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For no particular reason, her surroundings brought to mind a passage of scripture she’d been required to memorize as a kid in Sunday School.
The Lord is my Shepherd. I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely, your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
“Amen,” Mato puffed in front of her. “Now be quiet! I’m begging you.”
Her gaze flew to his bunched shoulder blades. She was kind of surprised he hadn’t shushed her sooner. They ran until she got a stitch in her side, but he still didn’t stop.
She locked her elbows against her sides and continued to run bent forward. A couple of months ago, she’d have never lasted this long. She had Shep’s search and rescue training sessions to thank for helping her build her physical endurance.
“Almost there,” Mato panted. He didn’t slow his pace until they reached a pass between two steep hills. It felt like they’d been running for hours.
He stopped so short that she almost ran into him. The base of the hill to the right was a solid line of craggy rock. It made no sense to stop here. There was no place to hide.
She sagged against it, sucking in air to refill her starving lungs. “Where are we?” She was careful to keep her voice down.
He angled his head to the left. “Over the next hill is the garage you toured. There’s a maze of tunnels underneath it. Mydad’s waiting for us in one of them.” He used his shoulder to nudge aside a set of vines and brambles covering the rocks like a curtain. A cavern opening appeared on the other side of the curtain.
A wave of amazement swept over her. It was so strong that she wondered if it was what Moses had felt like when the Red Sea parted for him and his people.
Mato ushered her into the opening ahead of him. “There’s only one direction to go. You’ll know when we get there.”
Okay, then.She plodded forward, still half-bent over.
“What’s wrong?” Mato’s hushed voice echoed ominously off the rocky walls.
“Where do I start?” A bubble of hysterical laughter rose inside her.
He ignored her sad attempt at humor. “Are you hurt?”
“Do my feelings count?”
He snorted. “I’m sure they do with a certain deputy.”
“Stitch in my side,” she explained through gritted teeth as they pressed forward in the darkness. Once they left the curtain of vines behind, they were plunged into solid blackness. It was darker than night.
She stumbled into the wall more than once. Every time she slowed down, though, Mato growled for her to keep moving.
“You’ll be able to rest soon. Promise.” There was nothing comforting about the ghostly way his voice echoed back to them three or four times.
“Oh, goodie,” she bleated as she ran into the wall again.
