The Secret Page

by Al Turner

  “Wait for me,” Daniel said. “I don’t have a light anymore.”

  “You have your phone’s light,” Joe said as he continued walking.

  “I need to conserve battery power,” Daniel said, catching up to the man.

  They backtracked to a point where Joe noticed another path going into a different branch of the cavern. As they followed it, they could see scorched walls and burned-out equipment from years past. Shells of computers and monitors, relics by current standards, and other older equipment had been destroyed in a blaze.

  “Looks like things got pretty hot in here,” Joe said. “Strangely, this seems to be the only part affected by fire. The other areas were . . . well, I don’t know what the hell happened out there. That bizarre distortion in the crater room still gives me the creeps. Did your video turn out?”

  Daniel hadn’t checked. He pulled out his phone and watched the short video. When he started to comment on it, Joe shushed him.

  Joe stood silently, listening. “Someone’s in here with us,” he finally whispered. “Let’s get moving.”

  He used his flashlight just long enough to find the path that led back up and out. He turned it off while he and Daniel hugged the wall, using it to guide them. When Daniel quietly chanted, “No spiders . . . no spiders . . . no spiders,” he elbowed him.

  As they headed back up, footsteps echoed and a light appeared up ahead. Joe and Daniel hurried back down and hid behind a colonnade of stalagmites. Hopefully, whoever it was would pass by without searching too thoroughly.

  They held their breath as the light came around the bend. Its beam flickered all around them as a figure passed by. To their relief, the person moved on.

  After they waited another moment, they zigzagged around rocks and stalagmites in the direction that led back to the surface.

  As they drew closer to the entrance, natural light poured in like a beacon of hope. Joe, however, stopped in his tracks. Daniel almost tripped as he tried to do the same.

  “What?” Daniel whispered.

  Joe, dimly lit by the light just ahead, had the look of a man undergoing an epiphany. Daniel waited as he stood briefly, apparently calculating something in his head.

  Joe didn’t have to say anything. “There are more out there, waiting for us,” Daniel said.

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “What should we do?”

  “Either try to find a hiding spot in here somewhere or make a run for it.”

  “There should be plenty of places to hide. Let’s find a good one and wait this out.”

  “That may work, unless they saw us enter. In that case, they’ll eventually find us.”

  “Right,” Daniel said, trying to calculate the odds. He reached the same conclusion as Joe.

  They prepared to make a run for it.

  UNDERGROUND REUNION

  Tripp awoke first, his back stiff from sleeping in a reclined seat. The twilit sky was the first indication he hadn’t had a full night’s sleep. The second was he was still tired. His sister slept on her side in the front passenger seat. He envied her size, knowing he would never have been able to fit as snugly in the cramped quarters.

  They had been dropped off at Carson’s Jeep in Denton the evening before. Then, after they lied about heading straight to either Shreveport or Houston after they ate, Shelby took off to eventually rendezvous with Pops in Florida.

  They kept in contact with Daniel and their uncle Joe while on their way to Austin. They were still an hour from the Live Music Capital of the World when they received the update that Joe and Daniel had already found the place they were looking for. It was in close proximity to both San Antonio and Austin, but Tripp and Carson were worn out and opted to stop in Austin. The others, however, already had a hotel in San Antonio. The coordinates were sent and they would meet up in the morning.

  Tripp wished they had sprung for a cheap hotel, but Carson had assured him she had slept comfortably in her vehicle before while chasing storms. From the peaceful sound of her light snoring, he was certain she had. He, on the other hand, had to get out and stretch.

  The parking lot of the truck stop was more active than when they had first arrived late in the night. Tripp went inside to grab coffee and donuts. When he returned, he witnessed the miracle of his sister coming to life suddenly at the smell of the day’s first cup of java.

  “Morning, sunshine,” Carson said as she struggled to raise her eyelids.

  “As I’ve pointed out, that’s your nickname,” Tripp replied. “Good morning.”

  “Oh, yummy—donuts.” She examined the coffee cups. “And look at you, paper instead of Styrofoam.”

  “I’m just doing my part to save the planet, one coffee at a time.”

  “They probably didn’t even have Styrofoam cups.”

  “No,” Tripp admitted. “Let’s eat and hit the road, shall we?”

  “Let’s.” She then answered her phone.

  It was Daniel. Her chat with him was brief, as he had called to let them know they were on their way to the mysterious cavern. They were eager to get started on the day’s adventure. Carson checked her navigation system to gauge the distance.

  ***

  The sun peeked above the horizon and cast an orange glow across the eastern sky as they gassed up and headed out to meet Daniel and Joe. Carson took her turn at the wheel since Tripp had driven the night before. It had given her time to finishing reading through her mother’s diary. She thought back to what she had learned.

  Most of its secrets were boring things she and her mother had already argued about. Her mother loved Conner but married Brad, and so on. As she got to the end, however, it became a far more interesting read.

  The last handwritten page started to detail a disaster that had befallen her dad and his brother in some underground structure. She wondered if referred to the cavern they headed toward. Unfortunately, the entries abruptly ended before anything significant was revealed. Why? she wondered.

