by Dave Warner
Charlotte had heard enough.
'For a start, I have no intention of being a star. I simply came to help out Miss Strudworth and Leila. And, secondly, if I'm that much of a problem I'll leave somebody else to rescue you.'
Charlotte turned on her heel.
'No, please, I'm sorry. Okay? Don't leave me. Please get me out. I'll give you my Palm pilot, my Blackberry, anything.'
Charlotte turned back and sighed. 'You don't get it.'
'Fine. You want my motorised scooter . . .'
'I don't want anything from you except for you to finish the movie and stop fighting with Leila.'
'Oh.' Sarah-Jane was shocked. 'Okay, then. You get me out of here I'll give you all that other stuff anyway. Where are the others?'
Charlotte said, 'I'm afraid I'm the only one here right now. My friend Todd is off checking the other ridge and Miss Strudworth is calling for help.'
Sarah-Jane let out a whimper. 'I've been here for hours. I thought nobody would come. I'm dying of thirst.'
Charlotte opened the bottle she had slung over her shoulder and passed it to Sarah-Jane, who guzzled greedily for a long moment.
'Oh, thank you,' she gasped and wiped her mouth. 'How are you going to get me out?'
'I'm not sure.' Charlotte explained that she had fallen through the earth as well.
'You mean we're both trapped?' Sarah-Jane almost screamed it.
Thinking negatively was not something Charlotte was accustomed to. 'People will find us.'
'Yes, but when? The earth here is shifting all the time. The whole thing could come down on us.'
'Let's see if I can dig you out.'
'I think there's some old wooden beam or something across my foot.'
Charlotte began digging away.
'Was it cold down here last night?'
'No, it wasn't too bad. But I was so scared no-one would ever find me. In fact, how did you find me?'
Charlotte ran through the series of events which had led her here, leaving out Leila as the informant.
'You're right,' admitted Sarah-Jane. 'I was very stupid. I was just annoyed Leila was getting all the publicity. I mean, you probably think I'm exaggerating but it's almost like she's human.'
'I know what you mean.'
Charlotte had dug out enough of the earth to find Sarah-Jane's foot.
'Can you feel that?' She squeezed through Sarah-Jane's boot.
'Yes.'
'That's good. I don't think there's any major damage.' Charlotte kept digging, finally revealing the beam, which was very thick. 'I think this will be too heavy for me to lift by myself. I better go back to where I fell and see if Leila is waiting.'
'Don't leave me, please.'
'I have to if you're going to get out of this.'
Charlotte edged her way back along the tunnel walls. As she did she was acutely aware of the sound of falling sand. Not a lot, but it seemed constant. Sarah-Jane had been right about one thing. This whole tunnel could cave in at any time. She found her way back to the area where she had fallen and saw she had been lucky that some timber supports were placed right here on either side. While the roof had caved in when she'd walked on it, the damage had been limited by the structural support on the sides.
'Leila,' she yelled up. 'Where are you?'
Up above, Leila was perplexed. Where had Charlotte gone? It was relatively flat terrain here and very sparse. No big boulders or trees for her to be concealed behind. Leila's earpiece wire got hooked up on a small piece of foliage and as she turned to scan the landscape, her earpiece was yanked out. Great. Try getting those back in with hooves!
'Leila, I need you.'
Charlotte's voice. Leila looked around. Was she imagining it?
'Leila! I've got pizza.'
Pizza? Yum. How did Charlotte find pizza out here? Leila trotted in the direction of the voice.
'Charlie, you're a gem. What kind of . . .'
'Leila. Stop.'
Leila stopped confused. Where was Charlotte?
'You got me on CCTV or something?'
'I'm in a mine shaft. The ground gave way. Sarah-Jane's trapped too. Be very careful, the earth is crumbling.'
Leila edged slowly forward.
'Sarah-Jane's got the pizza?'
'No. I just said that to get your attention! I'm about two metres down. I need you to bring Todd back here, with a rope. Sarah-Jane is trapped under a beam.'
'How am I going to get a rope?'
'I don't know. You'll figure something out. And hurry. I'm not sure how long this tunnel will hold.'
