Sons of Earth by Michael Richey

Author:Michael Richey [Richey, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-09-14T22:00:00+00:00

Inside Emma’s tent, Lucas swatted away horse flies darting around his face. The biting flies were roused from the nearby pond, stimulated by impending dawn. He sprayed an uneven fog mist from an aerosol can from his duffel. Airborne powder absorbed the night-cooled moisture, then sank in swelling droplets, splattering against foot-worn dirt. He jumped from the collapsible stool, coughing, stumbling through the tent flap, rubbing his face with his sleeves. He’d grabbed the can of hyper-slick silicate powder instead of bug repellent.

He jerked around, searching for witnesses. Near a fire pit, nestled in each other’s arms, Josh and Sam snickered. They turned away when he narrowed eyes on them. He sighed, then sank to a folding chair beneath the open-air tent next door.

At the site entrance, a utility vehicle blocked the scraped-dirt road beneath a sodium hover-light. He zoomed his Lenzes on the nighttime security guard sitting motionless in the driver’s seat. Lenzes recorded the balding, slack-jawed man sleeping. Another example of inept management. After thirty seconds was stored, Lucas raised his hands and jabbed the air. He sent a terse message to the site’s security firm, ordering the slumbering guard’s termination, or he’d revoke their contract.

From the footpath at Mingus Mountain’s base, crunching gravel announced someone walking along the dark ridge toward the fire. No doubt Emma’s favored pet, Carson. The crunch smoothed to heavy thwacks of boots on flat rock.

He cleared his throat. “Mr. Hughes, a moment please.” Only a gray mass with a bowed head and slumped shoulders was visible. The boy seamed near exhaustion as he approached. “Were you at the cave? Alone? May I ask why?”

“Yes. Took some samples. Got some rubbings of the shaft’s new surface.” He stepped into the triangle of light outside the open tent flap. He unzipped his backpack then pulled out folded tracing paper. “Since equipment’s not working in there, it’s the best I could do. Didn’t think there’d be anything wrong to go alone. Didn’t know if I’d have another chance. The others are dog-tired, trying to relax before the rest of the camp comes back in a few hours.”

“About that,” Lucas said. “I’m revising the dig plan. Nixing bravo site altogether. Assigning half the team to work on or around the cave with me. The other twelve will walk out a search pattern away from the cave, look for other potential sites, possible entries. You and your friends will be next to me, for now. Unlike the local constabulary, I’m still not convinced there isn’t a malevolent hand involved with Doctor McGowan’s sudden… departure.” He shook his head. “How the hell did she wind up in D.C.?”

Carson’s dirt-smudged face lifted, but his shoulders sagged farther. “Have no idea. Just glad she did.”

“Hmm,” he sighed. “It was your uncle you spoke to? What’s he think?”

He shook his head. “Working theory’s that the shaft leads to a cave or mine. She must’ve found another way out, probably in shock. Heard of it happening before; people surviving traumatic events, but they operate on autopilot.

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