by Rimmy London
I stopped as a small gust of warm wind whooshed past me, and the sound of waves met my ears. Not that I knew much of anything about the tunnel, but I was sure Givanni would have mentioned if it happened to end in the ocean. My phone still issued just enough light to give a shadowy outline to objects around me. I was quickening my pace when my foot collided with something and sent the foreign object clattering against the wall. Stopping with a skid of sandals, I picked it up from the stone. Gleaming back at me, I held Bulgari sunglasses. They looked brand new. Not a hint of damage. The light from my phone switched off suddenly, and I knew it was dead, but even without its light, I could still make out the slate grey frames in my hand. I turned toward a lightened section of tunnel. The sound of waves crashed again, echoing until I was almost sure the ocean was directly in front of me. I put on the sunglasses and tipped them back over my head before continuing on around the ever-brightening path. Suddenly met with direct sunlight I was for a moment completely blind. I pulled the shades over my eyes, waiting for my traumatized pupils to dilate. It was a strange twist to be blinded by light instead of darkness. Like a Polaroid photo, the view before me began to appear in shadows, and I blinked my eyes impatiently. I didn’t even have time to focus, however, when the light vanished.
With a gasp I stared at the wall of seawater plunging down in front of me, cascading like a waterfall from somewhere above. The ocean crashed and gurgled below, the last drops of water spraying the rock like fizz from a soda can. I swallowed convulsively, my throat feeling sticky and dry, and stepped infinitesimally closer to the pit ahead. There was only swelling, angry water below. Dizzy, I sat down and scooted my denim shorts up against the wall. A dead end. All I had found was a lousy pair of sunglasses. I turned them in my hand, feeling exhausted, and leaned my head back. Another wall of green-blue water crashed down. I sighed. There was no choice but to go back the way I’d come. Maybe Givanni would somehow know. Maybe he would find the paper. It took me a moment to realize what I was looking at after the last drops of salty water had fallen. Directly across from the drop-off was another solid rock wall with a pathway continuing through it. I blinked my drowsy eyes, not seeing any way down.
It can’t be that I have to - jump, can it?
Even in my thoughts, it was hard to complete that sentence. But how else would I get out? No one knew I was here - and waiting for Givanni to miraculously cancel his plans and come to my house, find the note, decipher it, and rescue me? I sighed. It was up to me. My mind was already going through scenarios - trying different angles. I imagined jumping from the edge I was standing on, which seemed more like a movie stunt than actual reality. The more plausible possibility of climbing down the rock a few feet and then simply reaching out to the rocky ledge came next, and I absently gripped the sides of the wall, leaning away and supporting my weight. It felt so easy to hold onto. It began to seem almost possible. Even my imagination had a hard time dragging me down to my death. Looking up at the sunlit crack as water charged in, I felt my hopes darken with the tunnel. From the way this crazy water pendulum swung, I wagered I would have barely twenty seconds. But what else could I do? Being stuck underground wasn’t an option.
Reasoning that there was no harm in trying, I was sure if it seemed too risky to reach for the ledge, I could simply climb back up again. Nodding to myself I crawled forward on hands and knees and studied the rocky wall. Smiling at the almost stair-like patterns, I knew I could do it, even if I had only ten seconds. The sunglasses slid out of my hair, and one hand flew to my head. Slipping them down the front of my shirt I let one arm hook over the outside and tucked my shirt in tightly, hoping that if they did fall I still wouldn’t lose them.
My hands shook as I sat down. I set my flip-flops aside and swung my bare feet over the edge. Hearing the waves approach, I looked up just as water engulfed the sunlight, charging down in front of me. Wind whipped past my face, blowing my hair behind me. Moving even before the last drops had fallen, I tightened both hands around small holds in the rock. It seemed almost too easy with all the helpful shelves and cracks. But as I prepared to reach across, my knees trembled. Securing my hold on the wall, I leaned back as far as I could and searched for a good place to grasp. My fingers slid around on the wet surface, and my heart sunk. The rock was dripping with slimy moisture. Aside from making it impossible to grip, the water had smoothed every bump in the wall to butter. I felt my ears start to ring as I searched frantically for something to hold on to. At last, I found it, a large scoop in the rock. I hooked my fingers into it, clamping my hand around and hoping it was secure. The sound of waves approaching reached me, and I froze. There was time to look back once, and then I knew time was up.
