Stolen Moments (A World Beyond Book 8)

by Michelle Howard

  Negative head shakes. Their clothes were dirty but they seemed aware and cognizant which meant the air supply hadn’t reached critical levels yet.

  Baruk shrugged the pack off of his shoulder and opened it to retrieve the breathing devices and handed them out. “Let’s get these on. We’ll have to rush on the way out. No delays.”

  The devices would last only as long as the allotted time on the gauges.

  “I’m glad you all found safety and waited,” Baruk added as he helped Janz notch the straps of the breathing device about his head and settled the mask on the lower half of his face.

  Janz took a couple of test breaths and grinned. Baruk’s shoulders eased slightly as he eyed the two approaching him with their devices already in place. He stood and kept an arm about Janz until he seemed to find his balance.

  “I’m Garwin and this is my brother Cabe.” Garwin patted Baruk’s back. “Thank you. Thank you for coming. We didn’t think we’d make it.”

  The device over the lower half of his face made Garwin’s voice deep and raspy. Baruk accepted the thanks and activated his mic. “Four workers and four on the rescue team coming out.”

  “Understood. Is medical care required?”

  Baruk eyed everyone once more. “None needed.”

  “Rescue team, you have eighteen minutes of air.”

  “On our way,” Baruk responded. “Cadd, can you remember the way out?”

  “As long as I don’t have to enter the fancy codes.”

  Baruk laughed. “Take the lead and don’t slow down for anything.”

  It was going to be a lot easier going out knowing the men had survived. What had started as a reminder of one of the worst days of his life was ending on an upbeat note.

  “Good job, Baruk. For once, you were not in need of my guidance.”

  Baruk glanced at his spouse partner. Zadal arched a brow in his direction and Baruk couldn’t resist his sarcastic quip. “The day I need your guidance is the day the High Councilor should replace me.”

  They headed back the way they’d come and Zadal’s laughter flowed behind him. Biting back a grin, Baruk kept to the jogging pace as they retraced their steps. They reached the latch leading to the ladder down. Baruk stepped aside after gazing down the opening to make sure everything continued to look clear. The water on the floor was still neglible.

  A yellow light blinked on the face shield of his helmet.

  Warning. Air supply low.

  Cursing came from everyone who’d received a similar alert on their helmets. Baruk gestured at the ladder. “Go down, stick together. At this point, run. It’s straight from here back to the entrance.”

  ***

  Zadal waited as the two rescue team members went down the ladder first. Next the three mine workers gripped the opening then hopped down. Zadal prepared to follow Baruk and bring up the rear.

  “See you on the bottom,” Baruk said, flicking his fingers in a casual salute toward Zadal.

  Zadal’s lips quirked. He’d witness the relief on Baruk’s face when they’d found the workers. If this had ended in the other direction, it would have been difficult for his friend and spouse partner to recover. Zadal joked about Baruk’s wealth often but his level of compassion was greater than many Zadal had come into contact with daily.

  Baruk hopped through the opening, his hands on the rails. His lips parted, no doubt to taunt Zadal again. The ceiling gave an ominous rumble. They both glanced up. A loud crack resounded.

  “Zadal!”

  Zadal jumped back as the floor shook and rolled beneath him. Losing his balance, he dropped to one knee and yelled to Baruk. “Go! Get out of here!”

  One of them needed to get back to Lindsey. Zadal planted both hands on the ground and pushed upright. The walls and floor continued to rock and shake, flinging Zadal back into a wall. His face shield cracked as he slid down, hitting his elbow hard. Shooting pain raced up his arm. Jagged lines appeared in the walls and the lights popped and sizzled.

  “Get up, Zadal!”

  “I’m coming. Move back.”

  “Fuck! You better be right behind me.” Zadal had one last glance of Baruk’s wide eyes before his head ducked from view.

  Heart in his throat, Zadal lunged forward. The lid of the opening slammed close with a solid thunk before he reached it. Shards of fear pierced Zadal’s chest. He crawled forward and ripped at the handle. It snapped off from his brutal grip. Frantic, he pried at the edges only to slice the skin on his fingertips. Zadal slumped on his haunches.

