While she watched the others finish their dinners, she struggled to find the right words. By the time Ben had wiped the gravy off his plate with a slice of sourdough and patted his belly with a sigh, she still had no idea what to say. To hell with "proper" words.
Ashley cleared her throat. "I'd… like to… make a toast." She raised her water glass and stood up. The others looked at her expectantly. "Over the past few days, we've all had a lot thrown at us. And I think we're all feeling trampled on, but tomorrow we embark on a trip where the success of our mission will depend on our ability to work as a team. And as much as Blakely may get under my skin personally, I think he put a hell of a team together. So," she said, raising her glass higher, "here's to us. To the team."
"To the team!" the group echoed, hoisting their drinks.
"Yeah, to you guys!" Jason said, swigging from his cola.
Linda tousled his hair. "What about us girls?"
Jason blushed. "You know what I meant."
"I know." Linda leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks."
Jason turned an uncomfortable shade of purple.
As Ashley smiled at her son's consternation, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Ben stood behind her. He leaned and whispered in her ear. "I'd like to talk to you. Would you mind a short walk after dinner?"
"Umm…" she hedged, caught off guard. This was the last thing she had expected. "I've got to put Jason to bed."
"Well, how about after that? I just need a few moments."
"Is it important? Can't it wait until morning?"
"Well, I'd rather get this off my chest tonight."
"Sure," she agreed reluctantly, "I guess I can see you in a bit. How's half an hour?"
"Fine. I'll meet you outside the entrance. I'm gonna fetch a jacket."
She nodded and watched him leave. "Jason, let's head back up to our room."
Her son, more his normal shade now that Linda's attention had turned to Khalid, pushed back his chair with a loud squeak. "Can I watch cable?"
"Sure, but only for a half hour, then to bed." She collected him under her arm, squeezing him, and waved to the other two. "See you in the morning."
Linda waved back, and Khalid nodded.
After settling Jason in front of a rerun of Gilligan's Island, Ashley pulled on a yellow sweater. "I'll be back in a little bit."
Jason waved to her as she left, his eyes never leaving the screen.
Ashley pushed through the door to the outside and spotted Ben talking to a guard. He waved to the Marine and crossed over to her. "Thanks for coming."
She wrapped her arms around her chest. "So?"
"How about we walk over to that gorge?" He pointed toward the opposite end of camp. "I've heard the area is a bonzer make-out spot."
She placed her fists on her hips. "If you think… That's not why I came out here."
Ben grinned at her. "I'm just teasing."
"Then what did you want to talk about?"
"C'mon. Let's walk. I really want to see this chasm. I barely caught sight of it when we crossed yesterday." He offered his arm. "C'mon."
She ignored the arm and walked past him. "I can't be away too long. Jason's waiting up."
He caught up and strode beside her. "About this afternoon-"
She held up a hand. "I know, I know. I overreacted."
"No, not at all, I was being a jackass."
She turned to him. "Is that what you think?"
"Sure do. I was butting my big nose where it doesn't belong."
She studied his serious eyes and determined jaw, limned in the lantern light of a nearby tent. "See," she said, a tightness in her throat thickening her words, "that's what's really bothering me."
"What?" He brushed a hand across hers, but she pulled away.
"I'm supposed to be the big leader here. Guiding and motivating the team. But a simple question sends me ballistic. Some leader I make." Her voice cracked a bit.
"Hey, don't beat yourself up." He reached out farther and clasped her hand, his touch igniting her like an electric shock. She made a weak attempt to pull away, but he held her too firmly. "Listen, Ash, you were pressed for time. Hell, you only had a single day to explore the ruins, and I had to distract you with stupid questions."
"Your questions weren't stupid. My response was." She tried to draw her hand free, but as she pulled, he stepped closer. "I…" How brightly his eyes reflected the lantern's light. "I… think we'd better continue with our walk." She finally freed her hand.
"Yeah…" He glanced away from her. "You're right."
They continued across the camp in silence.
The quiet soon became painful. "You know," she said, "now that I've had time to think about it… what really ticked me off this afternoon was that you were right."
"About what?"
