Whiteout

Chapter 11

Eleven

WAS THAT VANCE’S VOICE? And a little bit of reprieve from the darkness. The moments of faint light before the black descended again.

Someone had opened the door.

But why?

She froze and listened. Was it Ellie come to get what she wanted, then finish her off? Maya lifted her chin. “Whatever the case, I won’t give her what she wants for sure.” Because as soon as she had it, Maya was dead. And if she was to die, she’d go down fighting.

But with what? She had no weapon. Her fingers curled into fists. How could she defend herself in the dark?

Then again, it was Ellie. The woman had bested her once. Maya wouldn’t give her that option again. A footfall scraped on the ground.

“Maya! Are you in here?”

She gasped. “Gideon!” She didn’t dare move and risk a misstep in the dark in her desire to run to him.

“Maya?”

“Be careful. There are all kinds of rocks and debris on the floor. Ellie left me a flashlight with dead batteries.”

“Keep talking, I’ll come to you. I have my phone and am using the light.”

As soon as he rounded the slight curve, she could see the flashlight. When he reached her, she hugged him, crushed him to her, and listened to his heartbeat beneath her ear. “What’s happening? How did you wind up here?”

“I went looking for you, found Ellie, found your necklace on the floor—”

“You did! I dropped it, hoping someone would find it and you’d realize I left it on purpose.”

“When Ellie saw me find it, she knew the game was up, but she got the drop on me. Then told me she’d bring me to you, so I let her. Then Vance showed up and shot Ellie—”

“What!”

“It wasn’t too bad a wound, I don’t think, but he was going to get help for her. In the meantime, we need to get out of here before they come back.”

Her mind reeling, Maya shoved aside all the other questions and focused. “I don’t think we can push that door up.”

“We can’t. There’s an iron hook that the handle slides in to. It would be impossible to open from this side. We’re going to have to follow the tunnel and see where it leads.”

“I felt a draft and was walking into it, feeling my way with the wall, but I’ve had to go slow so I didn’t trip and fall. With your light, we can move faster.”

“For as long as it lasts. I have about half a battery.”

“Better than nothing.”

“Let’s go.”

They made their way slowly, with Gideon leading the way, shoving aside debris, rocks, spiderwebs, and whatever else blocked their path.

Maya held onto his belt and stepped where he stepped, grateful that he’d had the forethought to keep his phone on him.

She’d left hers on the charger when she’d gotten up this morning, figuring she’d get it when she learned others finally had a signal.

She hadn’t even thought about needing the flashlight option.

But now that she wasn’t in complete darkness, the panic—while still hovering on the edges of her mind—was under control for the moment.

“Do you still feel the breeze?” she asked.

“Yeah, it’s—” He stopped and she ran into his back.

He turned to steady her, catching her biceps, phone still held in his left hand. “Oops, sorry. Are you all right?”

“Yes, fine. What is it? Why’d you stop so—”

He shone the light and she gasped. “Oh. Oh no.” The path was completely caved in.

Blocked.

They were trapped.

And she was going to have a full-blown panic attack if she didn’t distract herself ASAP.

“What are we going to do?” she asked. “Where was the breeze coming from? We didn’t pass any openings on our way here.

Did we?” Her throat tightened. Her heart raced.

Her palms slicked and she thought she might pass out from lack of air.

“Gideon, I can’t breathe.” She tried sucking in more air, but there was none to be had.

Mentally, the doctor in her tried to reassure her panicked self that it was just an attack, she wasn’t going to die.

But it sure felt like it.

Gideon’s grip tightened. “Maya?”

“Let me sit a moment. It’s just a panic attack.” She tried another breath, only to have it stop somewhere above her lungs. Even knowing it wouldn’t kill her didn’t make her feel one bit better.

Gideon helped her to the floor of the tunnel and sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her snug up next to him.

And finally, a full breath expanded her lungs. Her heart slowed. Gideon was here. It was going to be all right. And she needed to pull it together so they could figure a way out. “Thank you,” she finally said. “It’s easing. I’m okay. Let’s keep going.”

“You’ve always hated tight places.”

“Dark places mostly, but small places aren’t exactly at the top of my ‘things to enjoy’ list.”

