Neverwylde (The Rim of the World Book 4) by Linda Mooney Page B

tunnel, Fullgrath led the way to the surface.
                No one spoke as they climbed the gradual incline. Going up wore them out, but they had anticipated it would. It also took them longer, forcing them to take short, frequent breaks to catch their breath and save their strength.
    Along the way, Jules kept an eye on their progress with his tablet. Kelen noticed the cracks or shifting in the tunnel walls. Every few meters they would encounter a gap in the floor. Fortunately those were never too wide to prevent them from stepping over and continuing on. She’d also tried to find another air duct, which would indicate an intersecting tunnel, but it was impossible to tell because of the damage sustained.
                They had gone nearly a kilometer when Fullgrath called out a warning and came to an abrupt stop. The group cautiously advanced until they stood alongside him.
                Mellori shone his tube light down the tunnel’s throat and groaned. “Shit. Now what?”
                Everyone stared at the collapse that filled the corridor. Mellori and Sandow played their lights from the floor to the ceiling, which showed the total devastation.
                “There’s no way we can get through that, either,” Fullgrath announced. He glanced at them over his shoulder. “Can’t go forward, can’t go back. Now what do we do? We’re screwed, people.”
                Gaveer stepped closer to the pile of rubble, rock, and dirt that plugged the tunnel. He peered upward, then pointed at the ceiling. “Is that a hole?”
                Mellori went up behind the Seneecian to shine his light above them. Kelen stared in surprise at the obvious hole about half a meter overhead, directly above the collapse.
                “It appears the ceiling gave way during the trembler,” Gaveer told them. He suddenly jumped up and grabbed the edge of the hole that was nearly as wide as the tunnel. Surprisingly, the edge held. Slowly, the Seneecian hoisted himself up until his head disappeared into the hole. After a couple of seconds, he lowered himself, let go, and dropped to his feet. “There is another tunnel up there.”
                “What?” They crowded closer to peer up into the blackness.
                Mellori tapped the Seneecian on the arm. “Hoist me up for a look-see.” Putting his tube light into his mouth, he placed a boot in Gaveer’s cupped hands and was lifted up to where he could grab the edges. They saw him play the light around, then the man fell back to the ground.
                “He’s right. There’s definitely another tunnel up there, but get this. It’s not parallel to this one. It’s perpendicular.”
                “Perpendicular?” Jules checked his tablet.
                “It might be another one of those intersecting tunnels,” Kyber suggested.
                Fullgrath nodded. “Well, what do you all think? Should we take it?”
                “I don’t think we have any other choice,” Sandow answered.
                “But is the floor up there stable enough?” Mellori wondered.
                Fullgrath holstered his weapon to free up his hands. “Can’t be any less stable than what we’re standing on. Give me a hand up, would you, Massapa?”
                The Seneecians helped to hoist everyone and their supplies up into the next tunnel. Kyber lifted Kelen. She grabbed the rock rim, dragged herself onto the floor, then rolled over to make room for the next person. After they were gathered, lights were shone down the darkness.
                “Looks like just another tunnel,” Fullgrath observed. He flashed his light ahead and behind them. “Which way do we go? Flip a coin?”
                “We may end up finding our way blocked again,” Tojun said.
                Jules