Sheba's Gambit

by Kristine Frost

  The boulder moved just enough that Marshall could slip inside. Using the crowbar as a lever, he hollered to Sheba. “Tell them to pull now.”

  “Pull,” she yelled. Frank gunned the engine. Slowly, the boulder began to tip forward.

  As the boulder began to roll, everyone scrambled to get out of the way. Ignoring what was happening, Sheba had pushed past Marshall, pointing the flashlight down the rock fall. At the bottom was a small body that wasn’t moving.

  “Braden,” Sheba said with a stifled groan. As she started toward him, Marshall grabbed for her arm, but she dodged him. “I’m going down,”

  “I know, but let me help you. If your knee gives out you could land on top of him.” Marshall said patiently.

  Breckenridge looked in the crack. As he stepped in, Marshall said, “Braden fell down the rock slide. If you want to come in, come to the side. We don’t want any rock to fall on him.”

  Breckenridge pointed his powerful flashlight at Braden’s body. When the light hit his closed eyes, he threw his arm over his eyes. “He’s alive.”

  Sheba’s eyes filled with tears. Marshall said roughly, “Wipe your eyes. If you can’t see, you’ll fall.”

  She took a deep breath and let it out while Marshall watched her impassively. She took another breath. “I’m okay now. Let’s go.”

  When they were near the bottom, Braden said weakly, “Aunt Sheba?”

  “I’m coming, sweetie,” she said. “Just lie still until I get there.”

  “Okay. What happened?”

  “You were looking through a crack in the cliff. The rock gave way and you slid to the bottom.”

  When they got to Braden, Sheba dropped to her knees by him, but before she could hug him, Marshall pulled her back. “Don’t touch him. I need to check to make sure he hadn’t broken something.”

  Marshall knelt down by Braden. “Okay, big guy, I’m going to poke you to see if any bones are broken. Tell me if something hurts, okay?”

  “Okay,” His voice was shaky.

  Some of the rock rolled down the hill as Breckenridge and Slater climbed down.

  Starting at Braden’s feet, Marshall began feeling each bone. After a few minutes, Marshall said, “Braden, you must be made of rubber. I can’t find a single broken bone. Can you sit up, if we help you?”

  A few small rocks rolled down the slide and the opening darkened. Slater turned and pulled a pistol from his shoulder holster.

  “Can we come down,” Helen called in a happy voice.

  “Of course,” Breckenridge said. “Slater, you’d better help her.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” she called. “When I heard that Braden might have found a cave, I made Atkins bring me. He’ll help me down.”

  Slater said, “You’d better wait for me. The slide is unstable. We don’t want you sliding to the bottom like Braden did.”

  “Is he okay?” She asked in a worried voice.

  “I’m okay, Aunt Helen. Marshall made sure I don’t have any broken bones.”

  When Helen was got close, she said, “What a peculiar smell. It’s kind of sweet. I’ve never smelled that in a cave before.”

  The cave roof was low and the walls were close together. Sheba pointed her flashlight at the back of the cave. “I think this is Sheba’s cave.”

  Ignoring everyone else, she slowly picked her way toward the back of the narrow walls. When she got to the back of the cave, she ran her flashlight around the walls.

  “The cave can’t end here,” she said to herself. “There’s got to be another cave behind this one.”

  Braden said, “What’s wrong, Aunt Sheba?”

  “I can’t find the opening into the other cave. I know its here but I can’t find it.”

  He pressed close to the wall and brought his flashlight up so it rested against the rock illuminating a series of bumps and knobs. “This looks weird.” He pointed to rocks that jutted out from the otherwise smooth wall.”

  She ran her hand over it. “Mr. Breckenridge, “I think that you should have the honor of opening this.”

  He pushed and pulled it, but nothing happed.

  Finally, Braden picked up a rock and said, “Try hitting it with this. In the book I read at your house, the kid hit a nob with a rock and it moved.”

  Breckenridge took the rock from Braden banging it against the rock. Nothing happened. Sheba wiggled the rock, then said, “I think it feels looser. Try bringing your rock down on the top of it.”

