Promises in the Dark

by D. K. Hood

  Jenna looked at the others. Jo appeared to be fine, Kane was securing Duke, and Wolfe was checking his supplies.

  “Where to and what’s the game plan?” Carter’s voice came through the headphones. He glanced over his shoulder to Jenna.

  Jenna gripped the seat as they banked sharply to the left. “No plan yet. Head toward the mountains, Wolfe will have a bearing for you in a second.”

  Wolfe had sat in the seat beside Carter and rattled off coordinates from his phone. “We’ll need to drop into the forest and follow them by foot.” He made a feral noise deep in his throat. “The signal just vanished. The last coordinates are close to the mountain.”

  “He’s taken her inside the caves.” Kane frowned. “If we propel down, he’ll hear the chopper and might do something stupid plus we don’t know how to find our way to the Whispering Caves in the dark. It’s not on any GPS maps. We’ll need to use the mountain trail.”

  Jenna looked at him. The urgent need to get to Julie burning inside her. “It will be too late. If he has her in the cave we need to be down there now.”

  “Wait.” Kane was texting. He looked at Jenna and then back down at his phone. “Atohi and his grandfather are descending the trail from the plateau, they have flashlights and will send up light beams, when they hear the chopper, we’ll propel down to them. It’s faster than negotiating the forest at night.”

  “The harnesses, ropes, and gloves are stowed behind you on the left.” Carter rose higher. “Get ready, coming up to coordinates in three minutes.”

  “Copy that.” Kane grabbed the harnesses and handed them around. “What about Duke?”

  “I’ll take him with me.” Carter was concentrating on the instruments. “He’ll be able to guide me down the trail. Get ready, I see lights.”

  “Okay. Kane first and then Jenna, Jo next, and I’ll follow last.” Wolfe stood and checked Jo and then Jenna’s harness. He looked at Jenna. “No arguments.”

  “I’ll be right beside you, Jenna.” Kane gave her a nod as if sensing her apprehension. “You remember how to do this right?” He attached his bag to the rope and leaned out watching it drop toward the target.

  Trying to stop her bottom lip trembling, Jenna pulled on her gloves. “Yeah, it’s been a while but I’m good to go.”

  Fear made her legs tremble as she removed her headset and said a silent prayer. Kane had set up two ropes but she hadn’t repelled from a chopper since training and never in the dead of night onto the side of a mountain. It was dangerous for them and even more so for Carter. The drop would be a long one because if Carter took the chopper closer to the mountain and hit a rocky outcrop, they’d all be dead. Her heart was in her mouth as she attached her backpack to the clip on the rope. On Wolfe’s hand signal, she lowered it out the door being careful not to tangle her rope in the skids. Kane moved without hesitation, and watching him brought back the confidence she needed. He sat with his legs hanging out the door and on Wolfe’s command, turned one-eighty degrees and dropped effortlessly onto the skids facing the door. He looked at her and jumped backward into darkness. The rope moved swiftly through the rappel ring and then Wolfe tapped her on the shoulder.

  Fear had her by the throat as she eased her way to the door. The wind buffeted her and the mountain loomed out of the night caught in the chopper’s lights. Paralyzed with fear, she stared into the darkness and then Julie’s face flashed into her mind. She turned and dropped, her feet slipping on the skids. She took a deep breath, tensed her leg muscles, and propelled herself away from the chopper. The next instant the rope was moving through her hands, a latent memory rekindled as she dropped and braked a few times until lights came into view. She heard Kane’s voice yelling at her to slow down. A few feet later and someone had her legs and she fell into Atohi’s strong arms. With her legs threatening to collapse under her, she grabbed his arm to steady herself. “Thanks.” She nodded at his grandfather, Nootau.

  In seconds, the ropes were flying back up to the chopper and then Jo arrived as cool as a cucumber and Wolfe dropped down beside them. The ropes went back up and the chopper vanished from sight above the trees. Jenna watched him go. “How will he know where to land?”

  “We had friends with us, they’ll be flashing their headlights.” Atohi smiled at her. “Don’t worry. Mingan will lead your friend down the trail and then return to guard the chopper. There is no time to waste. Come this way.” He led the way down a narrow trail.

