by Maggie Walsh
Knowing he had been gone from the others long enough, Sutton started making his way back when a sound caught his attention. Tilting his head one way, and then the other, Sutton listened closely until he heard it again. That sounds like a phone!
Racing towards the sound, Sutton was careful not to trip and hurt himself. The last thing he needed was an injury. Seeing a small tunnel he hadn’t gone into yet, Sutton quickly went in that direction, the sound of the ringing phone growing louder. Coming upon a large metal door, Sutton shifted and turned the knob, praying to anyone who might be listening that it would open.
“Thank the gods!” Sutton said, with a loud exhale, rushing inside and directly to the ringing phone. “Hello!”
“Sutton?”
“Casimir? What the hell?” Sutton gasped, thinking he must be losing his mind.
“Sutton! Thank the gods! Are you alright? Is Logan okay? What about the other men?” Casimir fired each question out faster than Sutton could answer.
Closing his eyes, Sutton allowed the sound of his mate’s voice to wash over him, bringing on a calm he was long in need of. Then, remembering who exactly his mate was, and how things were between them, Sutton almost hung up the phone, but there were men out there counting on him. He had to push his personal life aside and remember he was a professional. Yes, Sut, keep it professional and you’ll be alright. Don’t let him in and keep your heart safe. If I can remember that, I’ll be good. Sutton reminded himself mentally.
“Sutton? Are you still there?” Casimir anxiously asked.
Realizing he was nodding and not speaking, Sutton replied, “I’m fine. It was just a bit overwhelmingly. Nice to hear another voice, even if it is yours.”
“Sutton—”
“Look Casimir, let’s not do this right now, okay? I have four injured men down here and they need medical attention that even our ambulance can’t provide. Logan has a concussion and a few other injuries. He was out for about forty-five minutes, but he woke up for a minute or two telling me he couldn’t move his legs. Nothing looks broken, but it could just be swelling to the spine or nerve issues, I don’t know. Lakeford has a broken femur and his pelvis has been crushed. Malloy has some broken ribs and a large bump on his head. He’s unconscious and that has me concerned about a possible brain injury, and Bert has multiple lacerations. One is four inches long and bleeding profusely. I might have to stitch it here, because he’s losing a lot of blood. He also has a concussion and hasn’t woken since the first cave in. They are all on IVs and we have enough in the bus for each to have two changeouts,” Sutton explained, doing his best to stay professional.
He had no clue what Casimir was doing, but he could hear things shuffling around, then Casimir replied, “Give me a second, so I can contact the others. They’re going to be as happy as I am that I’m talking to you and everyone is alive.”
Sutton waited as Cas talked to Illan, then a guy named Clint. He could tell from his ma— no not that… he could tell by the words Casimir used when he spoke to the man. “I don’t know, I just got him on the phone, damn it. Just give me a fucking minute!” Casimir practically growled, then calmly said to Sutton, “Sweetie, is everyone with you in the safe room?”
Ignoring the endearment, Sutton replied, “No. They’re all at the original cave-in location. What’s a safe room and where is it?”
“The room you’re in now is a safe room. Clint says there’s enough food and water supplies to last up to ten days,” Casimir explained.
“Ten days! There’s no way you expect us to stay in here for ten days, Casimir. I don’t know how long these guys can last, but if their injuries are worse than I can see, they could die,” Sutton said, damn near screaming. He didn’t say it, but he really didn’t like that thought a hell of a lot either.
“Sweetie, everything’s going to be alright, I promise. We just wanted to let you know you should be good on food and water. Clint says there are MREs and some canned goods, along with multiple bottles of water,” Casimir calmly explained.
Sutton took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “MREs are those meals the military eats when out training, or in the field, right? You just add water to the bag and wait?”
“Yes, sweetie. Is there any way you can get everyone into that room?” Casimir asked.
Sutton thought about the injured men. It was going to be difficult, but he figured he could do it. “I think so. Unless I see that their injuries are too severe to be moved, but then again, they’re too vulnerable out there in case of another cave-in.”
“You need to try. Clint says the safe room has a special ventilation system to make sure the air is clean, and there’s even a room connecting to the one you’re in that’s a sleeping quarters and a bathroom as well. There’s no shower, but don’t worry about that... I’ll clean you up real good when we get you out of there,” Casimir whispered.
“Don’t!” Sutton snapped, much more harshly than he intended.
“Sut, you have no idea how—”
“Stop it, Cas. Not now. I’ve just had a shit ton of rock fall on and around me. I have four injured men, one being my best friend, and I’ve just been told I can’t shower for gods knows how many days. I’m just not up for this discussion right now,” Sut said, sounding as tired as he felt.
Casimir was quiet for so long that Sutton almost thought they had lost their connection. Finally he whispered, “You’re right and I’m sorry. I wanted to let you know that I’m not letting you just walk away. I will do everything I can to get your ass out of there, and back to your own home, then I will show you how much I love you. Not just you, but all of Maddox, and if necessary, and I can figure out how… all the world. Now go get the others and call me when you’ve finished.”