  She took a careful sip of coffee since it was still too hot to gulp down. After a nibble of her donut, stale by her standards, she decided to take another look.

  Tripp noticed her studying the book as she drove. “Carson, you can either read or drive—you can’t do both at the same time.”

  Something had caught Carson’s eye and she remained fixated on it. “I know why Mother’s diary ended so abruptly,” she said finally. “I must have been tired last night and I missed it.”

  “I still have no interest in knowing the private thoughts of my mother.”

  “Geez, it was from long ago, when she was younger than we are now.”

  “That changes nothing.”

  “Then let me introduce a fact you may find more interesting.” She held up the book.

  Tripp looked worried. “I told you I won’t read it. Please keep your eyes forward.”

  “You don’t need to read anything. I’m trying to show you that a page is missing. It’s been torn out.”

  Tripp took the diary and examined it. At least one page had been carefully removed. “The care in removing the page may show a desire to preserve it.”

  “I knew you’d find that fascinating.”

  “Interesting is a better word. A missing page from a diary, particularly when you expect a revealing moment, does have a certain intrigue to it.”

  “I know, right?”

  Against his better judgment, Tripp went ahead and read the last page. “This ends with Mom waiting to find out what happened to Brad and Conner. The next page, the missing one, might have revealed something both important and sensitive.”

  Carson loved both a good mystery and a challenge. “See, it’s like a cliffhanger, daring us to discover what happened next.”

  “Possibly, although the truth may not be earthshaking. We know our dad survived the incident, but our uncle presents a mystery. The date in the diary indicates the tragedy occurred three days before our uncle officially died. That leaves a couple of possibilities—at least. One w
ould be that he must have made it back, only to be involved in a fatal car accident three days later.”

  “Not likely,” said Carson, who felt it was too coincidental. “I prefer the theory that he made it back and faked his own death.”

  “Perhaps, but that means he would’ve lied to everyone who loved him—and remained hidden for years. If we’re going to be conspiracy theorists, it would make more sense that he died in a bizarre manner and the government tried to cover it up with a staged car accident three days later. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve heard of a cover story being used to explain a death resulting from something that officially didn’t occur.”

  Carson considered it. “If so, don’t you find it odd that our mother would remove a diary page? It’s not like she would want to help the government cover up a covert operation.”

  “That is a curious thing.”

  “It’s more than curious,” Carson said “Whatever really happened must’ve been why our parents were so paranoid for years. We also moved around a lot before settling in Florida.”

  Tripp nodded.

  Carson could feel the adrenaline kick in. “All this talking about it just makes me more excited to get where we’re going. How much longer?”

  “We’re getting close.,” Tripp replied.

  They followed their navigation system and turned off on a paved road that had seen better days. It curved around until they arrived at their destination. It was easy to spot their uncle Joe’s bright car. Once parked, they looked for any sign of a cavern. Tripp spotted what he believed was the place and they headed for it.

  As they passed through the cavern entrance, they almost ran right into Daniel and Joe.

  “Hey, guys,” Carson said with enthusiasm.

  “Crap,” Daniel said. “I meant to tell you not to come.”

  “That’s a lousy welcome.”

  Joe quieted them both down and pointed to where they had just come from. “There’s someone in here looking for us,” he whispered.

  “He’s heavily armed,” Daniel added.

  “We need a new plan, then,” Carson said and started to leave.

  Her uncle stopped her. “Did you see anyone out there?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Because Daniel and I think there are more people out there, watching.”

  “With guns?”

  “Yes.”

  Carson grumbled and tried to think of a plan. “Are you armed, Uncle Joe?”

  Joe hesitated, as if he’d almost forgotten he was. He reached behind himself and produced the revolver. He held it for a moment. “Yes, but there’s no way I’m going to get into a firefight.”

  Carson went to the entrance and hugged the edge as she peered out. She watched as the others behind her whispered among themselves. There was not much of a line of sight since the entrance was basically in a huge hole. She figured the place must flood during every good rain.

  “So you really have no evidence that more people are waiting outside to ambush us?” Tripp asked.

  “Not really,” Daniel said. “It’s just a gut feeling.”

  Tripp suddenly lowered his voice as he stared beyond them. “Then I suggest we take our chances. There’s a light coming from the recesses of this place.”

  Daniel and Joe saw it too.

  “That settles it, then,” Joe whispered as Carson brushed passed him.

  “Where are you going, sis?” Tripp asked.

  Carson stopped and spun around. “I just saw a head pop over the hill. I’ll take my chances in the dark.”

  She started to trek down into the cavern, but Tripp stopped her. He watched as the light grew brighter; the intruder would be upon them soon.

  “If you really want to take a risk, then I have an idea,” he whispered. He quickly explained it.

  Carson thought it was nuts, but it was so unusual, especially coming from her brother, that she reluctantly went along with it. She walked down the winding path toward the growing light and was blinded by it as she rounded the corner.

  The man’s voice ordered her to stop, but she hugged the outer wall and pushed onward. She somehow found it within herself to hum a tune.