  They’d not walked for more than a few minutes when an explosion rocked the mountain. The ground beneath Jenna’s feet trembled as if the mountain was shaking itself awake. She grasped at branches to steady herself as pebbles rained down on them and rushed past them bouncing up and striking her legs. “Oh, Jesus, I hope that wasn’t the chopper.”

  “That came from below and to the right.” Kane used his flashlight to scan the area. “See over there, it’s a dust cloud.”

  “That is the main entrance to the Whispering Caves.” Nootau shook his head. “The man heard the chopper. He’s aware we’re after him and must know his way around the caves. Only the elders know the safe ways out of the catacombs.” He frowned. “And not one of them would kidnap a young woman and bring them here.” He shook his head. “Although explorers from the early days made maps. They believed they’d find gold, the fools.”

  “How far is the next entrance?” Kane turned to look at him.

  “Maybe a mile or so but it’s difficult to navigate.” Nootau frowned. “The mountain will be angry at being disturbed, the last time man set dynamite into the rock, the falls changed direction and washed away an entire village.”

  Jenna straightened her weary back and looked at her team. “Keep moving, we’re only surmising he’s blown up the entrance. I want to see for myself.”

  “My daughter is in there and I don’t know if she’s dead or alive.” Wolfe loomed up behind them, a shaft of moonlight crossing a face chiseled with undisguised rage. “I hope he’s left a hole big enough for me to crawl through because I want him to know I’m coming for him.”

  Fifty-Eight

  Wishing she could stop time, Jenna ran beside Kane as they followed Atohi through the forest. They reached the cave entrance and she stopped to stare in dismay. Her flashlight revealed a pile of rocks blocking the entrance, and above a landslide clung by a few bushes waiting to bury it forever. She looked at Kane. “Now what?”

  As Kane and Wolfe scanned the area with their flashlights, Jenna sipped from a bottle of water. She turned to Jo. “This isn’t looking good. This could be a distraction. He could be hauling her miles away and will escape free and clear.”

  “No, he’s in there and must have been carrying Julie.” Atohi was crouched on the trail heading in the other direction. “He came this way, along an animal track from the firebreak. There are no footprints leading away. He must be inside the caves.”

  Dust was still settling over the pile of rocks. Jenna glanced over the area. “We’ll need people at the other exit.”

  “My grandfather can take your deputies.” Atohi moved to her side.

  “Good idea.” Jo looked at her through the gloom. “I’m convinced he trapped himself inside on purpose. I figure he plans to hole up in there until we leave.” She turned to Atohi. “Did you come across anything at all in the caves? I’d say he has supplies hidden inside there somewhere and knows another way out.”

  “No, we saw nothing to say he’d been there apart from a piece of twine, used as a guide.” Atohi rubbed the back of his neck. “He could have hidden supplies anywhere inside. The caves are vast and go off in many directions. We went to the passageway that led to the waterfall, as we believed the girl fell from there.” He thought for a beat. “There was a cavern with an old mattress but it looked as if bears had used it as a restroom. We didn’t think he’d keep a woman there.”

  “Jenna.” Kane was standing on one edge of the rockslide beside Wolfe. “We’ve made a hole through into the cave.”

  She hurried to
his side and aimed her flashlight into the dark recess. The drop inside was at least six to eight feet. She shone the beam all around. The passageway was empty for at least fifteen yards ahead. Standing back, she examined the surrounding rocks. Unstable was an understatement. Where Kane and Wolfe had pried the massive boulder from the pile, dirt and pebbles spilled down from above, like sand through an hourglass. She stared at the men, both had masks of determination. “Neither of you will fit in there. I’ll go.” She unbuckled her duty belt and handed it to Wolfe.

  “Jenna.” Kane gripped her arms and stared at her, his expression like granite. “This man has no respect for women. It makes no difference if we’re dealing with Suffolk or Cleaves, both have the same beliefs and both are dangerous unpredictable men. You won’t be able to reason with him. Give us time to clear away more boulders and we’ll all go.”

  Shaking her head, Jenna lifted her chin. “No! We’re all out of time and even I can see moving any more of those rocks will cause a landslide. I’m going after Julie and either help me climb inside that hole or I’ll ask Atohi.”

