THE BLOOD MESA by Reasoner James & Goldberg Lee & Rabkin William

Author:Reasoner, James & Goldberg, Lee & Rabkin, William [Rabkin, William]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FICTION / Thrillers
Publisher: Adventures in Television
Published: 2011-06-21T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Matt circled around the ruins, heading back toward the camp. He wished he could drive without headlights, so Hammond and the others couldn't tell right where they were, but it was too dark for that. He couldn't risk driving into a hole and busting an axle.

Ronnie, Ginger, and Maggie had climbed in the back with Jerry. Rich rode in the cab with Matt, the ax lying on the seat between them. He glanced down at the weapon and asked, "You . . . ah . . . carry an ax around with you, Mr. Cahill?"

"I used to work in the timber business," Matt replied, as if that explained it. "My whole family did. That ax belonged to my father, and his father before him."

Rich didn't press the issue. Instead he said, "At first I didn't really think they were dangerous. They just looked sort of crazed, you know. But then they started chasing us, and I knew that if they caught us, bad things would happen."

"That's putting it mildly," Matt said.

"And then they caught Astrid . . ." Rich couldn't go on for a moment. "You think it's all because of some altar that Dr. Varley's group uncovered?"

"I'm pretty sure that's the case."

"That's what made the Anasazi go nuts and start eating each other?"

"Does it matter?"

The tents loomed in front of them, the canvas bright in the night as the headlights swept over them. As Matt slowed the truck, he called to Ronnie and the others in the back, "I think we've beaten them back here, but stay inside the truck until I've taken a quick look around."

"Be careful, Matt," Ronnie called back to him.

The truck had stopped. Matt left the engine running and picked up the ax. He said to Rich, "If anything happens to me, or if you and the others are in danger, don't wait for me. Just grab the wheel and get the hell out of here."

"And then what?"

"Keep moving, I guess. You'll be on your own."

"Mr. Cahill . . . what Dr. Dupre said. Be careful. Please."

"I intend to," Matt promised.

He swung down from the cab. The night was quiet except for the rumbling of the engine.

Then a wind blew across the top of the mesa, and he heard the wailing that Ronnie had described to him earlier. That was just the wind moving through the ruins, he told himself. It wasn't the wailing of lost souls.

He wished he could believe that a hundred percent.

Most of the expedition's supplies were piled near Dr. Varley's tent. Matt didn't remember exactly what was there, but as he looked over the supplies he had a feeling some of the picks were gone. That probably meant Hammond, Scott, April, Noel, and Sierra were armed now.

A couple of picks were left, though, and several shovels. After scanning the night intently for several moments as he stood there gripping the ax, Matt called to the people in the truck, "All right, come grab a shovel or a pick. Make it fast.

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