Casimir hung up not allowing a shell-shocked Sutton to say a word. Looking at the phone, Sut put it back to his ear, softly saying, “Hello.”
Realizing Cas really did say all of that, and then hung up on him. “Well shit.”
* * * *
It took Sutton almost an hour and a half of struggling to get everyone into the safe room and into beds. There were more than enough beds for them all and Sutton was glad for that. At least he wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor. He had even gone back and grabbed his and Logan’s medical bags and used one of the free beds to place everything on including more blankets. Doing one last check, Sutton went to look around his new home away from home.
He knew he should probably call Casimir and let him know everyone was in the safe room, but Sutton wasn’t ready to make that call. He wasn’t ready to hear his mate’s voice and try to figure out why the hell it still could make him feel warm and fuzzy. Yes, Casimir was his mate, but after what Cas had done to him, Sut just wasn’t ready to let the man in, even in the smallest way such as a phone call.
Opening one door he saw the makeshift bathroom. It was more like an outhouse than it was an inhouse, but at least he didn’t have to figure out what to do as far as that was concerned. Going to the next door, he opened it and noticed a crap load of MREs on the shelves and sitting on the floor were cases of bottled water.
Grabbing a couple of MREs he read, “Scrambled eggs with ham, Granola and blueberry, Chicken parmesan, oh, beef stew. God, I hope this is better than it looks.”
Placing them back on the shelf, except for the beef stew, Sut took a couple of bottles of water, then turned and looked at the phone. It was like a beacon calling to him. Sutton dropped his head forward, drew in a deep breath and then let it out slowly. “Damn it.”
Placing all of the items on a nearby table he went to the phone and picked up the receiver. Sutton had barely pushed the button and Casimir answered, “Sutton, is everything alright? Did you get everyone in the safe room?”
“Yes, everything’s fine, but it isn’t like I moved four scrawny guys either, Casimir. Some shit takes time,” Sutton responded then thought to himself, and avoiding talking to you.
Thankfully the phone cord was long enough to reach the table, becaus
e Sutton was exhausted and his muscles were killing him. Opening the MRE, Sutton read the directions and pulled out the heater bag and a bottle of water, then poured some of the water to the fill line. “So, what’s the plan now?”
“Doc Rob’s here and wants to talk to you about the injured men,” Casimir said.
“Okay, just give me a second,” Sutton said, placing his entrée into the heater bag, then set it upright on the table. “Ready.”
Doc Rob got on the line and Sutton gave him a rundown on their conditions. After a few more minutes of discussion, Sut told Doc to hold on, then put the phone down and went in to check everyone’s vitals. Afterward, he returned to give Doc an update. Doc asked about what antibiotics he had on hand and Sutton could have slapped himself for not thinking to grab any from the truck. “I can check the bags to see if Logan grabbed any, but I know I didn’t,” Sut said, apologetically.
“No problem, I just need to know what medications we’re working with,” Doc Rob said.
“I should have thought to bring them with me when I grabbed the IV bags and bandages. I’ll call you in five and let you know what I have,” Sutton said.
“Make sure it’s safe first Sutton. The air down there isn’t the best. I’ll wait while you do that.” Doc Rob replied.
“Okay, I’m gonna put the phone down and look.” Sutton replied, then went to open the door when a rumbling started and rocks began to fall.
CHAPTER 6
“Fuck! Sut! Sutton? Sut are you there?” Rob asked in a panic.
Casimir grabbed the doctor’s arm and pulled him around to look at his face. The horror he saw in the doctor’s eyes caught his breath and damn near stopped his heart. “What is it?”
When the doc didn’t answer him and just sat there stunned, Cas grabbed the phone from the man’s hand and placed it to his ear. “Sut? Sut?”
Nothing. Sut wasn’t answering. Suddenly the room around him began to shake like an earthquake was hitting. Cas grabbed onto the desk and held on tight as the doc dropped to the floor and went under the desk. As the shaking continued, cracks began to appear on the shed around him, and the fear inside him for his mate’s safety increased by a million. If they were feeling the cave in so strongly up here and so far away from the original site, then what the hell was his man dealing with right now?
The earth shook more violently, taking Cas’s feet out from under him and he hit the ground hard, falling on his ass. A jolt of pain rocked his body and exploded up his spine. Cas clenched his jaw against the agony and fought to stay where he was. Not that he could fall any further from where he now sat, but he really didn’t want to be thrown around the room or through a wall.
It felt like five minutes or more that the earth shook beneath them, but Cas was sure it was much less. Once the ground came to a rest Cas noticed the air had filled with dust and he started to cough as he waved his hand around in front of his face. Doc also coughed as he climbed out from under the desk and stood.
“What happened, Doc?” Cas asked.
Doc Rob gave him a ‘duh’ look, like Cas was an idiot, then griped sarcastically, “I think that was another cave-in.”
“Not that. I know what that was. What happened when you were on the phone with my mate? What did you hear?”
