sideways. Keying in on the details helps me regain my confidence and control my fears, so when we land a little ahead of schedule, I’m ready to go. I’m all business now, shoving my emotions down deep. It’s time to focus and pull this mission off.
It’s time to save Maddox.
I check my Glock, then tuck it into the holster hanging at my right hip. Finn stays with the plane while Dash, Fallon and I slip into the woods and head for the mines. There are coal, salt and nickel mines in the area and the remoteness of the location works in our favor. Fewer prying eyes.
According to the maps Ryan emailed us, our best bet into the lab is through a coal mine just southeast of the building. It’s about two klicks away, an easy jog from the airstrip. Dash’s GPS guides us straight to the mine’s dark opening. Though a lot of the local mines are still in use, this area has been stripped and the mine abandoned
We pull out our flashlights and step inside the cave’s yawning, craggy mouth. I spot a mine car sitting on a track and glance over at Dash. “How deep are we going?” I ask.
“Deep enough, but don’t even think about using that rickety death trap,” he warns me.
But I’m already halfway over to it and Fallon is right on my heels.
“Ladies…” Dash growls.
“Get in, Boss Man,” I say and drop down into the front of the filthy, coal-dusted car. Fallon jumps in behind me and Dash grits his teeth as he catches up to us, knowing he won’t win.
“How’re we going to stop this thing?” he asks.
“I’m on the brake,” I assure him.
With a curse, he starts pushing it down the track and when it picks up momentum, heading toward a drop, he hops in the back.
When the car tilts and the track disappears into the pitch blackness ahead, I stifle a cry and hang on for dear life, praying that this brake I’m clutching onto actually works. The car careens through the darkness and I feel like I’m on the mine ride at Disneyland. If it weren’t for the dire situation, it might actually be fun.
I try the brake and it screeches loudly–good, at least it works–then release it and let the car pick up speed.
Dash has his glowing GPS system in his hand and he’s watching it closely. “Almost there,” he murmurs.
“How deep does this thing go?” Fallon asks, dark hair blowing wildly behind her.
“We’re going in pretty far, but not all the way,” Dash confirms. After another minute, he tells me to start braking.
I pull with all my might, but it’s not enough. When I give a frustrated cry, Fallon moves up beside me and together we pull back as hard as we can on the stick. It takes a minute, during which time I start to inwardly question some of my life choices, but the car eventually comes to a screeching halt.
“I thought I was going to have to get out and help,” Dash says in a dry, teasing voice. “You know, like in the second Indiana Jones.”
“Let’s just hope there aren’t any creepy human sacrifices going on down here,” Fallon says.
“There should be an access portal straight ahead,” Dash tells us. “The old mine used to connect to the lab, which at one point served as a hospital. Lots of accidents happen in mines.”
We all get out of the cart and Dash guides us over to a corner of the mine. When I don’t see a door, my stomach drops. “Where is it? Did they seal it?” My voice rises in panic as we all search.