  Using all his power, he slammed the rock down. The rock popped out of its hole, then another stone fell widening the opening. Breckenridge shown his flashlight through the hole. “This isn’t a natural feature. There’s something behind this wall.” He turned to Slater. “Break it down.”

  “Wait,” Sheba said feeling around the hole. I can feel something move. But I’m not strong enough.” She stepped back. Slater took her place and Breckenridge and Slater pulled. “Nothing,” Breckenridge said in disgust. “It’s too small an opening to use a crowbar.”

  Marshall walked over to the group. “Let me try.” He pulled on it. “It moved a little,” Turning he motioned for Slater. “We can move it together.”

  Marshall pulled his gun from its holster and everyone stiffened, but he turned it and gently tapped the butt of the pistol against the ridge. He tapped along one side making sure to hit every inch, then he tapped the other side. Then he slid the pistol back into the holster.

  He looked at Slater. “Let’s do it.” Slater stepped up and they put their fingers on the ridge and pulled.

  “Wait,” Slater said. “It seemed to move more on the far end. Let’s try pulling just that end.”

  They readjusted their position and again pulled. “It’s coming,” Slater said. “Pull harder.” he ordered. Marshall positioned his fingers between Slater’s, so they were pulling in the same spot. There was a grinding noise. Rather than swinging out, the wall broke in the middle and slid apart about eighteen inches.

  Marshall dropped to his knees. After looking at the groove, he said, “Pull.”

  They pulled using all their strength. The wall slid apart a few more inches and then stopped. Slater said. “It’s not going to move any farther.”

  Caldwell looked at the wall and the track. “Ingenious,” he said. “There is probably some type of pulley system on the other side.”

  Breckenridge placed his big flashlight on the floor, then shoved it through the opening. It slid a few feet and stopped. They all looked at what could be seen in its light.

  When nothing more happened, Breckenridge bent nearly double, stepping though the wall. “Sheba, you deserve to come next, then Braden.”

  With Marshall’s help, she crawled into the next room, followed by Braden who could stand nearly upright.

  Both Slater and Marshall had to really struggle to get between the walls because they were so wide in the shoulders. When they were both in, Helen crawled through followed by Atkins and Caldwell.

  When Sheba crawled into the room, Breckenridge helped her to her feet. Looking around, she gasped.

  Breckenridge pulled a torch from the wall, lightening it with his cigarette lighter. Slater took the torch carefully lighting the other torches that were situated in each corner.

  The cave had been hollowed out. In one corner was what looked like a chariot in a design that she had never seen. The chariot was drawn by two horses that were so life-like that Sheba thought they might snort at any moment.

  Around the walls, at five foot intervals were statues of soldiers. They, too, looked like amazingly lifelike. In the center of the cave was a golden sarcophagus.

  At the back of the cave was a painting of a larger than life sized throne with a beautiful woman sitting on it. Her eyes were dark, almost black and glowing. Her skin was a pale bronze and her hair was black with touches of blue light.

  She was wearing a tall crown with dangling jewels. One jewel dropped from the crown to rest in the center of her forehead. She was wearing a pale yello
w off the shoulder gown that covered her from shoulder to feet is a series of pleats. The robe looked like a cross between a Grecian gown and an Egyptian robe. Her small feet peaked out from the hem of the dress.

  Breckenridge dropped to his knees, and bent over his forehead to the ground. He was silent for a moment, then he raised his eyes, saying, reverently, “Mother.”

  He stared at her for a few minutes, then said, “We need more light.”

  Chapter 31

  While the others examined the gold sarcophagus, Sheba slowly limped around the room looking for the opening to the mine she had imagined when she sat on the rock. There were what looked like two openings leading from the big room.

  As she stepped through the first opening, she looked back at the others. She could see the greed on the faces of the guards and Caldwell. Braden was showing a carving to Helen. Breckenridge stood with his hand on the sarcophagus. Slater was standing by the opening in the wall, his hand on his pistol, obviously still on guard.

  Marshall was standing on the other side of the opening, also on guard, but watching her. He met her eyes, but then she saw something move in the opening. When Marshall saw her eyes flick to the opening he silently moved around one of the gold pillars so he was hidden from the opening. When he moved, Slater looked to his right, then followed Marshall’s example.

