Sanskrit Cipher: A Marina Alexander Adventure Page 10

  That should help. It might just help enough.

  She quickly replaced the knife in her pack, worried because although she’d kept talking to Benny, he hadn’t responded with more than wheezing groan.

  “All right, Benny, here we go… I’m going to get you out of here.”

  She hauled the rope that was still tied to his ankles over her shoulder and, bent slightly because of the low ceiling, began to pull steadily.

  This time as she was pulling, she felt a little more movement as the denim and belt stayed in place and Benny’s hips began to shift up and, hopefully, out.

  Come on, come on, come on!

  Marina was breathing heavily and her muscles were aching, but she kept pulling, grinding her hobnailed boots into the stone floor for purchase and taking step by tiny step as she was bent over. Her headlamp bumped against the ceiling and she inhaled dust and grit and damp air as she fought and fought…

  She was just about at the end of her strength when she heard Adele and saw a hint of light bouncing in the darkness.

  “Bruce!” Marina called. Her voice echoed wildly in the cavern, and Adele barked in response. “Hurry.”

  Bruce was bent nearly double when he got to where she crouched next to Benny. They didn’t need to speak; he immediately comprehended the situation. She had to send Adele back, telling her to stay so that the dog wasn’t in the way. Bruce couldn’t get past Marina in the dark, narrow tunnel, so he took the ends of the rope she’d been pulling and, with Marina kneeling next to Benny to help guide him out, Bruce settled into position.

  He sat on the ground, facing Marina, his face shadowed and tense beneath the plastic brim of his helmet, legs spread as far as possible in the narrow space. He planted his boots against the sides of the cave and began to pull hand over hand.

  She wrapped her arms around Benny’s knees and, bending over, her back aching, thighs straining, jaw tight with tension, gently but firmly helped to work the boy’s body within the embrace of the cavern walls. Little by little, tug, shift, pull, twist…

  And, at last, Benny moved.

  Fourteen

  When Benny James slid free, Marina barely caught herself before falling on her duff. Then she helped ease the teen up and onto the ground, hoping he was still breathing…still alive.

  “He’s out,” Bruce called to the rest of the team, and she heard him shuffling back and out of the tunnel so one of the medics could take his place.

  Marina was already checking the boy’s pulse and was about to start CPR in the close space when Benny took a shuddering breath. Then he began to cough wildly, getting rid of hours of dust and grit that clogged his lungs and nasal passages. She offered him a bottle of water, drizzling it gently over his parched lips even as she scrabbled for the discarded blanket to wrap him in.

  “Dr. Alexander, we’ll take over now,” said a medic whom she’d met briefly aboveground. “Thank you.”

  Grateful, Marina made her way out of the narrowest part of the passage so that the medics could get in to the patient.

  “Thank goodness you showed up when you did,” she said to Bruce once she got back out to the large lake-filled cavern. “We were losing him.”

  “I’d have been with you all the way if it weren’t for Kylie,” he said a little grimly. “She should have been watching where she was going.”

  “It’s really Adele we need to thank,” Marina said, sitting on a boulder so she could give some loving to her pup. Bruce handed her a bottle of water, which she took and gulped thankfully. Adele had already slurped up half the lake—or so it sounded, from the noises she was making—and was happily chasing rocks that Marina tossed in there for her.

  “She’s still got a lot of puppy in her,” she said with a grin, looking up at Bruce.

  “I can see that.” He looked like he was about to say something else, but they heard the sounds of the medics coming back through with their burden. “I’d better take them back out.”

  She nodded. “Adele and I will be right behind you.”

  But Marina found she was in no hurry to leave. Now that the rescue had taken place and the urgency was past…and now that she was alone in the space, she wanted a moment to spend quietly inside Earth. Close to Gaia.

  Adele seemed to sense her mistress’s change in mood, and she came to lie at Marina’s feet, panting quietly next to her.

