“Here, I’ll get a Band-Aid.” Matt maneuvered past those still standing to the medical cabinet on the wall. He returned with an antibacterial wipe and an adhesive bandage.
“I’m fine,” Ben said. He picked up his crossword book and sat next to Logan.
The Redwater crew sat ready to spring into action, their attention focused solely on Chief.
“I think we’re okay,” Alex said to Coop. “What’s it look like out there? How bad is it?”
“All I know is that it could be worse. There’s nothing much between us and Don. He’s okay—stuck his arm out the window and gave me a thumb-up. There’s a big boulder in front of him, though. We’re going to have to go outside and take a look,” Coop said. “It’s twenty-two degrees outside. You’ll need jackets.”
“Hee-hee, I love me some cold weather,” Caveman said. “I can layer up and stay warm. In the summer, I can’t take enough off to get cool.”
Chief had moved by the door. He tried to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. “Can’t leave from here. We’re going to have to go out the hatch.”
Meat grabbed the ladder and his jacket. He placed the ladder under the hatch, stepped up, and opened it.
Cool air drifted into the cabin, tickling the inside of Natasha’s nose. Matt had wiped her small scrape and just then finished applying the bandage.
“Better?” Matt asked.
“Yes, thanks.” She followed Matt over to the bench, where everyone busily slipped arms through jacket sleeves.
The Redwater crew filed through the hatch first.
Alex stepped up the ladder and poked his upper body through the opening. After several seconds, he said, “Everyone follow me.” He disappeared from the cabin, but then his hand dropped through the hatch. “Come on, Susan.”
Susan complied. Ben was next, and then Logan.
Matt insisted that Natasha go before him. Alex’s hand reached through the opening, his smiling face peered down from above. The magic still danced in his eyes. She placed her fingers in his cool hand and felt the thrill of his touch. Sweet memories of the intimate times spent together pushed against the wall of resentment. She loved this man. Gave herself to him like no other. He made her feel things both physically and spiritually beyond what she thought were possible.
As Natasha rose above the opening, Alex asked, “How are you feeling?”
He worded the question in such a way she knew he was asking more that if she were just hurt from the fall. He was asking her feelings about him. There was no doubt the vibes she had been sending to him were negative. Alex sensed it, and she knew that he knew the trouble in their strained relationship had to be resolved. “I’ll be okay.”
“I hope and pray that you will. Better pull your hood up and get the gloves from your pocket. It’s cold out here.”
“Thanks, I will,” Natasha said, and made room for Matt to come through.
Once the associate professor was out, Alex said to him, “Join the others on the ground. I’ll be right behind you.”
Matt looked over at Natasha and then back at Alex, furrowing his brow.
“I don’t want her aggravating her injury. This is a high point, and she can keep an eye on things. Or if we need something from the cabin, she’s right there to get it for us.”
“Oh, okay,” Matt said, and shrugged. He maneuvered over to the ladder leading down the side of the cabin to the ground.
“You don’t have to protect me. I can take care of myself,” Natasha said after she was sure Matt was clear of earshot.
“I know that you can,” Alex said, winked, and headed down the ladder to join with the others.
Natasha scanned the surroundings. The giant mountains to either side made her feel more claustrophobic than being inside the Warthog. As fate would have it, the pathway had narrowed, and a huge boulder set several yards in front of the Mule, totally blocking passage. Other large rocks and boulders lined ridges on the mountains, threatening to fall. Things were not looking good for the home team.
On one side of the Warthog, where the door was located, rubble had slid down the mountain and piled up. A few of the Redwater gang were looking that over, assessing the situation.
Coop and the rest of the expedition had ambled over to the boulder. He and Chief were in deep discussion. Susan huddled next to Alex nearby.
Natasha was on the outside looking in again. She knew Alex meant well by leaving her up there, but it only fueled the growing fire of bitterness. Something had to give—sooner than later.
