The caverns were old. Very, very old.
“A small stream flows just ahead. Watch your step,” Jason advised without glancing back.
Kyle was already watching his and Cadence’s steps. His own headlamp swept the area. He’d secured it moments after Cadence adjusted hers. There was no sign anyone had been in the area anytime recently.
No sign of anyone at all.
“Is there another entrance?” Kyle asked.
“Not that I’ve found,” was Jason’s answer.
“With fifty miles to cover, maybe you just haven’t found it yet.” Cadence moved easily over the stream. She had on tennis shoes. Jeans. Her hair slid over her shoulders. “Maybe there’s a lot you haven’t found.”
Just as she reached the edge of the stream, her tennis shoe slipped.
Kyle lunged for her.
But Jason beat him. “I’ve got you,” he told her, curling his hand around hers.
Holding her a little too tight.
Cadence pulled away. “I’m good.”
Kyle hated that cop.
“Yes,” Jason agreed softly. “You are.” Then he pointed to the right. “This way, it will take us deeper inside the caverns.”
Kyle didn’t want this to be a waste of time. He wanted to find something, anything.
His head turned to the left. To the right.
He saw only rocks. The heavy walls of the caves.
Nothing to guide him.
Nothing to help him.
Deeper they went. Another chamber opened up, heavier with stalactites, bigger.
“I call this place the ballroom.” Jason pointed inside, to the right. “It looks like they’re dancing.”
Sure enough, the rocks were twisted, seeming to form the outlines of two figures, wrapped tightly together.
A trick cavers used. Naming chambers, describing the shapes they saw so they could remember where they were.
“From the ballroom, you head back out, cross the stream, and go straight down the corridor.” Jason was staring at Cadence. What else was new? “Remember that.”
“We’ve got it,” Kyle flatly assured him.
They went about ten more feet.
The path split. Two dark tunnels.
Which way to go?
“This will take you to a few more chambers,” Jason said, pointing to the right. “It’s easier to navigate.”
“The left,” Kyle said.
Jason frowned. “Why? It’s gonna be harder.”
“If he’s hiding Lily here, he wouldn’t put her in a spot that was easy to find.” No, the killer would go deeper into the caves. He’d take the path others wouldn’t.
Jason nodded. “I haven’t ever been far in there. We need to be careful because there was a cave-in when the geologists were up here.” But he was turning. Going into the tunnel on the left.
Kyle’s light swept into the interior. He saw the heavy veil of rocks, where it looked like part of the ceiling and wall had fallen in.
Gingerly, the group made their way past the rocks.
“If our guy brought Lily in here…hell, I don’t see how he could,” Marsh muttered. “It’s hard enough for us to maneuver, without having to worry about pulling in a body, too.” It was cooler inside the caves than it had been outside, the stifling heat gone, and there was a heavy stillness.
As quiet as a tomb.
Two more paths cut away from the tunnel.
“Statue of Liberty,” Cadence murmured.
Frowning, Kyle followed her gaze. His light connected with hers and shone on the rocky image. One that sure enough looked like Lady Liberty holding up a torch.
“Right or left at the statue?” Jason wanted to know.
Kyle wanted to split up. Wanted Jason to head left while he and Cadence went to the right. They could cover more ground, faster, that way.
“What’s that?” Cadence asked. She went to the right.
Where more rocks had fallen.
The cave-in had reached this area, too.
His headlamp lit the scene as Cadence crouched down. She was reaching toward a stone that had been bleached white.
That’s not a stone.
“Is that what I think it is?” Jason asked as he pressed close.
Kyle’s breath sawed from his lungs. What Cadence was near looked like a human femur.
Bile rose in his throat.
He’d known Cadence was looking for a dump site, but to find the remains—“It’s not her,” broke from him, a hard growl of denial. Not Maria. Not Maria. The mantra repeated in his head.
“Are there more?” Jason demanded in the same instant as he headed toward Cadence.
Carefully, Cadence pushed aside the rock. “Yes.” Soft. Sad.
Kyle advanced. Saw that—fuck—there were more. Old, tattered clothing covered the bones. “Is there a necklace?” His voice rasped out the question. Maria always wore her necklace…her half-moon…
“I can’t tell,” Cadence said softly, sadly. “There are too many rocks.”
That’s not my sister. He didn’t want it to be Maria. Beautiful Maria, reduced to this. No.
“Call it in,” Cadence ordered Jason.
He scrambled for his radio. Tried to make contact. When it didn’t work, he yanked out his phone. “There’s no signal here!”
No, Kyle hadn’t really expected there would be. They’d traveled down as they headed deeper and deeper into the caverns.
Cadence was still crouched on the ground, studying those bones.
Kyle’s muscles had locked down. Could that be his sister? Christ. Don’t be Maria. Don’t be.
It looked like the remains were covered by a dress. A woman. A woman who’d been hidden down in this giant tomb. If it hadn’t been for the cave-in, would she still be hidden?
Jason bent down next to Cadence. Kyle frowned at him. The guy needed to get out of there and get some backup for them.
“There’s something on her,” Cadence whispered as she bent forward.
Her. Kyle’s breath was cold in his lungs
“A wire?” Jason said, voice rising. “It is! Looks like it’s pinning her down.” He reached for the wire.
The fool reached for it.
“No!” Cadence and Kyle shouted at the same time.
But it was too late. Jason had pulled on the wire. He glanced up, eyes wide at their shouts, as the detonation began.
A trap.
Jason had taken the bait.
Kyle grabbed for Cadence, locking his arms around her and yanking her back even as Jason lurched forward, surging desperately for escape. Jason shoved against Cadence and Kyle, knocking them to the ground as he ran.