“I can relate.” He stepped away, leaving her wanting to grab him back and never let go.

She curled her fingers into fists and cleared her throat. “They want my ranch, Gideon. They have papers for me to sign the land over to them and then they plan to kill Grams. I can’t let that happen.” Tears pricked her eyes just thinking about them being successful.

“That’s what this is all about?”

“Yeah.” She cleared her throat and blinked the moisture away. “Vance’s grandfather lost it in that poker game.” She told him everything Ellie had spilled to her, while trying not to breathe the thick air.

A faint draft whispered past them, taunting them with the promise of freedom. “Did you feel that?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Then there’s got to be another way out.”

He stepped next to the wall of stone and ran his hand over it. “Okay, here’s an idea. You get on the other side and do the same. Feel for the breeze.”

She turned toward the opposite wall. “Just don’t turn the light off.”

“I’m not. Yet. Battery is going down pretty fast, though.”

Her stomach clenched. She didn’t need to know that. The thought of being in the dark again . . .

Yeah, she couldn’t think about that. “Why didn’t we feel it on our first pass?”

“I don’t know. Maybe the wind stopped blowing as we walked past it. But it’s here, somewhere.”

They moved together through the narrow tunnel, the stone cold under her palm. She glanced at the light coming from his phone and thought it looked weaker. But dust swirled in the beam. She stopped and pointed. “Wait. Look at that.”

Gideon followed her gaze. “Dust?”

“Yeah, it’s being pulled toward the wall.”

“Something’s there.” He stepped closer and pressed. “I feel the draft.”

“Thank God. How big is the crack?”

“Not big, but I’m going to change that.”

A distant sound echoed and Maya froze. “What was that?”

“I think someone just opened the door.”

“He’s coming,” Maya whispered. “Or someone is.”

Gideon shone the light on the ground and found one of the many heavy rocks scattered about. “Hold the light on the wall,” he told Maya and passed her his phone. “This is going to make noise.”

“It’s either that or be stuck. See what you can do. It’ll take him some time to get back here.”

He slammed the rock on the crack and a big chunk of the wall fell backward.

“That sounded like a gunshot,” she said. “Weird.”

“Must be the acoustics in here.” He held the light to examine the area. “It’s thin and there’s definitely space on the other side.”

“Hit it again,” she whispered. “I can feel the air stronger now. Hurry.”

He bashed it once more, and another large section broke away. Maya slipped her gloves back on, then reached in to grip the edge and pull. Another part separated, and she tossed it to the ground. “It’s almost big enough for me to slip through.”

Gideon knocked out more and shone his dimming light through the opening. “It’s a room with another tunnel directly across from this one.”

He motioned for her to go through. She bit her lip, looked at the opening, then back at him. “You won’t fit.”

“I know, but you will. You may have to go and get help.”

“Uh, no way. I don’t know where this leads and I’m not leaving without you. Not unless I absolutely have to.” She yanked at the edge once more, and while more pieces broke off, they weren’t big enough to make a real difference.

Another sound echoed through the tunnel—a footstep. Then another.

Maya’s frantic gaze met his. “He has a gun,” she whispered. “We have no weapons. And while I’m not too shabby with hand-to-hand combat, I have a bum shoulder and I definitely can’t stop a bullet.”

“I know.” Together, they might be able to take the man down, but he wasn’t going to risk it if he didn’t have to. An angry, vengeful man with a gun was too unpredictable. “Go on through,” he said. “I have an idea.”

“What?” She moved to the opening and slipped halfway through, then gasped.

“What is it? Too tight?”

“A little.” She wiggled and grimaced.

“You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“Well, it’s either a few scrapes or the possibility of a bullet. I know what my choice is.”

She had a point.

With one last grunt, she pushed through. “I’m through and it only took part of my coat and the top layer of skin on my back. If you’re going to come through, you’re going to have to widen it.”

He used the rock once more, his pounding once again sounding like gunshots going off, but finally he managed to add another two inches to the opening.

“I think that’s as good as it’s going to get.

” He shrugged out of his bulky coat and shivered.

He had on a long-sleeved T-shirt and a sweatshirt over that, but the chill still bit.