  A machine pistol, followed by a hand and an arm came to the edge of the opening. Assid said, “I want everyone to put their hands up and move to the center of the room, or I’ll shoot the boy.”

  As soon as everyone that he could see were in the center of the room, he motioned to the guards. “Put your guns on the ground.”

  One of the guards, a young man of about twenty five swung his pistol in Assad’s direction. Assid dropped him with one shot. “That was stupid.” He looked around. “Is anyone else going to be stupid?”

  Sheba had automatically hit the off button on her flashlight as soon as Marshall had moved behind the pillar. She drew back into the opening so she stood in the deep shadow.

  “Where is Slater,” Assid demanded. “I know he is here.”

  When Slater didn’t appear, Assid said, “I will put a bullet through your sister, if you don’t come out.”

  Silently, Slater stepped from behind the pillar, his pistol was pointed at the ceiling. He was the closest to Sheba and farthest from the group. When he stepped from behind the pillar, he had moved so close to her that she could almost touch him. She could see a pistol and a knife stuck in his waistband. When he blocked Assid’s view, she grabbed them.

  “Put your pistol on the floor and move over with the others.” Assid looked around the room, but still didn’t move from inside the opening. “Where is the other woman? The woman I took from your library.”

  Breckenridge shrugged, “I don’t know.”

  Braden had looked over at Marshall who pointed toward the other opening, then he looked back at Assid. “I think she went through there,” Braden said.

  Assid stepped through the opening. “Why don’t I see her light?” He demanded.

  “Maybe it’s a tunnel and she’s too far away.”

  Assid motioned for the two men that followed him to enter the room. “Bahir check that far room. Dekel check that opening.

  Terrified that Assid would shoot Braden, Sheba had dropped to the floor. She spit on her hand and then rubbed it on her arm, then she grabbed a handful of sand and rubbed it over her wet arm. Knowing the peripheral vision was more acute than straight vision she slowly reached her sand covered hand outward. As the guard walked nervously toward the black opening, she crawled back and to the side. Carefully and silently, she got to her feet. She knew he would be blind to her presence until his eyes adjusted.

  He pulled out his flashlight. “I don’t see her,” he called.

  Assid said, “You idiot! What is in the room? Could she be hiding? Search the room.”

  The guard dutifully walked forward, his light flashing around the room. Sheba lifted the heavy pistol by the barrel and slammed it down on the guard’s head. He dropped to his knees and fell flat, the flashlight falling from his hand and rolling across the room.

  Alerted by the movement of the flashlight, Assid jumped across the room, grabbed Braden from Helen, turning to face the opening. The other guard raised his pistol as his attention was drawn to Assid. A couple more seconds and he would see Marshall.

  Slowly Marshall raised his knife and throwing underhanded he send the knife flying toward the guard’s neck.

  Assid didn’t hear his last guard fall because Sheba stepped through the opening. “Let him go, Assid. I told you that he was special. Do not make me curse you.” She raised her hands as she slipped into the act she had used once before.

  “Stay where you are,” Assid screamed. “Drop your hands and I’ll spare the boy.”

  Three things happened almost simultaneously. Braden struggled against the hand over his face, Helen stuck her cane between Assid’s legs and Sheba stepped forward her hands before her. Panicking, Assid took a step away from Sheba, tripping over the cane. He fell backwards, as Braden leaned forward.

  The machine pistol went off in a roar of bullets. Marshall dove for the gun, yanking it from Assid’s hand, stopping the flow.

  Before anyone could move, Breckenridge stepped forward. Shooting through his coat pocket, he shot Assid right between the eyes.

  There was a loud pop. Sheba looked up. Assid’s bullets had hit the ceiling. “Look out,” she screamed. “The ceiling is coming down.”

  Slater jumped for Helen barely avoiding the falling rock. Marshall grabbed Braden, rolling out of the way. Sheba went to jump out of the way, but her injured knee buckled. She fell down in a shower of dust and stones.

  When the rock quit falling, Marshall slowly rose to his knees. “Are you okay?” He asked Braden.