  Mouth dry, he stared in horror at his only means of exit being closed off.

  Warning. Air supply low.

  ***

  Lindsey received the announcement when everyone else did and found herself giddy with relief. Listening to Baruk’s voice provided reassurance that he and Zadal were okay. She glanced around at the crew cheering and slapping each others’ backs. This was a celebratory time. No one had died despite the incompetence of the one in charge.

  She glared at Ronan who remained on site. Every now and then he tried to give orders but with Baruk’s presence here, no one was paying him any attention. Lindsey twisted her fingers together and rose up on her toes, searching the entrance. Shortly, everyone would come through and they could go home. She wanted to hug her babies tight and sleep curled in the arms of husbands tonight.

  Wrapping her arms about her torso, she rocked from side to side, not sure why the hair at her nape curled or why she suddenly had the desire to run toward the mine screaming. Tamlin came over, eyes bright. The festive air had everyone on a high for good reason.

  “Did you hear?”

  Lindsey nodded.

  “It won’t be long,” he continued as if seeking to comfort her with his words.

  Did her face reveal the fear suddenly coursing through her veins? She tried to smile but her lips quivered. Her stomach knotted and for a brief moment, Lindsey worried she’d throw up.

  “Do you need to sit, Lady Lindsey?”

  Waving her hand at his concern, Lindsay paced away. What was wrong with her? Maybe she needed to check on the girls.

  “Rescue team, you have eighteen minutes of air.”

  Lindsey jolted. She pressed her fingers to the earpiece she wore.

  “On our way.”

  That was Baruk. Lindsey exhaled to calm her rampaging pulse. They were okay. Everyone was okay. As much as Lindsey repeated the words, it didn’t help. Her skin wanted to burst and she actually gripped her hands hard enough to leave imprints from her nails on her palms.

  The ground suddenly heaved, drawing Lindsey’s gaze toward the mine. Thunderous booms filled the air. Shouts, orders were called out but Lindsey couldn’t look away from the entrance.

  “Emergency power is out!” Someone yelled.

  “Please, Baruk. Zadal. Come back to me,” she whispered under her breath and tried to ignore the burn in her chest.

  Chapter 5

  “Zadal!” Baruk stared as the panel slammed closed.

  Cadd and the group hesitated but Baruk yelled, “Keep going. Get everyone out!”

  “Senate Leader—”

  “Go!” he roared and they raced off.

  The lights above went out but the swish of water from their feet let him know they were leaving. Baruk felt his way around the groove until he found the handle. The entire structure chose that moment to rattle violently. He paused, holding tight to the rungs of the ladder and braced his weight.

  As soon as it settled, Baruk reached back up. Giving the latch a rough twist, he pushed at the panel. Behind him a hiss and pop sounded. Baruk didn’t need to turn to know a pipe had burst and water was rushing in. This was bad. Baruk climbed up and came face to face with Zadal.

  Darkness surrounded them but the light on their helmets illuminated their faces in an eerie glow.

  “Now I owe you,” were the first words from Zadal’s mouth.

  Baruk snorted, not realizing how grateful he was to hear the familiar snark. “Not yet. We can�
��t go that way now.”

  Zadal froze as he stood beside Baruk. “What do you mean?”

  “Exactly what I said.” Baruk closed the opening. “The integrity continues to degrade and the pipes below burst filling the halls with water. There’s no way we will make it out that way.”

  “Lindsey is going to kill us,” Zadal said in such a manner Baruk barked out an unexpected laugh.

  “Rescue team, advise as to status.”

  Cadd’s voice snapped, “We see the entrance. Senate Leader Laars stayed behind. Senate Leader Gatar was trapped in one of the tunnels.”

  “Senate Leaders, advise as to status.”

  Baruk activated his mic and tried to respond. Scratchy connection. Then more static. “I can’t get through. See if you can.”

  Zadal shook his head. “Nothing.”

  They’d lost their connection to the emergency and rescue crews on the outside.

  “There’s another way out but it won’t be easy.”

  “We die here or we die trying to get out,” Zadal quipped.

  Unfortunately, it would be exactly like that because they were running out of air. Baruk didn’t need the flickering yellow light on his screen to remind him. “Let’s go. No one’s dying today. ”

  Not if he could help it.

