Grave Peril

by Mary Alford

  Paxton might be convinced Miller’s comments were a form of a confession, but in Gavin’s mind they could mean anything. There wasn’t enough evidence to prove anyone else was responsible for his father’s death but Noah.

  “Do you know how the current sheriff fits into the puzzle?” he asked instead of pointing out the obvious.

  Paxton snorted. “Now that one, he’s a slippery one. I haven’t been able to tie him to any of his deputies’ crimes yet. He’s good at covering his tracks, but I’m sure he’s dirty, just like his father.”

  Gavin wasn’t as convinced. Andy was lots of things, but was he a killer? Right now, the more pressing issue was getting out of the mine before they ran out of air.

  Jamie seemed to read his thoughts. “None of this does us any good if we can’t get out of here. Paxton, they’ve blocked the main entrance. Is there another way out?”

  Paxton closed his eyes. “I don’t know. Let me think.” His voice was barely a whisper. He didn’t look good.

  Jamie placed her hand over Paxton’s forehead. She caught Gavin’s eye. “He’s warm to the touch.” She pointed to the blood on his jeans.

  “Let me take a look at your leg. I’ll need to cut away your jeans,” Gavin said. Paxton didn’t protest, which was alarming enough. The man didn’t like people fussing over him.

  Gavin pulled out his pocketknife and ripped the jeans away from the wound. Right away he could see that it was bad. The wound hadn’t been treated and was showing signs of infection. “The bullet’s still in there,” he told Jamie. The news was frightening. “We need to bandage it to make him as comfortable as possible.”

  Paxton looked to his niece for reassurance. “It’ll be okay,” she said. “Gavin’s going to dress the wound.”

  After staring at his niece for a long moment, Paxton agreed.

  “It looks like it’s not so bad,” Gavin tried to reassure Paxton. He could see that the man was terrified. “I’ll try to be as careful as I can.”

  “Just do it already,” Paxton muttered.

  Gavin took out some of the extra strips of cloth and wrapped them tightly around Paxton’s wound. The man slumped back on the ground. He’d lost consciousness.

  “Paxton!” Jamie shook her uncle with fear in her eyes.

  Gavin felt for a pulse. It was weak, but steady. “He’s okay. Rest is the best thing for him right now.” He sat back on his haunches and tried to come up with a plan to get them out of there.

  “We won’t be able to stay in here for long. We’re running out of air.” Gavin took Paxton’s light and searched around until he found his phone, then he nodded toward the entrance. “Let’s talk out there.”

  He moved through the hole. Once they were on the other side, Jamie went a little way from it so that Paxton couldn’t overhear their discussion if he woke up.

  “There has to be another way out. These old mines always have another way out,” Jamie said. Gavin knew that wasn’t necessarily the truth, but she was hanging on to it and so would he.

  “You’re right.” He looked inside where Paxton slept. “He’s okay for the moment. Let’s keep going down this passage. If we find a way out, we can come back for him.”

  Gavin headed down the tunnel they’d been traveling when they found Paxton. Gavin’s own strength almost nonexistent. He’d taken some pain medication before they entered the mine, but he knew he couldn’t handle much more.

  After they’d walked for some distance, the passage suddenly ended and they were met with the stone wall of the mountainside.

  They’d reached the end of the mine, and there was no way out from here.

  THIRTEEN

  Jamie stared at the rock before them and almost lost it. They’d come all this way only to find they were still trapped.

  She turned to Gavin. Saw the same despair in his eyes and fought back tears.

  “What do we do now?” She forced the words out, her voice clogged with emotion.

  For the first time, the man who had been her rock through all of this had no answer. “I don’t know.” The desolation in his tone scared her more than anything.

  “We should probably get back to Paxton.” She said the first thing that came to mind because she’d never seen Gavin look so lost before. “He may have woken by now.”

  Together they turned and headed back to the room where they’d left her uncle. It was frustrating to realize that they were so close to finding the person behind the drug trafficking in Darlan, and yet they might not make it out alive to bring the true killer to justice.

  Once they reached the hole in the wall, they went back inside. Paxton still slept fitfully, tossing and turning and mumbling to himself. Jamie sat down next to him and felt his forehead. “He’s burning up.”

  Gavin unzipped his backpack. “The antibiotics and pain medicine. We’ll need to get him awake so that he can take them, though.” He looked into her eyes. “Jamie, the infection is probably spreading quickly. He needs a doctor, and soon.”

  Jamie couldn’t think about losing Paxton now. She had to keep fighting to save his life. She shook her uncle hard. “Uncle Paxton, wake up. I need you to wake up now.”

  Paxton moved his head back and forth and continued to mumble. Jamie leaned closer, but couldn’t make out what he was trying to say. She shook him again. “Paxton, wake up now.”

  Suddenly, her uncle yelled at the top of his lungs and pushed her hard. She fell backwards. Shocked, Jamie saw he appeared to be struggling to free himself from an invisible capture.

  Jamie scrambled back to him and tried again. “Uncle Paxton, it’s me, Jamie. I need you to wake up. You’re very sick. You need medicine.”