Don left the boulder and got inside the Mule. He fired it up, the crowd in front of the boulder parted, and he came to a stop a few feet away. The boulder was slightly larger than the Mule. There was no way that thing could push the massive rock out of the way.
Suge double-timed to the Warthog’s rear cabin and went inside. He came out with a roll of thick electrical cable on his shoulder, a strange pair of goggles on his forehead, and a weird contraption held in his hands. Somebody had a plan, and Natasha hoped it would work.
Matt headed back toward the Warthog and climbed his way back up. “Hey,” he said.
“What are we doing?” she asked.
“They’re going to use a laser on the boulder, try to drill some holes in it, and see if it will break into smaller pieces. Ron’s going to fire up the Warthog and see if we can pull away from the mess on the right side.”
“What happens if that doesn’t work?”
“Coop said they had some explosives that could blow the boulder to pieces, but he’s afraid of starting an avalanche. We can’t exactly back up from where we are right now.”
“I guess not,” Natasha said.
The two watched Suge get a lift from his buddies and climb on top of the boulder. Don plugged the electrical cord into an outlet on the front of the vehicle. Not long after, Suge had his goggles on and pointed the laser at the top of the boulder. Slight wisps of smoke rose among the steady hum of the Mule’s nuclear powered engine.
A half hour passed, Suge shut down the laser, and pulled the goggles to his forehead.
Ben had been watching the whole time. Coop said something to him, and he ran toward the Warthog.
When he arrived, Natasha called down, “What’s going on?”
“They cut five holes about an inch wide through the boulder. Coop says the boulder is made of intrusive igneous rock, which means it has coarse grains, and though hard as shit, it’s brittle as shit, too. He sent me to get some water.”
“Water?” she said.
“Yeah, we’re going to pour the water in the holes. The water will turn to ice and expand. It should break the boulder apart.”
“Wow. I would have never thought of that,” Natasha said as Ben went to the rear cabin and came back with two containers of water.
Natasha looked over at Matt. “Do you’ll think it’ll work?”
“Well, if it doesn’t, they’ll probably put in explosives and hope for the best.
*
It would take several hours for the water to turn to ice. Ron had successfully driven the Warthog away from the debris blocking the door and had parked behind the Mule.
The crew used the time to eat, and then broke off into smaller groups. Three of the Redwater team started a poker game. Ben wanted to play, and became such an annoyance, they let him in the game just to shut him up.
Matt sat next to Natasha and ran his mouth ninety-to-nothing.
Susan read her book, and Alex was outside with Chief, Coop, and the rest of the Redwater team.
Logan was alone. He was used to being alone, in fact. It was his choice not to join the others. Part of his youth’s defensive mechanism carried to this day. Being an introvert wasn’t a good or bad thing. It’s just what and who he was.
The front cabin door opened. “Hey guys, gear up, and come see,” Alex’s said.
Everyone stopped what they were doing, put on jackets, and headed out.
Coop waited by the boulder. From the looks of things, his plan had w
orked. The boulder had large cracks on the outside surface. Chunks here and there had broken off. The Mule could easily push the smaller pieces aside. Still, though, the bulk of the boulder remained.
“I wish we had a jackhammer, but we don’t. It would take too long to hammer and chisel this boulder down to size. So, what I need are a few volunteers to climb up the side of that mountain.” Coop pointed at a ledge some thirty feet high. Rocks of various sizes piled along the edge. “If we could toss some of those rocks and hit the boulder, the impact should break it into pieces small enough for the Mule to push out of the way.”
Logan’s gaze followed the side of the mountain. The ledge poked out just about directly over the boulder. Fortunately, to the left side of the ledge, the mountain sloped, and had enough handholds and smaller ridges to stand on to where he thought he could make it.
“All we need is a few volunteers,” Coop said.
“I’ll do it. I’ve been climbing before. That actually doesn’t look too difficult,” Logan said, and pulled the cuff of his gloves, snugging in his fingers.
“I’m in,” Ben said, and stepped over by Logan.
“I like heights. Makes me feel like I’m flying,” Bats said, and then stretched out his arms and cracked his knuckles.