  ***

  “Senate Leaders, advise as to status.”

  Lindsey waited for a response from Baruk or Zadal. The silence was unnerving. Five men came rushing from the entrance. Hair matted and clothes torn, it was easy to recognize the workers who had been trapped. The two rescuers who had accompanied Baruk and Zadal ripped the helmets from their heads and gasped for breath as they dropped to the ground. She hurried toward them along with several others.

  “The Senate Leaders,” Cadd managed before coughing. “The mine is still unstable. The whole area flooded. They’re trapped.”

  Lindsey bit down on her knuckles, holding in a cry. Gazes turned in her direction. She straightened. “I’m not leaving. I am staying here until my husbands walk out of that mine.”

  The wait was interminable. Lindsey ran her hands through her hair repeatedly. It probably resembled a rat’s nest. She didn’t care.

  “How long?” she asked Cadd and Tamlin. Both had chosen to wait by her side.

  Crews had managed to get the emergency power back up but there was nothing they could do about the air.

  “Ten minutes,” Cadd said after checking the wrist band he still wore.

  Ten minutes of air. Ten minutes to learn how fate would deal with her. Lindsey heaved a shaky breath. Suddenly static crackled in the ear piece. “Alternate...ex-it...t-t-there...soon.”

  Baruk! Lindsey recognized his voice. Tears burned and her throat swelled as she tried to swallow beyond the lump. Did that mean he was alright? What about Zadal? Dizziness swamped her senses and Lindsey stumbled. Tamlin, or was it Cadd? One of them steadied her with a hand to her back.

  ***

  They had lights again. Baruk kept checking the unit on his wrist. Zadal pressed a hand to the twinge in his side. Running flat out in dim lighting wasn’t the smartest thing he’d ever done. Baruk didn’t leave him much choice though. His spouse partner was adamant they were getting out alive.

  Zadal had his doubts. Lindsey would be devastated. He thought of his daughters. Never seeing them grow up. His vision grew hazy, causing his steps to wobble. Zadal put up a hand to the wall and staggered. Chest tight, he drew in a deep breath and coughed.

  “Zadal.” Baruk tugged on his forearm.

  Zadal pursed his lips. His fingers tingled and his tongue felt numb. “Som...someth...not right.”

  “You shouldn’t be feeling the effects yet.” Baruk shifted in front of him, his hands gripping the sides of Zadal’s helmet to lift his sagging head.

  Why was it so hard to keep his head up?

  “Verat! The shield is splintered. You’re losing air faster than me.”

  Well that explained a lot. Zadal leaned away. “Keep going. Don’t leave Lindsey alone.”

  There was no way he’d make it. Zadal wanted to laugh. He’d finally believed he deserved the good in his life. Foolish. There was no good for a briot and son of a sex worker.

  “Neither of us is leaving her. Snap out of it, Zadal. We go together, or we both die because I’m not leaving you.”

  Zadal hadn’t expected such a vehement response. Another deep inhale and he shook off the fuzzy thoughts clouding his mind. “Right.”

  He allowed Baruk to lead him, doing his best to stay upright. It became a matter of placing one foot in front of the other. They ran in an odd tangle of limbs as Baruk kept them upright and looped an arm about Zadal’s waist. It was a race against time at this point.

  “How much air?” he asked Baruk since his own counter was damaged by the cracks to his helmet.

  “Three minutes,” Baruk huffed as they skidded to a stop at a steel door. There were beams from the ceiling blocking it. Baruk propped him against the wall opposite the door. “Don’t die.”

  Breathing unsteady, Zadal blinked away the dots floating in front of his eyes. His chest was on fire and every inhale sent slices of pain through him. “Couldn’t the miners have left this way?”

  “No air. They never would have survived without the personal breathing devices.” Baruk didn’t turn as he gave the sharp response. He shoved at the beams and bits obstructing the door only to reveal the mangled handle. “Nothing is ever easy.”

  Warning. Air supply critical.

  “Baruk.” Zadal needed to let him know it was over. “Baruk. Listen to me.”

  His spouse partner paused, chest heaving and turned to face him. “What?!”