  The man repeated his order as she passed right by him. Confused, he hesitated and looked around, as if to make sure no one else was following her, before he turned to catch up.

  He had to chase after her, as she had picked up her pace. When he caught up, he abruptly spun her around to face him. “I told you to stop, bitch. Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

  Carson stared blankly at him and pointed. “Down there.”

  The man gritted his teeth, which contrasted with his dark skin. “No, you’re not. You’re coming up that way with me.”

  “No, bitch, you’re coming down this way with me.”

  Looking bewildered by her resolve, he attempted to force Carson to go with him. He suddenly froze at the touch of the cold metal at the back of his neck.

  “We’ll take those weapons, dude,” Joe said from behind as Daniel and Tripp each grabbed an arm.

  The man seemed to realize he had fallen for a trap and complied. They escorted him into the chamber and told him to sit. Tripp had their prisoner’s rifle slung over his shoulder, while Daniel had taken a large knife, his communication headset, and a Glock pistol.

  Joe approached their new prisoner, intent on gathering information. “How many more of you are out there?” he demanded.

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” the man replied.

  “That doesn’t help much,” Daniel said, then stared down at his phone. “Someone just texted me and said to stay put and wait for further instruction.”

  “Who?” Joe asked. “How do they know where we’re at?”

  “I don’t know who. The number is blocked.”

  They all used their lights to search the cavern until Tripp spotted the camera above them, in the shadows.

  “We have an audience,” Tripp said.

  “Find out who it is, Daniel,” Carson said.

  Daniel texted the unknown number back and waited. He soon received a response and read it aloud. “It says, ‘I’m on your side.’”

  “A mysterious friend or a trick?” Joe asked.

  “I think a bad guy would just come in here and shoot us all,” Carson said. “Whoever they are, they’re obviously watching us.”

  Daniel looked less confident. “What if that’s the idea? They tell us to stay in one spot so they can come for us?”

  Tripp said, “I agree with Carson. No one would alert us that they’re watching us if they intend to do us harm. Whoever it is has Daniel’s number, so that favors the ally theory.”

  Carson agreed but still didn’t like to leave anything unsolved. She shined her light on the camera. “I wonder why you don’t tell us who you are,” she called out.

  “I’ll assume they’ll reveal themselves when the time is right,” said Tripp. “Until then, we’ve little choice but to wait.”

  “I hate waiting,” Carson said with a moan.

  Daniel nodded in agreement. While they waited for whatever was to happen next, he showed Carson and Tripp the strange anomaly in the center of the chamber.

  Tripp did several tests with light similar to what the others told him they had done earlier. He wanted to climb down into the chamber to investigate further, but Joe stopped him. A light was shined down to illuminate the pool of water that lay below the anomaly.

  Tripp didn’t feel like swimming so decided on a new test. He threw a rock at the exact spot where the light disappeared. The others were perplexed when the rock didn’t pass through it but diverted at an angle.

  “That’s crazy,” Carson said. “Do it again.”

  Tripp did so several more times. Each time, it did the same thing—until the last try. The stone simply vanished.

  “Now that was fascinating,” Tripp said.

  “What could cause that?” Daniel asked.

  “I’d be guessing at this point.”


  Joe, distracted by Tripp’s experiments, had taken his eyes off the man he was watching. “Shit. Guys, we have a problem. Our guest is gone.”

  They beamed their flashlights around the cavern in an attempt to find him, but to no avail. The mercenary had clearly made a run for the exit.

  “He’ll be back with reinforcements. We can’t stay here,” Daniel said.

  “Where do you suggest we go?” Carson asked.

  “What in the world could your purpose be?” Tripp’s voice echoed from near the crumbled wall.

  “Did you find him?” Joe asked.

  “No, but I did find an unusual man-made structure on the far side of the cavern wall. It resembles scaffolding that rises toward the ceiling, with a catwalk situated over the anomaly.”

  “Hello? We’re trying to find a safe way out of here,” Carson said with a moan.

  “What about that other chamber?” asked Tripp.

  “It’s a dead end full of junk,” Daniel replied. “I would think—” He stopped as his phone vibrated. He read the new text. “New message from our mysterious friend,” he announced.

  “What does it say?” Carson asked as she drew closer to him.

  Daniel read it verbatim. “Your prisoner exited the cavern. Proceed to the next chamber.”

  “We just established it was a dead end. We should probably stay here, in this larger chamber. There are more places to hide and set up an ambush if need be.”

  “Carson, we should go into the other chamber,” said Daniel.

  “Why, because some mysterious person says so?”

  “Well,” said Daniel with a chuckle. “Our mysterious friend says, ‘Tell Carson to quit being a pain in the butt.’”

  “If it’s my mother, tell ‘er we’re fine where we’re at,” Carson said.

  “What if it’s your dad?” asked Daniel.

  Carson muttered something and stomped off. The rest of the group followed her to the next chamber. It was much smaller than the one they had left and was probably used as a control center at one time. Just as Daniel had said, it was full of burned-up old equipment. Sure enough, a dead end.

  Daniel sat on the floor, using his cell phone for light, and took out the tactical headset he had taken from the man they captured. He began to fiddle with it.