  “No, no, you’re not going to kill me. You’re not shutting me up. I’ve fought too hard to clear my brother’s name. I’ll keep fighting until the day I do. I won’t stop now.”

  “He’s delirious,” Gavin said with a weary sigh.

  Jamie shook her uncle once more. He grew suddenly quiet. This was even more terrifying than the ramblings. She was so afraid she’d lose him.

  Then, slowly, he opened his eyes and struggled to focus on her. “Jamie, what are you doing here?” he mumbled, slurring his words.

  She motioned to Gavin to hand her the antibiotics and one of the pain pills. “Paxton, we’re here to help you. I need you to take this medicine. It will make you feel better.” She held it up to his lips. For a moment she was afraid he’d push it away. But then he took the pills and swallowed them. She opened the water bottle and held it up. He took a sip and then slumped back to the ground, his eyes closed.

  “We can’t let him die down here, Gavin,” she whispered. “The antibiotics will help the infection, but he’s in bad shape.”

  Gavin’s expression was grave. “Stay here with him. I’m going to try to backtrack to the spot where the mine collapsed. Maybe we missed something that direction. It’s worth a shot.”

  He started to get to his feet, but she reached for his hand, stopping him. “Be careful.”

  Regret filled his eyes. Had he been expecting more from her? She cared about him, always would, but he still believed her father responsible for taking Charles’s life. They were on opposite sides of something that appeared to be about as insurmountable as the mountain surrounding them.

  * * *

  Gavin rose to his feet, shoving aside the remorse that tore at his heart. “I will be. Keep an eye on this guy.” He grabbed his Glock and tucked it behind his back. “Keep the shotgun close. If you hear anything suspicious, shoot first, ask questions later.”

  She smiled at his attempt at humor. “I will.”

  Gavin slipped through the hole again. With one final look at Jamie, he headed back the way they’d come.

  They still had no idea why the deputies were involved in smuggling drugs into Darlan. It went against everything he believed in. His gut told him Mill
er and the rest of his goons were committing the crime without the knowledge of their sheriff. Yet how could Andy not know what was happening right under his nose?

  None of it made sense. They were missing a crucial piece of evidence, and without it, they might never figure out who was really behind the operation.

  Gavin reached the point where the passageway he was on split from the original one. His side throbbed. Every breath he took became more labored. Their air supply was evaporating. He had to find a way out. There was no other option to save their lives.

  The second tunnel that they hadn’t explored loomed before him. He was all out of options. It was this or nothing.

  Something captured his attention—what sounded like voices, just past where the mine had collapsed. He eased closer.

  “This is the last of it, but there’s still a whole lot more unaccounted for.” Gavin recognized the voice of Dan Miller.

  “You think the rest is farther in the mine?” another familiar voice asked.

  “I wouldn’t put it past that old coot,” Miller said in disgust. “With the thing collapsed, I don’t see a way to get to it.”

  “You’re right. It will take days, if not weeks, to dig through that rubble. How are we going to explain it to him?”

  Silence followed. For once it seemed as if Miller didn’t have an answer. “You leave that to me,” he snapped. “First thing we need to do is get this stuff to a safe location. We can’t afford to lose any more product. He’s coming in today, and he won’t be happy with the way things have gone. That crazy old fool.” The words were spat out. “Why couldn’t he have left well enough alone? His brother’s dead, anyway. Nothing he found out will clear his name or bring the man back.”

  Gavin froze. Was Miller admitting he knew something more about Charles’s death?

  “I need to talk to Sheriff Lawson. Find out what he wants to do here. Come on. Let’s get out of here. I never did understand why someone would choose to do this for a living.”

  Stunned, Gavin couldn’t move. Miller had just confirmed that Andy was the leader of the drug smuggling outfit. He’d been wrong. Gavin just couldn’t believe it. There had to be something more he was missing.

  With time running out, he eased back to the second tunnel. It was quite a bit narrower than the one they went down before. It looked much less stable, as if it had been years since anyone had been that way.

  He started walking. The light from his flashlight app revealed decay all around. In several places, the rocks had slid from the walls and almost blocked the way. In spots there was barely room enough to crawl around piles of rocks.

  He walked until he reached the spot where the tunnel had been boarded up, and he struggled to keep the despair away.

  “Lord, I sure could use Your help now.”

  Gavin shone the light through the gaps in the boards. The passage didn’t appear damaged beyond this spot. Why had someone boarded it up? He had to find out.

  With only his hands, he yanked at the first board. It freed easily enough. The second did the same. It was almost as if someone had put them up for appearances only.

  Once he’d cleared the passage, Gavin stepped over the remaining boards and headed down the tunnel. Nothing about it appeared any different from the way he’d come. Was he wasting what little time he and Jamie had left? If they were going to die down here, he wanted every moment to count.

  Something he couldn’t explain urged him on. He couldn’t give up now. Jamie was counting on him.

  After he’d gone a little way, he spotted more rocks piled up and almost lost hope. Dropping to his knees in front of the rocks, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could go on. He gathered his waning strength, and started shoving rocks aside. Behind him, he could hear stones falling. The passage was unstable. If it collapsed on itself, Jamie and her uncle would be trapped inside, and he would have no way to dig them out.

