tell me she was IO?"
"Because I have more pressing priorities than updating the team on the presence of a mouse—okay? Renata Stone—meet Devon Snow—IO—no authority. Okay, done."
Renata suddenly backed away from Devon as if she had the plague.
"Renata," said Devon, "I'm just here to help."
Renata turned her back on Devon. "Let's get this straight right now, Hunter. Are we—or are we not going to leave the weapons here?"
"Can you assure me this won't happen again?" asked Hunter, turning toward Garrett.
"Absolutely," answered Garrett.
"I mean it," said Hunter. "Don't let it happen again. I won't tolerate another misfire."
"Yes, sir," said Garrett promptly, but Hunter couldn't be sure if Garrett was thanking him or mocking him.
Renata stepped up to Hunter and whispered in his ear. "Pardon the pun, but nice cave-in. You know he didn't have a misfire. One moment I see the commander, the next I see a waffle. What's with you?"
"Don't question me," he whispered. "I agree with you. I know it wasn't a misfire. We'll talk about this later, okay?"
She sighed. "Yeah, later."
"Come on," echoed Ramon's greasy voice over their coms. "If Señor Jansen is fine, let's get going already."
"Let's go, Devon," said Trent. He gave her a wave with his hand, and they began hiking down the passage.
Hunter now noticed an odd expression on Renata's face, something disquieting in her eyes. She had taken off her hardhat and was holding it in her hand. "So I'm a waffle, huh?" he joked.
She put her hardhat back on, saying nothing in return.
Hunter glanced at Garrett, who was again peering into the passage as if searching for something. " Come on, let's get going…" As he put a hand on Garrett's shoulder, Garrett whirled around, sticking the rifle barrel in Hunter's face. Hunter stumbled back, his mouth opening to a soundless cry.
Garrett's face seemed filled with fear. Then immediately his expression relaxed. He chuckled lightly. "Testing me, huh? Well, I passed. I'm in complete control of my baby. Otherwise, I'd have vaporized your head." He dropped the rifle to his side, then started down the passage toward the others.
Hunter's hands were trembling, his heart racing. He let out with a loud gasp.
Renata gave Hunter a disgruntled look of disappointment, then turned and started after Garrett.
As Hunter continued to recover from the fright Garrett had given him, he watched as Renata caught up to Garrett. Then just when he thought he had his nerves under control, he heard a dull thud behind him, startling him again. He turned around; it sounded like a rock had fallen off the wall. He searched the area near the source of the noise, then after a moment he sighed. There was a grapefruit-sized, rounded gray stone on the ground that appeared to have fallen from a ledge above it, which was covered with similar stones.
He stooped to pick up the rock. "Ow!" He dropped it and it rolled against the wall. "Damn. That thing's hot." As he reached out to touch the stone again, he heard shouting in the passage. He turned toward the commotion, picking out Arielle's and Edison's voices. As he turned from the voices and stared at the rock, he cautiously touched some small stones on the floor beside him. They were cold, just as he expected. The shouting suddenly intensified, causing him to turn toward the voices again. He stood up, his eyes fixed down the passage. Then he touched several of the rocks on the ledge. Cold again—just rocks. He glanced toward the voices again. What was going on? He crouched and looked at the large stone once more. It didn't look any different from the others, so why was it hot? Could that have been caused by Garrett's misfire?
"This is intolerable!" echoed Arielle's voice through the passage.
"Oh, man. I knew it. Ramon!" Hunter jumped to his feet and raced toward the group. When he
"Because I have more pressing priorities than updating the team on the presence of a mouse—okay? Renata Stone—meet Devon Snow—IO—no authority. Okay, done."
Renata suddenly backed away from Devon as if she had the plague.
"Renata," said Devon, "I'm just here to help."
Renata turned her back on Devon. "Let's get this straight right now, Hunter. Are we—or are we not going to leave the weapons here?"
"Can you assure me this won't happen again?" asked Hunter, turning toward Garrett.
"Absolutely," answered Garrett.
"I mean it," said Hunter. "Don't let it happen again. I won't tolerate another misfire."
"Yes, sir," said Garrett promptly, but Hunter couldn't be sure if Garrett was thanking him or mocking him.
Renata stepped up to Hunter and whispered in his ear. "Pardon the pun, but nice cave-in. You know he didn't have a misfire. One moment I see the commander, the next I see a waffle. What's with you?"
"Don't question me," he whispered. "I agree with you. I know it wasn't a misfire. We'll talk about this later, okay?"
She sighed. "Yeah, later."
"Come on," echoed Ramon's greasy voice over their coms. "If Señor Jansen is fine, let's get going already."
"Let's go, Devon," said Trent. He gave her a wave with his hand, and they began hiking down the passage.
Hunter now noticed an odd expression on Renata's face, something disquieting in her eyes. She had taken off her hardhat and was holding it in her hand. "So I'm a waffle, huh?" he joked.
She put her hardhat back on, saying nothing in return.
Hunter glanced at Garrett, who was again peering into the passage as if searching for something. " Come on, let's get going…" As he put a hand on Garrett's shoulder, Garrett whirled around, sticking the rifle barrel in Hunter's face. Hunter stumbled back, his mouth opening to a soundless cry.
Garrett's face seemed filled with fear. Then immediately his expression relaxed. He chuckled lightly. "Testing me, huh? Well, I passed. I'm in complete control of my baby. Otherwise, I'd have vaporized your head." He dropped the rifle to his side, then started down the passage toward the others.
Hunter's hands were trembling, his heart racing. He let out with a loud gasp.
Renata gave Hunter a disgruntled look of disappointment, then turned and started after Garrett.
As Hunter continued to recover from the fright Garrett had given him, he watched as Renata caught up to Garrett. Then just when he thought he had his nerves under control, he heard a dull thud behind him, startling him again. He turned around; it sounded like a rock had fallen off the wall. He searched the area near the source of the noise, then after a moment he sighed. There was a grapefruit-sized, rounded gray stone on the ground that appeared to have fallen from a ledge above it, which was covered with similar stones.
He stooped to pick up the rock. "Ow!" He dropped it and it rolled against the wall. "Damn. That thing's hot." As he reached out to touch the stone again, he heard shouting in the passage. He turned toward the commotion, picking out Arielle's and Edison's voices. As he turned from the voices and stared at the rock, he cautiously touched some small stones on the floor beside him. They were cold, just as he expected. The shouting suddenly intensified, causing him to turn toward the voices again. He stood up, his eyes fixed down the passage. Then he touched several of the rocks on the ledge. Cold again—just rocks. He glanced toward the voices again. What was going on? He crouched and looked at the large stone once more. It didn't look any different from the others, so why was it hot? Could that have been caused by Garrett's misfire?
"This is intolerable!" echoed Arielle's voice through the passage.
"Oh, man. I knew it. Ramon!" Hunter jumped to his feet and raced toward the group. When he
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