Leila edged right to the lip of the hole in the ground. She craned her neck full stretch and could just see Charlotte. She really was trapped.
'Come on, Leila. Don't let me down.'
'You know me, Charlie. Leila comes through.'
Charlotte's heart sank as she heard Leila gallop off. She hoped this would not be the last time she would ever hear that sound.
Leila galloped with all her might. Every second was precious. She had to head back down the slope, which was treacherous, offering little support. If she snapped a leg, that was it – for her and Charlotte. But there was no time to worry about that. Leila skidded down at an angle, feeling flesh rip on the rocks. Consuela would have her hands full dealing with that! Leila levelled off and began charging around a narrow pass that would bring her back above the old town, about the level of where they had originally parked. She rounded a corner and hit the skids.
Blocking her way was a pack of mean, hungry coyotes. Instinctively, she thought about backing up but the low growls coming from behind told her more were there. And then she spied a couple above her, spittle around their hungry mouths. She wasn't sure she could take the ones in front at a charge because the pass was narrow. Even if she skittled a few, the others would rip into her.
Which left only one option. Down.
She began galloping at the coyotes in front. They didn't budge. Their lean, muscular bodies tensed to spring. She sprang first, leaping out into thin air. She felt herself falling. There was nowhere soft to aim for a landing, so she tucked in her legs and offered her rump.
YOW!!!
It was, she imagined, like being hit in the backside by shot pellets. She skidded down the slope, a little like the time she'd been tobogganing in Vail except without the toboggan. She hit the valley floor and regained her feet. Her rump was stinging but she ignored it and charged into the old township. Looking up, she could just see Warrior on the opposite ridge to where she had been. She reared on her hind legs and whinnied louder than she had ever whinnied before.
'Is somebody coming?' asked a fretful Sarah-Jane.
Charlotte continued to dig around Sarah-Jane's trapped leg. Sarah-Jane did what she could to contribute.
'I hope so. I asked Leila to go find my friend.'
'Leila? All she'll find is a stylist.'
'I don't think you know the real Leila,' said Charlotte. There was a long pause as Charlotte concentrated on digging and tried not to think whether the walls would hold. Little rivulets of sand continued to fall on them.
'I'm sorry I was rude to you before.'
Charlotte felt sorry for Sarah-Jane. For the first time she seemed human.
'Believe me, I don't want to be a star,' said Charlotte.
'I feel like that a lot myself,' said Sarah-Jane. 'I don't have any real friends in Los Angeles.'
'Can't you make any?'
'You don't understand. It's not the same. All the kids I meet my age just want to be me. Or worse, replace me. I hardly even get to ride any more because I'm always doing interviews or home schooling or being fitted for wardrobe.'
Charlotte had, by now, dug all around Sarah-Jane's boots and along more of the fallen beam trapping her.
'Can you pull your legs back out?'
Sarah-Jane grimaced and gave it her all, but to no avail.
'I'm wedged too tight.'
Charlotte tried to lift the beam but there was still a lot of eart
h on it. Unfortunately, all she succeeded in doing was increasing the flow of dirt from above.
Sarah-Jane wailed. 'I'm going to die. I'm never going to get out of here.'
And then she began crying steadily.
Warrior was moving carefully over the ground as Todd's boots were commanding him. He enjoyed the to and fro with Leila. She was a challenge, that was for sure. He stopped in his tracks. His name was being called. In horse. By Leila. He looked down from the ridge, back to the old ghost town and far below saw the amazing sight of Leila rearing on her hind legs and pumping her forelegs.
No Charlotte. Something was wrong. He needed to make sure Todd got it. Warrior began snorting and circling.
Alerted by Warrior's behaviour, Todd broke off from his search.
'What's up, fella?'
Warrior was jerking his head down. Todd had not heard Leila but he could certainly see her. Like Warrior he realised instantly that there was no Charlotte and something was amiss.
'Come on.'
He didn't have to urge Warrior, the big stallion was already powering down the slippery ridge.