She took his coat from him and he ducked his head through the opening.

His shoulders scraped harder than hers had, but he gritted his teeth and pushed on through. Barely.

Pain and a warm sensation traveled down his back, and he figured he’d left a good chunk of skin. But while he was a large man, Vance had thirty pounds on him at least. There was no way he’d make it through. Not without some work to widen the area—which would buy them some time.

“You’re hurt.” She placed a hand on his back and he turned. She had his coat clamped under her left elbow, one glove clutched in her left hand. She held up her right, and he noted the blood on her palm and the horror in her eyes. “Lift your shirt. I need to take a look.”

“It’s nothing that won’t heal, and like you said, it’s not nearly as bad as a bullet.” She nodded and he held her hand while he wiped her palm with the hem of his sweatshirt. “I’m fine,” he said. “Truly.” Okay, it stung like nobody’s business, but it wasn’t fatal. “Put your glove back on.”

She did so, but the worry in her gaze deepened.

“I know you’re back here!” Vance’s shout echoed around them, and Maya froze.

Gideon pointed to the narrow passage leading off from the cavernous room, and she shoved his coat at him. “Put this on. You’re going to need it.”

He did so while she disappeared into the passageway.

Vance’s footsteps drew closer still. “This place is blocked off. You can’t get out. Why don’t you just cooperate and this can all be over—”

Curses flowed.

He’d discovered the opening.

“Follow me,” Gideon said. “Keep your hand on my belt, and I’ll make sure the path is clear with nothing for you to stumble on.”

“Okay.” She gripped the belt. Tight. “You think he can get through?”

“Depends on how bad he wants to.” Gideon aimed the light, noting the low-battery signal on his phone.

“Right.” A loud crash made them both jump. “Apparently he wants through pretty bad,” she said.

“How’d he get back so fast?” Gideon muttered. “I thought it would have taken him a lot longer to get help for Ellie.”

“Who knows? Maybe he dumped her at the clinic and ran.”

Or she died. A sense of loss overwhelmed him, and he hated that his childhood friends had come to this.

Greed. Such an ugly vice.

One that he’d been familiar with once upon a time. But no more.

Although he couldn’t help but wonder if wanting to live so he could tell Maya about his growing feelings for her could be interpreted as greedy, considering his past mistakes.

Another crash sounded behind them. “I’m coming for you! I don’t want that land, and the only way to stop Ellie is if you’re dead!”

His thoughts about Maya were for another time. Another place.

“What does he mean by that?” Maya asked, her voice stricken.

“I don’t know. We’ll figure it out later.” He kicked aside more rubble as the light on his phone went out. He stopped in the darkness. “It’s dead,” he said, stating the obvious.

Her fingers tightened around his belt. “I assumed. But just before it went out, I thought I saw the tunnel tilting upward a bit.”

“And the air seems a little fresher, doesn’t it?”

“Maybe.”

“Stay close and feel before you step. I’ll do my best, but I’m going blind here.”

“I’m right behind you.” A crash, then a frustrated scream sounded, echoing around them. “But go. He’s determined to follow, so we’ve not got a lot of time to find a way out.”

Gideon stopped. “You go. Be careful. I’m going to stay and fight him off if he gets this far.”

“And take a chance on getting shot?”

“I’ve done it before,” he muttered.

“In a war where you were equally armed and not at a disadvantage.”

She had a point. If he was alone, he would chance it. Or if they wound up trapped with no other option.

But for now, he pushed forward, shuffling his feet along the floor, shoving aside anything that might trip her up. The narrow passage sloped upward even more, and cold air gusted across his face. “We’re getting close to something,” he said.

Behind them, the sound of pursuit was faint but growing louder. “He’s through, Gideon.”

“I know.”

“You’re going to have to move faster,” she whispered.

“I can’t see anything. I don’t want to chance stepping into a hole or something.” He pushed out a foot, feeling in front of him, terrified at some point the ground wouldn’t be there and he’d fall, pulling her with him. He shuddered at the mental picture. “How are you doing back there?”

“Trying not to panic and to keep breathing. So far I’m managing. Holding on to you is grounding me. Keeping me from losing it.”

“Then don’t let go.”

Please, God, help me keep her safe.