  He’d moved more than a dozen large rocks, when he felt it. Fresh air rushed in. He’d found a way out!

  Gavin worked harder. When the last rock was out of the way, he stepped out into the darkness, breathing in clean mountain air. He had no idea where the opening let out, but it didn’t matter. They had a chance. He killed the flashlight and listened. Not a sound beyond the normal mountain noises.

  He needed to get them help right away, and at this point there was only one person he trusted. Gavin dialed the number for his Scorpion commander, Jase Bradford. He didn’t have to wait long.

  “Hey, buddy, how are you holding up?” Before he’d left for Darlan, Gavin had told his commander and good friend all about his plucky grandmother, yet he’d never been able to tell anyone, not even Emily, what had happened to his father.

  “Not so good.” Gavin quickly updated Jase on what they’d been through.

  “Sounds like we need to get the FBI involved in this. I’ll call the Louisville branch and get them on their way.”

  Thank You, God. Gavin’s knees went weak with relief.

  “I appreciate it, Jase. I should go. I need to get Jamie and Paxton out of here while we still have the chance.”

  “Be careful,” Jase warned. “These guys are cops, and we don’t know how far up the food chain the corruption goes. Get out of there before the whole thing collapses on top of you, and get some place safe. Do you have any idea where the opening is located?”

  “Hang on.” Gavin had an app installed on his phone that gave him the latitude and longitude coordinates. Once he had them, he gave them to Jase.

  “Good. I’ll pass this on to the FBI. Leave your phone where it has service. I’ll have them track you from there. I’ll be praying for you, my friend,” Jase told him.

  “Thanks.” They’d need all the prayers they could get. Gavin ended the call with a small amount of hope. Someone knew where they were. He’d trust his commander to bring them help. Right now, he had to get Jamie and Paxton out of the mine before the only way out was gone.

  Leaving the phone on a rock outside, Gavin hurried back through the entrance and down the unstable tunnel once more while rubble continued to fall around him. The place was in bad shape. The earlier collapse hadn’t helped it much.

  Please don’t let it come down, Lord. It’s our only means of escape. Bring us out of this thing safely, he prayed fervently.

  Once he was back in the main passage, he looked behind him. Pieces of rocks continued to fall.

  With his heart in his throat, he ran back to the passage he and Jamie had taken. Picking up any speed at all was difficult, as he had to bend over the entire way. Fresh air rushed through the mine. At least they wouldn’t suffocate.

  What if he got them both back to this point, only to have the mine collapse? They’d be buried alive with no way out.

  FOURTEEN

  Gavin had been gone for almost two hours. Throughout each of those hours, Jamie’s uncertainties had continued to grow. Paxton seemed to be resting a bit more peacefully, but he still hadn’t regained consciousness.

  Several times, she’d heard rumblings from the direction that Gavin had gone. She had no doubt in her mind that the mine was quickly becoming more unstable. There had already been one collapse; others might follow. The mine could be filling with dangerous gases. She’d never felt so helpless.

  A noise coming from nearby sent her jumping to her feet. She hurried to the wall closest to the opening as footsteps grew closer. Was it Gavin? She couldn’t afford to take any chances.

  Someone stepped inside the room. “That’s far enough,” she said and pointed the shotgun at the intruder.

  “Jamie, don’t shoot. It’s me.” Gavin’s husky voice had never been more welcome.

  She dropped the weapon and ran into his arms. “I was so afraid the place would collapse.”

  He held her close for a moment then looked down at her and smiled. “I’ve found a way out.”

&nbs
p; Her eyes grew large. “You did? That’s great.”

  “While I was outside, I called my commander. He’s getting in touch with the FBI. Help is on the way.”

  There was more, she could tell. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  He let her go and stepped away. “The opening is located in a part of the mine that’s very unstable. We don’t have much time. We need to get out of here now before our only means of escape goes away.”

  She glanced down at Paxton. “We can’t leave him behind.”

  He clasped her hand. “No, of course not. We’ll try to wake him. Otherwise, we’ll have to carry him, and I’m not sure I’m up to it or if we have that much time. Has he been awake at all?”

  Jamie shook her head. “At least he’s sleeping a bit more peacefully.” She went over to where her uncle lay. “Paxton, wake up.” She shook him hard. He winced in pain before slowly opening his eyes.

  “What happened?” His voice was barely audible.

  “We’re getting out of here. Gavin found a way out, but the mine is unstable. Do you think you can walk?”

  Paxton managed a nod and then slowly sat up, closing his eyes briefly. He put his hand up to his head. “I think I’m going to need some help.”

  Gavin came around to one side. With Jamie on the other, they lifted him to his feet.

  “Can you put any weight on your injured leg?” Gavin asked.

  Paxton tried to stand on the leg. He screamed in pain and almost dropped to the ground.

  “We’ll help you,” Jamie assured him.

  “Let me get on the other side, and I can get him through the entrance,” Gavin said.