I let go.
My feet swung across the small gorge and I could feel my toes tingle. Once I clamped both hands on the rock, wind whipped past me, and the gush of water crashed behind my back. I tried to keep my body still, but I couldn’t stop my legs from swaying back. The water caught on my heels and it was like the entire strength of the sea jerked down on my legs. I tucked my knees up, squeezing my hands tighter as they began to ache. The pain traveled down my wrists and forearms and cramped at my elbows. But finally the water subsided and I let my hands slip off the rock.
It was a dizzying fall. The center of the earth seemed tilted, disorienting like I was being tossed in a current. I watched my feet move from the pathway and out into open space. Panicking, I leaned forward as much as I could, reaching for solid ground. I landed on the pathway with arms outstretched, my body flat, and the edge of the cliff hitting me square in the stomach. I tried to suck in the breath back into my lungs, but my body was locked in an exhale. Thankfully the rubber-covered path I’d landed on had acted like Velcro, holding me in place though half of my body still dangled off the edge. Finally, I pulled in a gust of breath.
Hearing the water approach again I swung one leg up and hooked my foot over the edge, rolling onto the floor. A misty spray of water rained down. I wiped my face and squeezed some water from my dripping hair. But when I pushed off the ground I froze. My slim white shirt was steadily transforming to a deep red. I pulled my shirt open, carefully removing the broken sunglasses. One arm had snapped, leaving a jagged edge that had cut into my skin. I pressed a clean section of my shirt to the bloody cut, wincing. Holding one hand over it, I got to my feet. My body felt heavier and protested the effort. From what I could see of the sky, it had dimmed too much. And too quickly. The absolute desperation to get above ground exploded inside me. I marched ahead, ready to see an elevator or sliding doors, and nearly planted my face into a stone wall.
It didn’t make sense. I glanced around, already sure that this was my only option. Patting the stone I tried to find a spot that might sound hollow like there was some way to continue on. I inspected the floor and pried at the stone. It was thick as a mountain. My subconscious was pricking me with the realization that there was no way to continue on. Not until I choked on my dry throat did I notice that I was gasping. I blew out my breath and clenched my hands, ending the panic before it could overwhelm me. Walking slowly back into the light, the last drops of water were just trickling down. The smooth, glossed-over surface was impossible to climb. Even if I did, there was no edge conveniently jutting out on the other side. There was no way to get back. I was trapped. My heroic stunt of leaping across that small gorge now only looked like complete foolishness. I had successfully stranded myself underground.
Sinking to my heels I watched the sunlight dim, my pleading throat and empty stomach reminding me that I couldn’t last forever. If anyone could get me out it was Givanni. Givanni, who had no idea I was here. Givanni, who in only a matter of hours would be on his way out of the country - for the next three weeks. I swallowed. My gaze was fixed on the opening above as tears blurred my vision, falling down my face and landing on the front of my shirt that had become stiff with dried blood. The image of a sheet of paper came to my mind again. Covered in scribbles and one word. It wasn’t impossible t
o think that Givanni would find it. That he would come to the little beach house and immediately know something was wrong. He would read the paper and rush to find me. My mind had turned these wishes into a movie reel, playing out in my head. Givanni was desperate to reach me. Fear marked his features and he ran through the sand. He found a way down. He opened the stone wall.
With a start, I woke to a waterfall and a deep grey sky. Stars had begun to show, and they multiplied quietly. The thought of complete darkness closing in around me was frightening. I couldn’t watch the light disappear. Wrapping one arm around my face I curled up on the cold ground as the misty water washed over me again and again. I shivered continuously, my hair soaked through. I no longer hoped for rescue, my hopes had vanished with the light. Clouds slowly built up, snuffing out the stars, and I was left in darkness like a tomb. That’s where I was. A tomb.