“I heard the rumble over the phone, then something crashed, Sutton cursed, then the line went dead,” Rob replied.
Cas stared at the man not knowing what to do or say. His mind was drawing a blank. He had heard the doc’s words but for some reason they weren’t registering. Suddenly, as if the world came back all at once, sound rushed back into his ears and realization hit. Cas lifted the forgotten receiver to his ear and listened. He was afraid to say anything and get nothing in return. All he heard was empty air with a slight hint of static. He found a tiny bit of will, and whispered hopefully, “Sutton?”
* * * *
“Okay, we need to get some of those diamond-tip drills over to this section before…” Clint stopped, and his eyes widened when the ground began to shake.
Everyone around him froze as they all glanced around frantically. The earth shook with more vengeance, then the sound of the straining earth pierced the air and grumbling beneath their feet grew in intensity. A few stumbled, losing their balance and fell to the ground as others hung on to anything nearby. Clint dropped to his knees and slid under the table as he covered his head. Being in a tent as they were probably wouldn’t do much damage if it collapsed around them, but when the earth shook as violently as it was now, one couldn’t count on much.
The shaking built and grew, becoming more intense, the sound deafening. Clint gritted his teeth against the panic that was now building inside him like the earth around him. This had now become a major cave-in and the hopes of finding anyone alive had now slipped to less than one percent. How was he going to explain to these large beasts around him that their friends were most likely dead. They had lost their window of opportunity, and those below would be better off if they left them entombed there.
He wasn’t an idiot and knew that would not go over well. Even if they now couldn’t save a life and their mission had changed from search and rescue to recovery, Clint knew these men wouldn’t be happy, but they would never leave their men behind.
The shaking slowed and the sound began to fade. When everything was once again still, Clint relaxed his muscles, then made his way back out from under the table and stood as he lowered his hands. Looking around it was hard to see anyone clearly with all the dust that had been forced into the air and filled the tent. Clint blinked a few times to clear the dirt from his eyes and he saw the large dragon leader, Illan, leaning over and helping the cute guy Jensen to his feet.
Once Jensen was standing, Illan helped brush him off, and made sure the guy was stable on his feet, then the dragon looked around at all the others. When he was satisfied everyone was okay, those intense eyes turned to him… and Clint swallowed.
“What the hell was that?” Illan asked, as he walked closer.
“That was another cave-in,” Clint replied easily, then leaned over the table again that held the blueprints. He needed to get outside and to the site, so he could study where the cave-in was and see if it was even in the same place as the other.
“I am fully aware of that,” Illan grumbled, and Clint could see a vein popping in the man’s temple.
“Tell me what my men’s chances are now?” Nick, the large bear of a man, asked.
Clint sighed as he shook his head, then met Nick’s gaze. “I don’t know. First, I need to get out there and see what happened with my own eyes, then check on what damage has been done. At this point, I’m hoping this cave-in was somewhere else and not near your men, but I won’t know until I get some eyes out there,” Clint replied, as he grabbed a few of his bags, and started putting them over his shoulder.
“We’ll help you,” Illan immediately offered and others around him all nodded and moved closer. Great, just what he wanted… company. Clint huffed in his head, but he knew any fight he might try to give would be futile, so he just returned the nod and headed for the entrance, knowing they would follow.
* * * *
The room around him shook with such ferocity that Sutton thought the world was imploding. The sound was deafening and he felt his ears begin to ring. Pain flashed through his head. Sut could swear he just blew both eardrums and wouldn’t be surprised to feel them begin to bleed. He was knocked to his ass, dropping the phone on the way down, and slammed against the wall hard. He arched his back as pain radiated through him in a flash, like a bullet had just pierced his flesh, but a thousand times worse.
A cloud of dust and dirt rushed in through the opened door, and Sut got a lungful before he closed his mouth. He needed to get the damn door closed, or they would all be goners for sure just from the putrid, dust-filled air.
Sutton fought against the pain running through every extremity and rolled to his knees. Fighting against the continuing cloud and the shaking of the earth,
he slowly closed the six-foot distance between where he had been flung and the open doorway. Once he reached it, Sut grabbed the door and pressed it forward, fighting against the gush of debris coming inward. He was only a few inches from accomplishing his task when the door refused to budge any farther.
He squinted into the haze, trying to focus his vision on the door, but his eyes were watering and stung. Feeling around with one hand to see if anything was in the way, Sut found a basketball-sized boulder lying in the way. He pushed with his free hand, but the thing was a lot heavier than he had originally thought. Sutton knew he had to get that door closed no matter what, so he released the door and shifted to his ass, then placed his feet against the boulder. With everything he had left in him, which, because of his shifter genes, was more than a human, he used his thigh muscles and pushed.
Sutton wanted to cheer and celebrate when the boulder moved and cleared the doorframe. He lay on his side and grabbed the door once more, then pushed it closed. Once he heard the click that indicated the catch had caught, Sutton blew out a relieved breath and dropped flat on his back, relaxing against the floor. He noticed the shaking was now easing off and he sent up a silent prayer to the gods above.