  Once the medics and Bruce had made their way past, Marina turned off her headlamp and Adele’s glow light. She removed her gloves and drew in a settling breath of the chill, damp underground air. Then, surrounded by the blackest, most unrelieved darkness anyone could imagine, she pressed her hands to the cold stone surrounding her and closed her eyes. Subtle energy—a quiet heartbeat that melded gently with her own—thrummed from the damp cavern walls, heating her bare palms and finger pads and sending little frissons of sensation through her limbs.

  Marina didn’t think of herself as a religious person—at least, she hadn’t until she learned about her family’s history and tradition. And then her strong connection to the Earth began to make sense.

  The Skaladeskas believed that the Earth was a single organism with countless interacting parts. Every living creature, every blade of grass, every layer of dirt, bark of tree, speck of pollen, microbe, fish, insect…everything about the planet was connected into one being that took and gave and worked together to create the single entity of Gaia.

  That was a religion, a spirituality that Marina could comprehend—the sense that she and her race were simply one part of a remarkably complicated, stunningly beautiful, and awe-inspiring entity. And even if she didn’t agree with the violent tactics adopted by the Skaladeskas, she did, at least, understand their motivation to protect Gaia.

  And a large part of her—a part that she’d had to ignore and tuck away over the last few years—wanted to know more. She wanted to know Lev—her grandfather—better, wanted to understand his secrets and to learn how to connect with Gaia. And she also yearned for the opportunity to explore, unchecked, the secrets of the library belonging to Ivan the Terrible, which had been in her family’s care for centuries.

  But she’d resisted both of those temptations for fear of how far they could drag her from what was right to what was easy and prestigious.

  And then there were two other even more unpredictable factors related to the Skaladeskas: her father, Roman, and Rue Varden. She trusted neither of those men with good reason, and yet she had strong, unwanted connections to them both.

  She sighed, her fingers digging gently into Gaia as her living, breathing, warm dog panted next to her—another piece of the living organism Earth.

  “Marina!” Bruce’s voice echoed from far away.

  She opened her eyes, and in the distance, she saw a very faint gray on one end of the unrelieved black that surrounded her.

  Bruce sounded tense and concerned, and she felt a moment of guilt for causing his worry.

  Marina reached up and flipped her headlamp back on, then donned her gloves while rising to her feet. “Here,” she called just as she saw the soft beam of his light spilling from where Lefty’s Cleft joined the Cathedral.

  “Everything all right?” he asked as his sturdy figure came into view. “I thought you were going to be right behind us.”

  “Adele and I just wanted a moment here to enjoy the beauty of this space,” she said.

  “I hear you.” Bruce looked around at the cave room, his headlamp sweeping like a spotlight. “There’s a lot going on in here. Wow…look at those straw formations. They look just like the fringe on my old suede jacket.”

  Marina didn’t know whether to believe him or not—did he really have a coat with a long fringe like that? She couldn’t imagine him wearing one; he was much more of a cargo pants, work boots, and flannel sort of guy. “Thanks for your help with Benny,” she said. “What did the medics say?”

  “We got to him in time, thanks to you and Adele. Good chance he’ll make a full recovery.” Bruce smiled down at her, then
offered his hand to pull her to her feet. “Shall we explore a little more or head out? You’re probably hungry.”

  Marina chuckled a little. She was notorious for her traditional after-the-mission meal of medium-rare steak, loaded baked potato or scrambled eggs (or both), and red wine—no matter what time of day they finished. In fact, the first time she’d met Gabe McNeil of the CIA—a specialist who worked with intelligence on the Skaladeskas—she’d insisted he order that exact meal from room service at five in the morning while she showered after a particularly grueling rescue in the Alleghenies.

  “I could eat,” she said, and felt a little awkward when he didn’t immediately release her hand after she stood. In fact, his fingers tightened a little around hers and he tugged a bit so she moved closer to him, their arms and hips brushing.