"The statue. For now, it is not that vital to know in which direction the statue was facing. Sometimes I get so fixated on the details that I miss the bigger picture. And when you brought this to my attention, I lashed out. I'm sorry."
"Hey, you were under a lot of pressure. Besides, I like people who speak their mind."
She smiled.
"People like you," he said in a whisper.
"Thanks, Ben." They rounded a Quonset hut, and a black gash split the ground ahead. To the left, a lighted bridge crossed the gorge.
As soon as they stepped into the lighted area, a guard called to them from the bridge. "Stop right there." The gun pointed toward them punctuated his statement. "This area is restricted."
"My, my," Ben whispered in an aside to her as a second guard approached. "I can see why everyone thinks this is a romantic spot."
The stone-faced guard checked their identification cards. "You're clear." He turned to the other guard by the bridge and gave him a thumbs-up sign. "Sorry for the scare, but we're tightening security."
"Why?" she asked.
"Sorry, ma'am. That's classified information." He turned and proceeded toward the bridge.
Ashley turned to Ben. "What do you make of that?"
He shrugged. "Who can figure the military? Bunch of buffoons."
"I know. I wouldn't mind pushing the lot of them into that damned chasm."
"Hey, what do you know? We do have something in common." He spun on a heel, very militarylike, to head back to the dormitory. He offered his arm.
This time she took him up on his offer.
Blakely stretched, leaning away from the console. He glanced at a clock on the wall. A few minutes after midnight. Now, that was cutting it down to the wire. The team would be leaving in nine hours.
"All green lights," said a voice behind him. "Finally."
He turned to the head of communications, Lieutenant Brian Flattery. "I knew those new circuit boards would do the trick," the doctor said. "With the communications net intact, we'll be able to communicate to my team anywhere on the planet."
"That's good," said Flattery. "But still…"
"Don't fret. This time it'll be different."
Flattery glanced at the floor. "We never found Wombley's body. Only that splat of blood."
"I know, I know."
"And there's still no word from the other team. It's been four months. And what about the recent disappearance of the guard by the chasm?"
Blakely held up a hand. He had heard similar rumblings across the camp. "We're prepared this time. We'll be in regular communication."
"Shouldn't this group be forewarned of the risk they're taking?"
Blakely shrugged. "Major Michaelson and his two men know. That's what's important. I guess I'm going to have to give the rest of the team some details, but they don't need to know everything. This time we're proceeding with foreknowledge of the risks. We're properly armed."
"We don't really know that."
Blakely squinted at the line of green lights on the communications console. He tapped one light that fluttered. It stabilized to a steady green. "Nothing to worry about."
BOOK THREE
Chutes and Ladders
TEN
THE PACK WAS HEAVY, THE CUSHIONED STRAPS CUTTING into Ashley's shoulders. She shrugged it off and set it down at her feet. Heavy, but manageable. She saw Linda grimace as she tried to adjust her own backpack over her shoulders. Ashley reached over and tugged the bag higher on Linda's back. "Carry it like that and it won't be so bad."
Linda smiled, but creases of worry still etched her brow. "Thanks. I just have to get accustomed to it."
Ashley nodded. We all do, she thought.
Ashley led Linda toward the group clustered near the team's radio. Blakely was explaining its operation to Ben, Khalid, and Major Michaelson. "Our web of receivers and transmitters operates at an ultra-low frequency. They're buried and spread out, so we will be able to communicate through hundreds of miles of rock in all directions."
Major Michaelson hefted the radio, testing its weight. "Sort of like the buried transmitters that guide our submarines."
"Exactly the same principle. Low-level reverberations. The system has been tested and checks out fine."
"How often do we establish contact?" Ashley asked as she stepped up.
"Three times a day. At the designated hours," Blakely responded. He pointed at the radio. "This is the most important piece of equipment you'll be carrying."
Major Michaelson tapped his pistol at his waist. "This is my most important piece of equipment."
Ben snorted. "You're both wrong. Shows your lack of caving experience." He pointed to his belt with its ring of batteries. "This is your most important piece of equipment. Without batteries, you have no light. Without light, you can't see what you're shooting at and no radio in the world is going to guide your ass out of a hole." He gripped his battery belt. "This is your lifeblood down here."