The Dark Ruin by John Lyman

Author:John Lyman [Lyman, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Usernet, C429, Kat, Extratorrents
Published: 2012-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 31

In the lower cavern, Leo and the others were watching the small fire die down just as they heard the radio come alive. “Leo ... Lev ... come in. This is Danny Zamir!”

“Sounds like they’ve stopped jamming our communications,” the corporal said, reaching for the radio.

“Wait!” Lev said. “There’s a reason they stopped jamming us. The people who just blew that tunnel are probably listening to see if we’re still alive.” Lev looked down at the soldiers’ backpacks. “Do you have any more grenades, Niles?”

“We have six grenades, plus two satchel charges.”

“You have satchel charges?”

“Yes sir ... all Special Forces soldiers carry them, but if you’re thinking of blasting our way out through that tunnel we just came through you can forget it.”

“He’s right,” Leo said. “Another explosion will only make things worse. That tunnel was carved from soft limestone, and one more explosion will bring the whole thing down.”

Lev squinted off into the darkness at the end of the path. “I’m not thinking about the tunnel. I was thinking about the eastern wall at the end of this path ... the one that breathes.”

Leo could feel the hair rise on his forearms. “I hadn’t thought of that, but if air is really passing back and forth between cracks in the wall, there has to be another cavern on the other side. We might be able to blast our way into an area that leads to the surface. But what about Danny?”

“He’ll just have to wait. If our plan doesn’t work, we’ll break radio silence and let him know we need to be rescued.”

Leo’s green eyes came alive. “Well, there’s no time like the present. Let’s get moving.”

Turning on his flashlight, Alon took the lead as the group made their way along a smooth dirt path that wound beneath hundreds of gleaming stalactites. Within minutes, they had reached the deep blue lake the corporal had told them about. Skirting around the calm turquoise water, they made their way up a slight incline to the eastern wall at the end of the cavern and stopped.

“How are you with satchel charges, corporal?” Alon asked.

“I know how to pull the cord and run, sir.”

“Do you mind if I place it?”

“Be my guest, mate.” The corporal slid the canvas-wrapped charge of C-4 explosive from his backpack and held it out to Alon. “Glad to be rid of that. I don’t like having that much explosive power bouncing along right behind me.”

After studying the wall for a few minutes, Alon felt tiny puffs of air coming from small cracks that ran up the face of a bowed-out section of the wall. Wedging the charge into a tight crevice near the base, he summoned the help of several of the other men to roll a small bolder in front of the package containing the explosives. “That will help direct the force of the blast toward the wall,” he explained. “Now, everyone move back and take cover.”

As soon as he was sure everyone was clear, he pulled the cord to the thirty-second fuse and ran.

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