Death on the Water by Birch CJ

Author:Birch, CJ [Birch, CJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2023-11-14T00:00:00+00:00

Moira—Thursday afternoon: Omoa, Honduras

The crash of rushing water intensified the moment the door behind the altar opened. Claire hesitated, and I took my lead from her, holding back.

“What are you waiting for?” I asked.

“Bats. There always seem to be bats flying out in these instances.”

“Find yourself in these situations a lot, do you?”

She sighed. “In the movies. I try not to get locked into ancient ruins too often.”

I laughed, because what an absurd thing to say. I’m sure she had her fair share of scary situations.

I stepped forward and stuck my head through the opening. “Hello?” I yelled into the small cavern. Only my own echo answered. “Think we’ll find treasure?”

“I’d settle for dry land and a way out.” Claire checked her watch. “Ship sails in less than an hour. What are the odds they’ll wait?”

“That depends. They would leave anyone not on an excursion behind. But they make a point of waiting for excursions that come back late.”

“So we should be okay. The excursion team would know that we aren’t on the Jeep going back to the ship.”

“Except that we were a last-minute add and weren’t on the list. So if they go by that, they won’t notice we’re gone.”

Her face fell, and I tried to think of something that would cheer her up. “Maybe we’ll find a way out and make it back to the ship before it sails. Crazier things have happened.”

I stepped inside and found a winding passage leading down into the darkness. The rushing water echoed from far below, which meant there must be a way out. How else could the water escape? It must lead to the sea.

Along the wall next to me, I noticed the same groove running along the passage, and I grabbed for Claire’s lighter again. “If we follow this, I think we’ll find a way out at the end.”

Claire turned back toward the room. “It doesn’t look like we have much of an option, does it?”

I sparked the lighter and held it to the indent near the door. Flames burst to life, shooting down the side of the wall, illuminating the tunnel for us.

“This way if you want to live, Ms. Mills.” And I pointed the way ahead. She gave me a sceptical, almost reproachful look, but stepped in front of me and began down the passage.

The musty air clogged my lungs, but for the first time since we’d found ourselves trapped I actually felt like I could breathe properly. I hadn’t let myself think about what would’ve happened if we hadn’t gotten out of that room. Would someone have found us? Unlikely. It felt strange to still be in danger but feel relief at the same time. It reminded me of the time my sister Viola and I got lost in the city. We’d skipped school and ridden the bus. Viola, who was older, talked me into it. I think she’d had a test that day she hadn’t studied for, and classic Viola, in for a penny, in for a pound.

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