“Logan, you and Ben be careful . . . uh, you too, Bats,” Alex said.
“Sure thing,” Logan said. He turned and headed to the edge of the fissure.
“You better let me lead,” Bats said. “I don’t want you falling down and knocking me off the mountain.”
Logan stopped and looked back at Bats, who steadily approached. If the mercenary was trying to get him to lose his cool, it wasn’t going to work. This mission was too important and this task too risky to start a pissing match. “Go ahead. With a name like Bats, if you fall, I’m sure you’ll be able to just flap your arms and fly away.” He wanted to add, or crazy enough to believe you can, but didn’t.
Bats passed him without saying a word and began his ascent, taking firm holds and climbing without a moment of hesitation. This was not the man’s first scurry up a mountain slope.
Logan waited for Bats to move over from a direct line of fire, and asked Ben, “You want to go next?”
“Okay. Race you to the top.” Ben began his climb, using the same path that Bats had before.
Logan followed at the appropriate time, and without any drama, the three reached the ledge.
The crew below had moved well away from the boulder. Several gave a wave when Logan peered over the side of the ledge. He waved back, and then turned and saw Ben and Bats looking over the inventory of rocks. The ledge itself was a good ten feet wide, but some of the rubble was piled in a way that it had to be avoided. Some had to be walked on, which made shifting rocks a slipping possibility.
Ben grabbed hold of a large rock and tried to pick it up. “Damn. This thing’s heavy.” The rock looked a couple of feet tall and about as wide. The athlete stepped away. “I could probably lift it if it was balanced. I bet it weighs over two hundred pounds.”
“We’ll just have to work together,” Logan said. “Won’t we, Bats?”
The man pointed out a rock to Ben. “Let’s get to work.”
The rock was smaller than the one Ben had chosen. The two maneuvered to either side and lifted it in unison.
“Wait a minute,” Logan said. He hurriedly kicked and moved some smaller debris out of their path to the edge.
“Coming through,” Ben said as Logan stepped off to the side.
“On three,” Bats said. “One . . . two . . . three.”
The rock left their hands and plummeted through the air, striking the boulder dead center. It crashed with a dull thump and scattering debris. About a third of the boulder sheared away from the large mass. The crew below hooped and hollered.
“Good shot, guys. Coop really knows his stuff. A few more like that and we’ll be done,” Logan said.
The next two rocks didn’t produce the same results, but the third one knocked off another good chunk. Logan waited for one of the men to tire, and then he’d get his turn too.
On the way to get another rock, Ben’s foot shifted, twisting his ankle. He hit the ground. “Ouch. Shit.”
“You okay?” Logan asked.
“I think so.” Ben slowly rose and tested out his ankle. “Yeah. I’m good. Just sprained a bit.”
“Let me take over. You need to save your ankle for the climb back down,” Logan said.
Ben nodded, and moved out of the way, still testing his ankle.
“I’m following your lead,” Logan said to Bats.
“That one over there,” he said.
They came to the rock, one of many of near the same size. Bats positioned himself to one side and found a finger-hold on the bottom.
“Careful of the edge. I wouldn’t want you to fall,” Logan said. The edge of that side of the ledge was less than two feet away. A deep crevice cut the side of the mountain directly underneath. From the looks of it, it might have been over a hundred feet deep.
“I don’t need no Twinkie telling be to be careful. Shut up and lift,” Bats said.
Rage swelled inside Logan, fighting to get out. He thought how easy it would be right now to shove that son-of-a-bitch and send him head over heels over the edge to his death. Bats would have to confess to St. Peter that a Twinkie got the best of him.
He shook off the feeling. The people counting on him to come through were more important. His fingers went underneath the rock, and the two men lifted. The rock was heavy. A lot heavier than he thought it would be. And from the expression on Bats’ face, heavier than he expected too.
Bats stuck his left foot backward, as if to keep from falling off balance. The ledge crumbled underneath, sending him downward.