  “I’m going too.” Jo moved up beside her. “Both of us are quite capable of taking on one man.” She removed her backpack and checked her weapon. “I know how to deal with a psychopath, let me do my job.”

  “There will be no communication once you go inside, your phones are useless.” The nerve in Kane’s cheek ticked. “We won’t know what’s happening or be able to provide backup. You’ll be on your own.”

  Swallowing the apprehension growing inside her, Jenna nodded. “Yeah, I know.” She looked at him. “I agree with Jo, he’ll be holed up inside and figures we can’t get to him. We’ll be able to surprise him.”

  She heard a bark and Duke came bounding out of the dark with Carter close behind. “Good to see you made it down the mountain.”

  “You had any doubt?’ Carter gave her an exasperated look. “I heard the explosion.” He aimed his flashlight at the rockfall. “That’s going to come down. If you’re planning on crawling in that hole, you haven’t got much time. One drop of rain or if the wind picks up, you’ll be stuck inside and it will take days to dig you out, maybe we’ll never get to you.” He scanned the rockface. “We need a crew out here to shore this up.” He pulled out his phone. “I’ll see what I can arrange.”

  “Thanks.” Jenna moved slowly to the hole, and dropped her bag and then her duty belt inside. Her flashlight went next and she breathed a sigh of relief when it spun across the sandy rock floor and filled the gloom with light. She turned to Kane for assistance and Nootau tossed her a ball of twine. She fumbled it and then looked at him enquiringly. “What’s this for?”

  “Tie one end to your belt and give the ball to Kane to feed out as you go.” Nootau smiled his teeth flashing white in the darkness. “Now you have a communication and tracking device. Keep turning left, the right will take you to the falls and certain death.”

  “Thank you.” Jenna attached the twine to the back of her belt and handed the ball to Kane. “Two tugs, means, we’re okay. Three means we’ve found him.” She met his gaze. “Will you help me climb inside?”

  When he lifted her and lowered her into the hole, she dropped her voice for his ears only. “I promise, I’ll find Julie and bring him out to face justice, Dave… for Annie.”

  Jenna watched his eyes as he lowered her inside the cave; he was wearing his combat face but the slight nod he gave her said more than any words he could have uttered. His strong grasp slipped away and she dropped, landing in a squat and looked all around listening for any sound. The caves had a damp, feral smell and cobwebs hung like dusty lace drapes from the roof. She straightened, collected her flashlight and backpack, before giving Kane a wave. Jo’s backpack came through the hole and then Jo dropped in beside her. Sand and pebbles peppered their helmets like buckshot.

  “Wait.” Kane’s voice sounded so far away. “Wolfe has one of Julie’s sweaters with him, take Duke, he’ll lead you to her.”

  Within seconds an evidence bag dropped through the hole and Duke was lowered down, swinging in his harness, his eyes wide. Jenna ran to lift him down. “Good boy.” She untied the rope, opened the bag, and offered it to Duke. “Seek.” He walked around and then sat and looked at her. Dismayed, she turned to Jo. “He can’t find a trail.”

  “The bomber probably carried her inside but will have to put her down eventually.” Jo stared into the darkness and her eyes widened. “What was that?”

  A breeze rushed through the cave moaning like an evil spirit and every hair on Jenna’s body stood to attention. She hated dark places and, after listening to Atohi’s amazing stories, was convinced spirits roamed the catacombs. Gathering her courage, she turned to Jo. “It’s just the wind. The caves make strange noises but the only monster we need to worry about is the bomber.”

  Drawing her weapon, she looked at Jo’s determined face. “Let’s go.”

  Fifty-Nine

  The deeper they moved inside the catacombs, the more surreal it became. Critters scampered away from them and the eerie wind spun around them like a thousand voices. Disoriented, Jenna touched the twine trailing out behind her, a small comfort but would it be long enough? As they approached the next bend, Duke stopped dead, sniffed the floor, and gave a little triumphant yelp. Jenna attached his leash and grabbed Jo’s arm. They turned off their flashlights and it was as if she’d gone blind. She bent close to Duke and whispered in his ear. “Stay.”