Leila's heart beat fast at the sight of that magnificent stallion risking his life to heed her call. His balance was amazing. Somehow he almost side-gaited down the ridge, hit the bottom at pace and came powering towards her. Leila didn't wait to exchange niceties, she turned tail and galloped back knowing Warrior and Todd would follow. Getting up the slope she had just come down was no walk in the park. Her rump was still hurting and she knew she had skinned her legs but she pushed upwards. The coyotes were still there, peering down at her, but when they saw Warrior and Todd they melted back into the canyon. Leila felt the breeze tearing at her face as she galloped at maximum speed. Despite the thunder of her own hooves she could hear the echo of Warrior's. She rounded the narrow pass and ran up to the plateau area where the mine shaft was. As she neared the spot where the ground had given way, she stopped and let out a loud yell. 'Charlotte!'
Warrior thundered in not far behind her and stopped.
Todd dismounted. He could have sworn he had heard a woman call Charlotte's name. It hadn't sounded like Strudworth and there was no sign of anybody except Leila. Weird – but right now he needed to find her. Leila had clearly come for help. It was his turn to yell.
'Charlotte?'
He started towards the hole. Leila fired a warning to Warrior: 'Stop him. There's a cave-in.'
Warrior shifted to block his path.
'What is it, guys? What are you trying to tell me?'
Leila sighed. Her secret, that she could talk human, had been hers and Charlotte's alone but now she was going to have to give it up. So be it. Charlotte's life was at stake and if it meant a lifetime of electrodes clamped to her body by egghead scientists, it was the price she would have to pay. She opened her mouth to tell Todd what was happening but before she could speak, Charlotte's voice rose from the ground.
'Todd, is that you?'
'Charlotte?'
He stepped forward, trying to place the source of the sound.
Charlotte was thrilled to hear Todd's voice. She had heard Leila's yell a moment earlier and knew Leila had come through.
'Careful, Todd, the ground is very dangerous. I'm trapped in a shaft. Sarah-Jane's here. She can't move. There's a beam across her leg. Do you have a rope?'
Oops, thought Leila. She had forgotten all about that part.
'Have I got a rope?' answered Todd, his voice soaked in surprise. 'Of course I've got a rope. You said we were going camping.'
By now he had located where Charlotte's voice was coming from.
Charlotte was thinking about how heavy that beam was.
'I think you're going to need both horses to shift this beam.'
Todd moved quickly. The rope was strong nylon. He produced a sharp pocket knife and cut the rope in two. Then he tied one end around the pommel of each saddle.
'You guys are going to have to work together,' he told Warrior and Leila, before he scurried back to the hole.
'What do you think, Warrior? You up to a little working in sync?' shot Leila.
'You bet your hindquarters I am. Have you got the muscle?'
'I've got as much muscle as you. Just mine isn't all in my head,' she cracked, trying to use humour to stop herself from feeling as worried for Charlotte as she really was.
'I'm tossing the rope,' called Todd.
Two ends of rope dropped down the hole. Charlotte reached up and seized them.
'And here's my knife,' called Todd.
Charlotte moved just in time as the pocket knife plodded in the earth at her feet.
'Got it,' she called back, starting back along the tunnel.
'Hurry,' said Sarah-Jane from the dark as she heard her approach. 'The sand is falling faster all the time.'
Just as she said that another chunk fell, this time from directly above her. It smashed onto her head and broke up. Sarah-Jane didn't complain. She was too frantic, helping Charlotte dig away more dirt to expose the beam trapping her. Once both sides of the beam were exposed, Charlotte looped one rope around one end of the beam and the other around the other end of the beam. Then she tied them off with secure knots.
'Nearly there,' she assured Sarah-Jane, and charged back up the tunnel. All the activity was making things worse, bigger hunks of sand falling all the time along the entire length of the tunnel. She reached the hole.
'Okay, Todd, ready to go.'
Todd faced Leila and Warrior, who stood side by side.
'Guys, you have to do this very evenly. Understand?'
Course I understand, Todd, thought Leila. Just like applying fake tan. You had to be smooth all over.
'The earth is unstable. If we jerk this beam we might bury them,' he told them, then realised what he was doing. They were horses, they didn't know what he was saying.
But, of course, Leila did know. Thanks for upping the pressure, she thought. His shoulders against their rumps, Todd braced himself behind them, taking one rope in each hand using it as a guide to keep the rope tight.