The rock dipped from Bats’ side, and Logan quickly pulled his fingers from harm’s way as it crashed to the ground.
When he looked over, Bats was gone.
“Bats!” Logan yelled, and then dropped to his knees and crawled near the edge. To his amazement, there was enough of the jagged rocky edge for Bats to get a hand on.
“Ben! Get over here!” Logan called. He laid on his stomach and reached a hand toward the mercenary. The hope of rescue was a good foot short.
“Go away. I got this,” Bats said, voice straining.
“Like hell you do, asshole! Ben, hold my legs.” Logan felt Ben’s arms grab tightly around his thighs, and he maneuvered his hand over by Bats’, grabbing his wrist. “I can’t pull you up. You’ll have to use your other hand to grab my arm. You’re going to have to use me as a ladder.”
The man didn’t protest. His right hand came up and grabbed Logan’s arm.
The additional 200 pounds plus threatened to yank Logan’s arm from the socket. He let go of Bats’ wrist. The man pulled himself up and grabbed on Logan’s jacket. Logan began to slide, and he couldn’t help but cry out in pain, his chest mashing against the rocky ledge.
Bats wasted no time, making moves, catching quick breaths in between, until he finally found himself at the top, where he rolled over on the ledge and heaved for air.
The deep crevice passed from Logan’s sight as Ben pulled him to safety. The small of his back cooled with frigid air; his shirt and jacket had been pulled away during Bats’ climb. His ribs ached, and his right arm felt like a limp noodle.
“Damn, that was close. How you doing, Bats?” Ben picked himself up and brushed off.
“I’m . . . I’m good,” he said.
“Logan?” Ben said.
“I’m a little bruised up. My arm went through a lot of trauma. I’ll be okay,” Logan said. He had one foot and one knee on the ground, working his arm and shoulder. Ben offered his left hand, he took it, and stood.
Bats was up and brushed himself off. “I’m good. I’m good,” he said, as if trying to convince himself. “We need to finish what we started.” He stepped over to another rock, well away from the ledge. He turned his gaze up to Ben and Logan.
“I can do this. My ankle’s all right. Move over to the side, Logan, and we’ll handle this,” Ben said.
In no condition to argue, Logan moved out of the way, and peered down at the crowd. Every neck craned upward. Surely they had seen the near disaster, and if any had cried out during the event, he was too caught up to notice. He lifted a thumb, jabbing it back and forth in the air.
Ben and Bats reached the edge with another rock. The missile left their fingers and found its target, further reducing the boulder to a manageable size.
Chapter 10
The Warthog’s engine hummed as the massive mountain range steadily shrank in its wake. Coop’s plan had worked. The Mule successfully powered through the shattered remains of the boulder, clearing the path. It wasn’t long after the terrain took a downward angle and gave Alex hope that the finish line was within their grasps.
Fate was kind to the interlopers. The two vehicles trudged along the natural path without any other hazards threatening along the way. The trip past the mountains had taken nearly ten hours. And now they traveled on pristine land; land that no human had ever set foot before.
Fatigue had set in, tightening the muscles on Alex’s back and neck. He wanted to stretch, but Susan leaned into one side of him, her head on his shoulder while she dozed.
Chief, who had formal medical training, had made a sling for Logan’s arm. Logan had protested but gave in, and commented afterward that supporting his arm made his shoulder feel better. Near as they could tell, time and Advil would be the cure.
Bats was lucky to be alive. It was quick thinking on Logan’s part that had saved the man. Alex wondered what was going on now in Bats’ mind. He was so close to death, literally clinging to life by the tips of his fingers with certain doom mere seconds away. Whatever it was, Alex certainly couldn’t tell by reading his face. Bats had assumed his faraway stare and scraped blade against sharpener, keeping his secrets to himself.
Coop rose from his seat and poked his head from the cab. “Night’s approaching. The Warthog has lights and low-level radar, but we have no plans of traveling at night unless there’s an emergency situation. Ron’s about to pull us over, and we’ll set up camp.”
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