had happened? When had this change occurred?
When Alek straightened up, Kaspar asked, "Charges in place? Timers set?" When everybody nodded, he said, "Then let's get the hell out of here."
The Varinskis hustled out at a speed that expressed only too clearly the power of the blast. Rurik dived through the wall and into the tunnel—and ran into Tasya.
"What did you find out?" she whispered.
"What the hell are you doing here? Run. Run!" He shoved her forward.
Smart girl. She didn't ask for details. She responded to his agitation and sprinted into the darkness.
He raced with her, his hand on her back.
The light faded behind them. The tunnel got narrower and shorter. They ran through dirt now, with a few rocks . . . but the scent of the sea lured Rurik on.
Darkness surrounded them. Tasya stumbled on the rubble on the floor.
He kept her on her feet. "Bend down. The ceiling is dropping. We're going to have to crawl—now." He shoved her to her knees and pushed her ahead of him- The tunnel narrowed more, but ahead and around a corner, he could see light. "We're almost there."
"It's getting so tight." She was panting from exertion, but more than that—she was panicked.
Claustrophobia. What a hell of a time to find that out. "Let me get in front. If I can get through, you can."
"Yeah. Okay." The thought seemed to make her feel better.
Maybe it wasn't a good idea to add to her terror, but from what he knew of Tasya's character, she would rise to the occasion. As he squeezed past her, he said, "Keep up. The tomb is going to blow."
She kept up.
They rounded the corner. He could see the sunlight ahead. It was a small hole, but they could make it out. They were crawling, moving fast. The tunnel narrowed more, decaying to a mere burrow, and he found himself wiggling along on his belly. "A few more yards. A few more!"
At first, the vibration was a hum in the earth. It grew to a rumble. The tremor came from behind, caught them. The ground lifted once, a huge shock. His hand grasped a stone on the wall outside.
Tasya screamed.
And in the violent shaking, the tunnel collapsed, burying them in the earth.
Chapter 6
Tasya couldn't breathe. She couldn't breathe. There wasn't air. It was dark. The earth weighed her down. She had dirt in her mouth, in her lungs.
All her life, this had been her nightmare.
She was buried alive.
She flailed helplessly, disoriented, not knowing which way was out.
Then some thing grabbed her. Pulled her by her shoulders. She fought, trying to help. Trying to get away.
She hit something hard with her head. Felt something frantically slither past her. Grabbed a metal rod and used it as an oar. Tried to scream, but she couldn't breathe.
Oh, God. She was going to die. In the darkness. She was going to suffocate in the darkness.
And suddenly, her head was out. Out, in the open. She couldn't see; her eyes were caked with dirt. She couldn't breathe. Dirt filled her mouth and nose. But the weight was gone from her head. She could feel the air, and savored the impression of sunshine.
Some thing pulled her harder. Pulled her all the way out of the tunnel that had been her grave, and flung her on the ground.
Frantically, she brushed at her face, spit earth, still couldn't breathe. Her head was buzzing.
She was dying.
"Stop." Rurik. Rurik is here. "I'll help you."
He put his mouth to hers and gave her his breath.
Her lungs expanded. When he pulled away, she coughed. Coughed and coughed, spewing dirt, getting air, blowing her nose . . . she was alive. She felt like hell, but she was alive.
When she could open her eyes, she found herself propped up on a narrow rock ledge on the cliff over the sea. They were about ten feet below the level of the ground above, and about ninety feet above the ocean.
Rurik sat beside her, his arms resting on his upraised knees, his hands dangling. He stared out to sea. Dirt caked his hair, his eyebrows, his clothes, his skin. Dirt was in his ear. A cut on his
When Alek straightened up, Kaspar asked, "Charges in place? Timers set?" When everybody nodded, he said, "Then let's get the hell out of here."
The Varinskis hustled out at a speed that expressed only too clearly the power of the blast. Rurik dived through the wall and into the tunnel—and ran into Tasya.
"What did you find out?" she whispered.
"What the hell are you doing here? Run. Run!" He shoved her forward.
Smart girl. She didn't ask for details. She responded to his agitation and sprinted into the darkness.
He raced with her, his hand on her back.
The light faded behind them. The tunnel got narrower and shorter. They ran through dirt now, with a few rocks . . . but the scent of the sea lured Rurik on.
Darkness surrounded them. Tasya stumbled on the rubble on the floor.
He kept her on her feet. "Bend down. The ceiling is dropping. We're going to have to crawl—now." He shoved her to her knees and pushed her ahead of him- The tunnel narrowed more, but ahead and around a corner, he could see light. "We're almost there."
"It's getting so tight." She was panting from exertion, but more than that—she was panicked.
Claustrophobia. What a hell of a time to find that out. "Let me get in front. If I can get through, you can."
"Yeah. Okay." The thought seemed to make her feel better.
Maybe it wasn't a good idea to add to her terror, but from what he knew of Tasya's character, she would rise to the occasion. As he squeezed past her, he said, "Keep up. The tomb is going to blow."
She kept up.
They rounded the corner. He could see the sunlight ahead. It was a small hole, but they could make it out. They were crawling, moving fast. The tunnel narrowed more, decaying to a mere burrow, and he found himself wiggling along on his belly. "A few more yards. A few more!"
At first, the vibration was a hum in the earth. It grew to a rumble. The tremor came from behind, caught them. The ground lifted once, a huge shock. His hand grasped a stone on the wall outside.
Tasya screamed.
And in the violent shaking, the tunnel collapsed, burying them in the earth.
Chapter 6
Tasya couldn't breathe. She couldn't breathe. There wasn't air. It was dark. The earth weighed her down. She had dirt in her mouth, in her lungs.
All her life, this had been her nightmare.
She was buried alive.
She flailed helplessly, disoriented, not knowing which way was out.
Then some thing grabbed her. Pulled her by her shoulders. She fought, trying to help. Trying to get away.
She hit something hard with her head. Felt something frantically slither past her. Grabbed a metal rod and used it as an oar. Tried to scream, but she couldn't breathe.
Oh, God. She was going to die. In the darkness. She was going to suffocate in the darkness.
And suddenly, her head was out. Out, in the open. She couldn't see; her eyes were caked with dirt. She couldn't breathe. Dirt filled her mouth and nose. But the weight was gone from her head. She could feel the air, and savored the impression of sunshine.
Some thing pulled her harder. Pulled her all the way out of the tunnel that had been her grave, and flung her on the ground.
Frantically, she brushed at her face, spit earth, still couldn't breathe. Her head was buzzing.
She was dying.
"Stop." Rurik. Rurik is here. "I'll help you."
He put his mouth to hers and gave her his breath.
Her lungs expanded. When he pulled away, she coughed. Coughed and coughed, spewing dirt, getting air, blowing her nose . . . she was alive. She felt like hell, but she was alive.
When she could open her eyes, she found herself propped up on a narrow rock ledge on the cliff over the sea. They were about ten feet below the level of the ground above, and about ninety feet above the ocean.
Rurik sat beside her, his arms resting on his upraised knees, his hands dangling. He stared out to sea. Dirt caked his hair, his eyebrows, his clothes, his skin. Dirt was in his ear. A cut on his
Similar Books