'Go.'
Leila looked at Warrior. Warrior looked at Leila.
He offered a low whinny. 'I know,' he was saying, 'she's everything to you. Don't worry. We'll do it.'
Leila wanted to lay a big sloppy kiss on him right there.
They started forward. The rope became taut. Leila felt the weight against her. It gave her an unpleasant memory of the time she'd had to cart logs for some illegal loggers.
'Easy,' said Todd.
Leila and Warrior breathed in sync. Straining every muscle they edged forward.
Charlotte had returned to where Sarah-Jane lay trapped. She watched as the taut ropes began to shift the beam.
'Can you move your legs?'
'I've got no circulation.'
The beam was wobbling free of the dirt. Charlotte leaned over.
'Grab my neck.'
Sarah-Jane got her arms around Charlotte's neck. Charlotte stood and pulled. Sarah-Jane's legs came free.
'Thank God,' Sarah-Jane shrieked in delight.
No sooner had Charlotte dragged her from where she had lain than a huge clump of dirt fell right where Sarah-Jane had just been.
The cave-in had started.
Chapter 13
With Sarah-Jane's arm slung around her neck, Charlotte tried to move but Sarah-Jane's legs were still numb and she could barely contribute. Charlotte more or less dragged her as the earthen roof of the tunnel collapsed behind her, each thump drawing closer to her heels. Charlotte knew she couldn't outrun it.
'Nooooo,' Sarah-Jane screamed.
In seconds they would be buried. The taut ropes were either side of them. Charlotte flipped open Todd's pocket knife.
'Come on!' screamed Sarah-Jane.
'Hold on!' yelled Charlotte, shoving one rope into Sarah-Jane's hands. She grabbed the other. As the cloud of dirt enveloped them she yelled with all her might.
'Go, Leila!'
Sand filled
her lungs and began to choke her. It was too dark to see in the core of the dust storm. She slashed blindly at the ropes and prayed.
Up above, Todd watched in horror as the ground collapsed inwards and loose sand rushed to fill up the empty space where the tunnel had been. It was like watching dominoes fall, a line racing quickly towards the hole, their only escape route. Charlotte would be buried beneath tonnes of dirt. He heard a chilling scream from below ground and then quite clearly Charlotte's yell.
Leila and Warrior felt the ropes go slack an instant before Charlotte's last desperate cry. The ropes, suddenly free of weight, gave them impetus, propelling them forward. Leila accelerated to a gallop and Warrior responded, because that was what Charlotte had commanded.
In the shaft Charlotte could not breathe. The dirt was smothering her, knocking her from her feet, almost to her waist when she felt the jerk on her arms as the rope pulled taut again. She was plucked from the swirling storm, dragged along the ground bouncing and then hoisted from her feet towards the light.
Todd couldn't believe his eyes. Head to toe in black dirt, Charlotte and Sarah-Jane burst out of the hole like fish on a line. They slithered for about ten metres before letting go and laying on their backs coughing and panting. The fault line showing the collapse continued on for another fifty metres before petering out. Todd rushed to them.
'You okay?'
'Perfect,' gasped Charlotte, reaching for his water. She rinsed out her mouth and passed the bottle to Sarah-Jane, who did the same.
Leila trotted back, shaking her mane. That dirt was going to take more than conditioner to get out. And as for the nails, maybe amputation would be necessary. Her heart was beating rapidly. Ecstatic as she was, she couldn't help but feel the shiver of how close she had come to losing Charlotte. What would life be like without her? She reached down and kissed her.
Yuck, that dirt really was disgusting.
Charlotte smiled up into Leila's face and let her fingers play with her coarse mane.
'Leila, you're a legend.'
She knew what Leila would be thinking. 'Duh, tell me something I don't know.'
Strudworth had been unable to get a phone signal from the car and had driven back to the highway and found a payphone from where she had called the emergency line. She had then called Joel Gold, who had been understandably shocked to learn of Sarah-Jane's staged kidnapping. He said he would get there as soon as he could. It took Strudworth around thirty minutes to make it back to the old town. She was shocked at what she found: Charlotte and Sarah-Jane looking as though they were made of ebony.