I concentrated on the sound of water coming and going. Strange that the steady rhythm would be a comfort to me. The thought of lying there till the end made me sick, and I felt tears land on my shirt again. But it only lasted a moment. The effort it took to cry was exhausting. My body suddenly stilled. It was a relief as if shivering had been too difficult. As if the chattering of a dozen crows had been silenced and I could finally rest. The sleep that rose up was like a force. It clung to me without my permission and expanded until I was engulfed in its hostile warmth. Slowly it pulled me down.
And then I heard something that wasn’t water or wind. It came with a voice, although far away, and chiseled through the silence around me. Opening my eyes was like lifting the mountain. I only managed in small segments, catching a slit of rock and glimmer of early morning light. Suddenly the whole surface of rock shook. In my head, I jumped up and saw it all happen, but in reality, nothing moved. Givanni sprinted forward, and I realized it was all a silly dream. He was looking frantic and moving his lips, but I couldn’t hear anything. I only wished he would scoop me up and share some of his warmth. I tried to manipulate my dream and make it happen. But he just stood there with a half-crazed look on his face. By his expression, I imagined I didn’t look well. How did his eyes still manage to smolder an emerald green even in the shadowy morning? I ignored his persistent mouth and the way it kept moving and locked my gaze on his eyes. They were glancing across my face, and slowly something changed. I could feel my mind waking from its frozen state. I could control my thoughts but not anything else. Not him, not my surroundings.
Gradually, the realization he was standing in front of me pierced through my unresponsive body. I wasn’t going to die in a black, cold tunnel. Though my ears still felt plugged with cotton, my eyes welled up with tears. It was the first change in me since I had seen him. His lips stopped moving and he knelt beside me, crushing me to his chest. I tried to make my arms move too, but they didn’t seem attached. My body all at once erupted into shivering, and I groaned at the pain. Like being wrapped in a cocoon of cactus needles, I felt pricked with each tiny movement. Givanni ducked his head under my arm, holding tight to my hand and lifting me with him as he stood. It all seemed to happen so quickly, I could hardly keep up. Stumbling along on numb feet, I focused my lethargic mind on the ground and on trying to keep myself moving. Givanni had given up trying to speak to me, and I was glad since it took all my effort to drag my lazy feet in time with his.
I thought I was doing a pretty good job until he stopped and lifted me from the ground in one swoop. It was a relief to let my body hang. I wanted to sit up and wrap my arm around his neck, and possibly wipe the drenched hair out of my face, but nothing responded to my wishes. Vaguely aware of Givanni’s fragrance when he fastened my seatbelt, I imagined what my drenched clothes and hair were doing to his beautiful upholstery. A heavy, scratchy blanket was pulled up to my chin and I instantly succumbed to the heat.
Chapter 6
I sat up in bed, aware of only a slight spinning feeling. Pulling off the pile of comforters I realized I was wearing my own sweatpants and t-shirt, although I couldn’t remember getting dressed. Aside from being cold and wet underground, there was only empty space in the confines of my memory. I sat staring at nothing and tried to remember at least one little detail from the night before. It was like trying to find a star in broad daylight - I knew it was there but just couldn’t see it. A soft tap sounded on the door, and Nonna opened it cautiously, leaning her head in. “Come in.” I squawked, the words ripping through my sore throat. Embarrassed, I reached for the cup of water on the nightstand as she placed a bundle of clothing on the foot of my bed.
“I washed these for you, dear. I even managed to get the shirt clean.” My puzzled face stared at the shorts and T-shirt I had worn the day before. It finally dawned on me that the front of my shirt had been saturated in blood. I pulled on my cotton pajama top, finding the professional-looking bandage underneath that hopefully covered a very tiny cut. Searching my memory again I came up blank, and when I looked up Nonna’s clear blue eyes were glittering at me. “You don’t remember last night, do you?” she asked sweetly. I tried again to get my memory to reveal words on that blank page. Only a few images surfaced.