  “If it hadn’t been for Kylie, I’d have been with you when you found him. Might’ve gotten him out sooner. I hope there aren’t any residual effects.” When he looked down at her, the beam from his headlamp shined in her face, making her eyes water a little.

  That was a good excuse for her to look away and slip her hand loose from his.

  “I’m just glad we weren’t too far into the cave before she did that,” Marina said lightly as she bent a little to pet Adele. Giving her dog attention was always a good distraction from awkward moments with Bruce. She wondered if he’d picked up on that or not.

  She also wondered if it was time for her to leave the team. “It would have been a lot more difficult to get her out, and more of a delay.”

  “She’s going to have to learn to be more careful if she wants to get certified for SAR,” he said. “First rule of caving: look in front of you. Second rule: look down.”

  Marina laughed a little and stood upright. “I’m sure no one’s more annoyed about her accident than she is—missing out on the rescue and being injured as well.”

  Bruce gave a quiet snort, but only said, “She’s young. She’ll learn.”

  Marina released Adele to go on ahead of them, and she started back across the Cathedral toward Lefty’s Cleft, but before she got there, her headlamp beamed onto something that glinted and gleamed. It was down inside one of the other passages that led out of the large, lake-filled room.

  “What’s this,” she murmured more in wonder than as a question to be answered, for she could already see into the very narrow crevice. Its walls were striated with crystalline formations that ran like shiny, glittery rivers down the sides. Short stalactites jutted from the ceiling like sparkling shark’s teeth, and they glinted in the light of her headlamp.

  “Bruce, look at this,” she said, stepping further into the narrow opening. She gave a little laugh. “It’s almost like stepping inside a large crystal Jaws mouth.”

  He came up behind her, which was a little more difficult than it sounded, for the angular passageway had narrowed into a space less than three feet wide and growing tighter.

  “It’s really something,” he said, edging in close behind and slightly to the side of her. Although she could move forward, the passage narrowed sharply, and they were in very close quarters as he looked over her shoulder. She could feel the warmth of his body along her left side and back—a contrast to the ever-present chill and damp of the air.

  His helmet bumped against the ceiling and a small cascade of rubble fell from above, clattering over the tops of their helmets. “Sorry,” he said, shifting aside and back with a little twist. “I— Ugh!”

  She felt rather than saw him jolt then stagger a little behind her, his words cut off with a cry of surprise and pain.

  “You okay?” She turned in the arrowhead-like space between him and the narrowing tunnel and found him half bent, wedged between an outcropping of rock against the wall. There was a little nook there that neither had noticed as they passed by because the opening faced ahead. But as he stepped back, he’d ducked into it and…

  “My foot’s caught. And twisted pretty bad. Damn. This is what I get,” he said, his voice tight, “for criticizing Kylie.”

  Her gloved hand on the wall, Marina aimed her headlamp down and saw what he was talking about: his foot was definitely trapped—wedged into a very narrow cleft in the ground inside the hidden alcove. He must have stepped in just precisely the wrong place at the wrong angle to not only go into the tiny space, but get his foot down into the hole on its floor.

  “You couldn’t have done that if you’d tried,” she said grimly, looking at the situation.

  She didn’t want to ask the obvious—whether he could pull out his foot and how badly he was hurt—and so she merely leaned against him so he could use her for leverage as he tried to free himself. He was twisted to the side in the skinny opening because his shoulders were too broad for him to stand square, facing forward.

  “I can’t get my foot out,” Bruce said. “Dammit. How the hell did I do that? I didn’t see anything like a hole.”

  “Let me take a look.” Marina slipped out from under the arm he’d put around her—probably less for stability than for comfort—and aimed her flashlight and headlamp beams down.

  On the floor of the slender aperture where Bruce was wedged, his large boot was swallowed by a crevice that appeared to close around his ankle. She couldn’t see how he’d even managed to get his foot down in there in the first place—toe first, maybe?—for the opening didn’t look big enough for it to fit through.