  Zadal blinked as the walls of the room spun around him. He wasn’t sure how he found the energy but his mouth ticked up in the corner. “It’s over for me.”

  “Shut up. Beyond this door is the outside.”

  “Take care of the girls,” Zadal slurred and slid to the floor. “Love Lindsey.”

  Baruk turned away and kicked at the door. Over and over, the loud bangs echoing around him. The yellow light on Zadal’s screen changed to red. He tore the helmet from his head, gasping. No air. Couldn’t breathe.

  “Zadal, no!”

  Zadal closed his eyes and never felt the floor make contact with his face.

  Chapter 6

  When Zadal crashed to the floor, Baruk’s chest constricted. He put everything he had into the next kick and the door flew open, sagging from the hinges. Racing to Zadal, he kneeled next to his friend and placed his hand at his throat. The pulse was erratic. Baruk slid his arms under Zadal’s back and legs.

  “Heavy fucker.” Groaning, he surged to his feet, the weight almost sending him back to the floor. Baruk gritted his teeth and walked.

  Warning. Air supply low.

  He wouldn’t quit. There was no way they reached the exit for it to end like this. One foot in front of the other, Baruk pressed on. He kept walking as he grew light headed. Kept walking as his vision became hazy.

  Baruk focused on the end goal. Lindsey and their kids. And Zadal. His spouse partner wasn’t just a work peer. They were friends. Both of them were coming through this alive. “Don’t die on me, Zadal. I promise to haunt you in this life and the next.”

  No response. Not that he expected one. He pushed forward, dragging air into his lungs. Wouldn’t quit. Couldn’t. Light shone ahead and Baruk knew he was close. He just had to walk across the threshold to the outside and medics would take care of Zadal.

  One foot then the next. Speed was foregone for accuracy. As long as he stayed upright and kept moving, he would make it.

  Warning. Air supply critical.

  Baruk didn’t have a spare hand to take the helmet from his head. He didn’t care. With every staggering step, he wheezed desperate for air. Vision foggy, sound reached him. Voices. One foot in front of the other. Bright lights singed his pupils.

  Shouts. Baruk couldn’t make sense of anything.

  ***
r />   “They’re coming! I see them!”

  Lindsey’s heart leaped. She ran with the swell of the crowd toward the other side of the mine. The sight that greeted her stopped Lindsey in her tracks. She wanted to scream but couldn’t. Baruk staggered out, carrying Zadal in his arms. Her husband was limp, disheveled hair covering his face.

  “Zadal!” She drew near, tears streaming.

  Baruk fell to his knees but continued to clutch Zadal tight to his chest. Medical personnel surrounded them and Lindsey had to shove her way through.

  “Baruk! Zadal!”

  Someone held a clear mask over Zadal’s face. Baruk’s helmet was tossed aside and a similar mask was placed over his face as he was lowered to a sitting position. Lindsey slid to her knees between them.

  Confusion glittered in Baruk’s gaze. “Zadal?”

  Lindsey gripped Baruk’s hand. “You brought him out.”

  He nodded then slumped backward to the ground. Medics kneeled around them and smiled in Lindsey’s direction. “We have them. Everything’s fine, Lady Lindsey.”

  More than fine because she had both of her husbands. Cadd and Tamlin squeezed her shoulders. “Your husbands are good men, Lady Lindsey.”

  She accepted more accolades on behalf of Zadal and Baruk. The rescued miners were next. Effusive thanks she didn’t know how to deal with. The medics deemed their conditions warranted a trip to the medical center for supervised care. They were taken to the largest one in the city of Teeve where Baruk and Zadal were kept in observation overnight. The next morning they were released. Groggy and still out of it, Zadal and Baruk had each sought their own bedroom, falling back to sleep.

  Lindsey was grateful to be home. She stopped in the nursery. Graeme had kept her updated during the night. Her daughters had slept through all of the excitement.

  “I’m sorry to have left you with them,” she murmured, not wanting to wake her darlings.

  Graeme stretched his arms above his head. “It is always a pleasure to be with them. They never made a peep.”

  “Do you want me to take over?” Lindsey was exhausted but she never wanted Graeme to feel as if she used him.