“I can remember getting into Givanni’s car. I can’t seem to remember anything after that,” Sitting on the edge of my bed, Nonna’s face was shadowed, her sweet concern endearing.
“Givanni brought you in last night quite unexpectedly. He carried you all the way into this room before even noticing the blood on your shirt. Now that frightened him, poor boy. He set you down right where he was standing and ran for a kit of some kind.” She looked up with a slightly apologetic expression. “When I worried that your lips were white, he had said it was a vast improvement from the purple color they had been when he found you.” I grimaced, wishing Givanni’s memory of the whole night could be blank like mine. “After Vani tended to your cut, I drew a bath.” I glanced at the open door to the adjoining bathroom, not sure if the fuzzy memory was real or just some image her story had created. “When you tried to dress, I was afraid you would fall, so I helped you and called for Givanni. As he was pacing the floor in this room, he heard me and carried you to your bed. I believe you were already asleep though, when you laid down.” She was looking at me with the sparkly smile that fit her best.
“I still don’t remember anything,” I confessed. She patted my foot.
“You will, dear, your mind just needs some rest.” She took a quick breath. “I’m very sorry, but Vani had no choice but to leave as planned this morning.” I tried to find my heart from where it had sunk in the pit of my stomach. “I’m not sure when he will return, and I don’t believe he is either, but they will first visit a company along the southern border, which could take up to a week.” She paused, and I knew the rest before she spoke it.
“And then they will be on a flight to Italy.”
* * *
Sitting at the familiar beechnut desk I drummed my fingers steadily, lost in thought. How much did Nonna know? She hadn’t been worried or nervous for Givanni. And when she spoke of Italy, she sounded disappointed not to be going. So it must have all been kept from her then. I wasn’t sure why that bothered me so much. It was no doubt for her own protection. I tried to picture Givanni’s team - what their ‘investigation’ might entail. Would they simply book a conference room with management? Or would their group be invisible, slinking unnoticed through every hallway and back room?
Hearing Mr. Ginetti’s private line ring softly my mind woke and I glanced around the room. It was an understatement to say I’d had a wild weekend. Coming back to work had seemed absurd after almost freezing to death underground. But Mr. Ginetti seemed mostly oblivious to what had happened. His reaction to seeing me had been a bit surprised - an eyebrow lift joining his smile. But I assumed that was because of the gaunt look that still haunted my features. I hoped a healthy color would return soon. Though as the day meandered on, I wondered if I was wrong about Mr. Ginetti. He rarely spoke to me, and when he did his eyes focused on the wall beyond. It was strange. He almos
t seemed too aware of how I might be feeling. As if he knew I might need some time.
“Ms. Lane. . .”
I spun around, and Mr. Ginetti’s eyes actually met mine for once. But it only lasted a moment, he quickly resumed his ‘no contact’ manner. “I will be out of town Thursday and Friday,” he said. An uncomfortable feeling twisted in my stomach. “You have kept the office in such outstanding order that I see no problem with you taking the rest of the week for yourself as well.” He smiled past me, and I lifted a slight smile in return.
“Of course. Thank you, sir.” I answered. He dipped his head so briefly I couldn’t tell if it was a nod or the beginning of a turn. His office door closed behind him. Suspicion pricked at my mind, and I thought of the possible reasons Marco would have for going out of town. They were countless, of course, but if I tied his leaving in with Givanni the options narrowed. Pulling my bag over one shoulder I crossed the room and closed the blinds. Their deep tones filled the office with shadows, even at noon. Shadows that reminded me of being lost. Cold. Alone. I rushed until I was driving in golden sunshine.
* * *
Cross-legged on my couch at home, I pulled my bag up and peered in the inside pocket at the weapon that was supposed to be my protection. My father and I… and Jack the gun store owner, were the only ones that knew of the shiny threat in my bag. I lifted it up, shivering at the always cold feel of it in my hand. It wasn’t like the rifles I grew up with. Those were for hunting, for providing. This was something else.