  But strange things happened in caves. Spaces that seemed too narrow were traversable; areas that seemed plenty big enough—like the hole Benny James had tried to explore—turned out to be far tighter than they appeared. Rocks and rubble moved unexpectedly, water burst in from nowhere—then disappeared into nowhere—and air currents swept up and blustered through passageways, then softened into nothing moments later.

  It was a dark and dangerous world here in Gaia’s womb.

  “All right, let’s see if we can get your boot off,” she said. Because of how he was situated in the tight space, Bruce wouldn’t be able to bend down far enough to work the laces loose on his own. “Then maybe you can pull free.”

  “My foot’s throbbing like a bitch. I can tell it’s already swelling,” he said from between gritted teeth. “I don’t think the boot’s going to come off…or out very easily.” He swore sharply and profusely under his breath.

  “I’m taking off my helmet for a minute,” she said. “The brim is in the way, so I can’t get down close enough to see. Don’t move, all right?” She didn’t need any rocks falling on her bare head.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he said.

  Marina set aside her helmet so that its light beamed onto the ground where Bruce’s foot was trapped. Then, flashlight in hand, she eased herself down to her knees on the cold, muddy floor.

  Only the top inch of his boot was visible above the ground, which would make it difficult to unlace and remove it. She felt her way, probing with her fingers around his ankle to gauge any loose areas.

  Her conclusion: the foot wasn’t getting out without serious intervention—likely chipping away at the mud and stone around it.

  And because of Bruce’s position, she couldn’t get past him to go for help. Adele, who’d slipped on ahead of Marina and now sat patiently while the humans discussed the situation, could probably squeeze past to go for help. Or they could radio to the outside.

  In either case, they’d need help for the extraction—something Marina knew would make Bruce feel even more frustrated and annoyed with himself.

  “Well?” he asked.

  “You’re right. You’re not going anywhere,” she said. “She’s got one hell of a hold on you, Bruce.”

  She felt the tremor run through his leg and wondered whether it was a shiver of cold or a ripple of pain.

  They had been in the cave for a while, and although Marina felt surprisingly comfortable temperature-wise because of her activity, she wasn’t in pain or shock from an injury. Best to get him extracted as quickly as possible—especially if his ankle was swe
lling rapidly inside the boot.

  She was just about to rise and make the radio call when her comment from a moment ago slid back into her thoughts.

  She’s got one hell of a hold on you.

  She. Gaia.

  It was a strange idea that settled in her mind at that moment, but before she could give it much thought, Marina stripped off her gloves.

  “What are you—”

  “Just give me a sec,” she said. “I want to try something.”

  Another tremor, this one more violent, told her that Bruce’s mood and opinion of the situation wasn’t improving.

  She ignored him for the moment, settling her bare hands on the muddy ground around his trapped ankle. She closed her eyes, wishing she could turn off the lights but knowing that would prompt comments and questions that she didn’t want to address.

  She felt the vibration of energy, of life, in her bare fingers and palms as she pressed gently into Gaia’s grip. Please release him… Please ease your hold and release him, Mother Gaia. Your daughter begs you to please loosen your grip and allow him to pull free.

  She thought those words as hard as she could, sending the message from her head and heart down along her arms, through her fingertips and palms, and into the muddy stone ground. She slipped her fingers down around the top edge of the hole and felt a shimmer of heat, a small, subtle zap of electricity, and something told her: Now.

  “Pull,” she said as she maneuvered his foot within the opening. She felt movement…the earth literally moved, shimmied, shivered, almost as if it were exhaling, loosening, and Bruce’s foot moved, shifted…then—miraculously—slid free.

  Marina kept the shocked gasp to herself and helped work Bruce’s boot all the way out of the hole as he grunted with pain.

  “Wow,” he said when his foot was safely liberated. “How’d you do that?”

  “Just moved it a little differently,” she said. Thank you, Gaia. She placed her hands on the ground, curling her fingers into the opening in a reverent embrace and fiercely thought the words of gratitude.