  Heart pounding, Jenna led the way, her back to the wall and inching one step at a time around the bend. The blackness surrounding them was so dark she couldn’t see a hand before her face and she moved each foot forward with caution feeling her way. The air was rancid and thick with a stink like sewerage. This must be the place Rowley had described. Moving with care, she edged around a damp wall, and ahead a slight glow reflected on the rock wall. She leaned into Jo. “Not a sound.”

  Edging her way to the corner, she peered around and her heart raced. A lantern hung from a hook in the roof spilling a circle of light. Directly below it, Julie sat on an old mattress, with one ankle secured in a manacle to a loop in the floor. Her head hung down and she looked battered. Her long blonde hair was tangled and matted with leaves. Not far from her, a man paced, his boots crunching on the gravel. He was muttering to himself and punching a fist into one hand. The next moment he stopped and turned slowly, looking in her direction. Jenna moved back into the shadows, sure he couldn’t see her. She took a good look at him. It wasn’t Roger Suffolk, he wasn’t big enough, and Cleaves wasn’t quite so tall. Who was he?

  When he bent and slapped Julie around the face, Jenna wanted to act but she froze on the spot when he pulled a Glock from his waistband and held it to Julie’s head. Beside her, she could hear Jo breathing and almost feel the anger rising in her friend but revealing themselves now would get Julie killed, and the chances of taking the monster alive would be limited.

  “You told me you were Coleman’s cousin.” The man bent and grabbed Julie’s chin and stared at her. “But your driver’s license says Julia Wolfe.” He let out a string of profanities. “You’re Shane Wolfe’s daughter, aren’t you?”

  Julie nodded. “Yeah, you sure picked the wrong person to mess with. My dad will tear off your arms and feed you to the bears for kidnapping me.” She looked at him and smiled. “He’s relentless, he’ll never give up, he’ll hunt you down and Uncle Dave will help him. You’ll never hurt anyone ever again. They’re already coming for you.” She grinned at him through bloody teeth. “I’m not scared of you.”

  “You should be.” He lashed out again. “I’m going to enjoy killing you.”

  “Go right ahead.” Julie spat blood. “It will only make it slower and more painful for you in the end.”

  “You’re no use to me. There’s no fun in playing with you.” The man let out a howl of frustration, pulled out a flashlight, and headed down the passageway.

  Jenna bent, picked up a pebble, and tossed it at Julie. When she tur
ned and looked at her, Jenna could see the fear in her eyes but she hadn’t expected her to burst into tears. Men who raped fed on vulnerability. Jenna moved a little into the light and shook her head wiping at her eyes. She mouthed the words, “Stay strong and fight,” and then melted back into the shadows.

  There was no strategic position to take the advantage. Julie sat in a small cavern, with a passageway that appeared to break into two. How far the man had walked into the darkness on the left Jenna had no idea. It would be easy if she could grab Julie and run back to the entrance but she had no way of removing the manacle without the key. Moving would be suicide… unless… She squeezed Jo’s arm. “Can you make it into the right passageway if I cover you?” Jo was invisible beside her in the dark. “We’ll see him if he heads back this way by his flashlight.”

  “Nootau did say the passages to the right lead to the falls and death.” Jo peered around her. “I guess if I stay hidden at the entrance, it will be okay. We sure as hell can’t take him down from here.” She took off straight across the cavern and disappeared down the right passageway. A few seconds later she poked her head out and gave Jenna a wave.

  The sight of Jo had given Julie courage. She pulled the long chain tethering her onto the mattress in a coil and was on her feet. Terrified for the girl’s safety, Jenna could see Julie was planning to attack. A dangerous move with an armed man. The notion of shooting him came into Jenna’s mind and she dismissed it. The walls were granite and if she missed, a ricochet could kill in such a small area. She got Julie’s attention again and made hand gestures to indicate she kept the monster talking. When she nodded, Jenna sagged back against the wall.

  A light bobbed in the darkness and the crunch, crunch, crunch of boots on gravel came closer. The man appeared, holding himself straighter and walking with confidence. Jenna’s heart sank. He’d come up with a plan and one he liked by the smile poking through his balaclava. As he entered the cavern, he removed the balaclava and Jenna stared in disbelief. The man grinning at Julie was the fire chief, Matt Thompson.