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He kept the pistol in one hand as they eased the boat into the gentle, slapping water. Pallas waded out a few steps and prepared to climb in with exquisite care. This was no time to lose her balance.
“You down there in the tunnel,” the first man yelled. His voice echoed from the top of the steps. “Come out or we’re coming in.”
“I’ll be right back,” Ambrose said.
Pallas gripped the side of the kayak, holding it steady in the water. “What are you doing?”
“Hang on,” he said.
He went to the lower entrance of the tunnel.
“You don’t want to come down here,” he shouted up the steps. “Geddings booby-trapped the stairs.”
“You think I believe that? Fuck you. You had your chance. I’m coming down.”
Ambrose fired two rounds. The shots boomed in the narrow confines of the tunnel.
“Fuck,” the first man shrieked.
He sent a volley of shots down the steps.
Ambrose was already loping back across the cavern. He waded into the water and held the kayak steady. “Get in.”
Pallas climbed inside and held out one hand. “Give me the gun. I don’t know how to paddle a kayak, but I can pull a trigger.”
He didn’t argue. He got into the small craft, grabbed the paddle, and used it to launch the kayak.
“Flashlight?” he said.
“Got it.”
There was a snick as Pallas switched on the big military-style flashlight. A brilliant beam pierced the darkness of the cave. He aimed the vessel toward what, judging by the direction the seawater was flowing, had to be the entrance that opened onto the cove. If he was wrong they were going to have an even bigger problem.
A strange silence fell behind them.
“Maybe they gave up,” Pallas whispered.
“I doubt it,” he said.
The exit point of the sea cave was dangerously narrow. They hadto keep their heads down to avoid getting brained by the rock overhead. Ambrose used the paddle to push the kayak away from the stone walls.
They rounded a crook in the cave and popped out into the cove.
The muffled rumble of the explosion reverberated through the cavern. A couple of heartbeats later the sound was followed by a second, louder roar.
It seemed to take forever for silence to fall.
“He went down the stairs,” Pallas said, stunned.
“Yes,” Ambrose said.
He focused on maneuvering the sleek kayak across the calm waters of the cove, aiming for the small patch of sandy beach.
“The house is on fire,” Pallas said suddenly. “So much for assuming the explosive device was small.”
Ambrose glanced back and saw the smoke at the top of the bluffs. He remembered the second explosion. “The first one was small, but it ignited the gas.”
They beached the kayak and waded ashore. He collected the go bag and slung it over one shoulder. Without a word Pallas handed him the pistol. They made their way up to the top of the bluffs.