  Ignoring Marshall’s question, Braden looked around. “Aunt Sheba. Aunt Sheba!” he screamed.

  Marshall got to his feet, grabbing his pistol and a flashlight that was laying on the floor. He pointed the light first at Breckenridge who lay silent on the floor. A slab of rock the size of a table had fallen on him, covering all but his head and feet.

  Slater sat up, lifting Helen to his lap . “Are you all right?” He asked her.

  Ignoring all of them, Braden had run to where Sheba had been standing. He began moving the rocks he could lift.

  “Nobody move,” a deep voice said. One of the men who had been left outside stepped into the room, his pistol at the ready position. He moved to the side, keeping his back to the wall. He was followed by another man, who also moved to the side, his pistol also in the firing position. He was followed by Toby Maitland and then by Alexandra Nagle and Tony Bond.

  Marshall looked at them, then turned and walked over to where Braden was struggling to move the pile of rocks. “Careful, Braden. You don’t want to step on her.”

  Maitland called back into the outer chamber. “Get a medical team. We’ve got injured.”

  Chapter 32

  Later that night, Braden looked up from Sheba’s bedside when the door was pushed open.

  “Mom!” He cried. He ran around the hospital bed to hug his mother. She dropped to her knee, hugging him harder than she’d ever hugged him. “Are you all right?”

  Solemnly, he nodded. “But Aunt Sheba isn’t. She has a broken leg and a broken arm. The doctor said she had a concussion, too. That’s why she isn’t waking up.”

  He looked at his mother with tears running down his face. “I don’t want her to die.” He sobbed, “I don’t want Helen to die. She’s in the room next door.”

  “Who’s Helen, darling,” Theo asked, a bit confused.

  “She was Breckenridge’s wife. She’s blind. When the roof fell in, her brother pushed her out of the way, but some of the rock hit her. Now her brother’s in jail for kidnapping me. I wanted them to put her in this room, but they won’t.”

  Theo frowned. “Well, this is a private room. There isn’t much ro
om.”

  “But Mom, she’s all by herself. I go in to check on her, but she just lays there. I think she has a broken heart.”

  “I don’t know what I can do about it.” She protested.

  “Mom,” Braden said sternly. “She saved my life.”

  “Oh.” Theo said. For the first time in her life, she looked at Braden’s tear stained face and thought about him instead of herself. “Okay. Let me go talk to the doctor.”

  Braden sat back down by Sheba’s bed, taking her hand in his. “It will be okay. Mom’s going to talk to the doctor about moving Helen in here.”

  Theo stood for a moment looking down at her son, then she walked out of the room.

  A few minutes later, the doctor came followed by Theo. “I hate to move her,” he said. “She’s pretty badly injured.”

  Braden looked up at him, “But Aunt Sheba would want Helen to be in the same room with her. They were friends. Aunt Sheba saved her life and Aunt Helen saved mine and--” he paused for breath, “please, please put them together.”

  The doctor looked at Braden’s tear stained face. He knew Braden had been going back and forth trying to be with both women. He also knew that he hadn’t eaten much if anything since the two women had been admitted.

  He walked over to check Sheba’s vital signs. Then he pulled out a small flashlight and looked in her eyes. She turned away from the light.

  “She seems to be coming out of the coma and that’s the best thing that could happen.” He looked at Braden. “She’s doing better. Why don’t you and your mother go down to the cafeteria and get something to eat? I’ll have the two women put in a semi-private room that is just across the hall from the nurse’s station. When you come back, that’s where they will be.”

  “But I want to stay,” he protested.

  “Braden, honey,” Theo said softly.

  Braden looked up at him. “Are you telling me the truth? Is my Aunt Sheba getting better?”

  The doctor sat down on a rolling stool so that he was face to face with Braden. “Braden, I never lie about my patient’s condition. I truly think that your Aunt Sheba is getting better. When the rock hit her head, it made her brain bounce. That’s why she hasn’t woke up yet. When I shined the flashlight in her eyes to check their dilation, she moved her head because she didn’t like the light in her eyes. That’s very good news. It means that she will be waking up soon.”