28

Lou opened her eyes. Am I dead? She tried taking a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Nope, not dead. It hurts too much to be dead.

Panic began to frazzle around the edges. It was dark, pitch black and she couldn’t move. Soft movement around her meant she was trapped under water. She reached up with her free hand and flicked the helmet light on. Blinding light filled the small space. An eye gazed at her, then swam away. She screamed.

A voice in her ear cut through the scream. “Lou, are you all right?”

“E—Evan?”

“Yes, I’m here. Are you hurt?”

“I can’t see you. I’m trapped.”

“Just keep still for me. I’ll get to you.”

She tried sucking in a deep breath, but there wasn’t much air. “What happened?”

“I’m guessing the spire collapsed.” His calm voice resonated through the helmet speakers. “Where are you? Flash your light for me so I can pinpoint your location.”

Lou switched the light on and off a few times.

“Got you. There’s lots of debris in the way. I need you to hang on.”

“W—what to?”

“Your sanity,” he shot back as he grunted.

“That went years ago.”

“Oh, well, worth asking. Can you see my light?”

“No. Too much debris.” She struggled, trying to free herself. She couldn’t stay here. It wasn’t safe. Why on earth had she agreed to such a stupid assignment in the first place? Her life wasn’t worth thirty quid an hour. Nothing was. “Please, you have to get me out…”

“Don’t move. I can see your light moving. I need you to keep still so nothing else shifts and traps you further.” There was a pause and several grunts. “It’s no good, Lou. I need to go and get help.”

She twisted her head to the left, crying out in pain. “No, I can see your light.”

“Good. I’ll be a few minutes, but I’ll be back.”

“Don’t leave me.” Lou’s stomach clenched. She didn’t want to be alone.

“I can’t lift this without help. I’ll be right back. I promise.”

His light vanished.

The darkness pressed in on her, and she struggled, desperate to free herself. Something brushed against her trapped arm and she screamed. Struggling harder, she hit something, bringing a pile of debris crashing around her. Something hit her helmet and the light went out.

~*~

Evan surfaced and removed off his helmet. He leaned over the side of the boat and grabbed the radio. “Jasper, is my team here yet?”

“Nope, but they’re on their way. Ralph called from the airport, said they’d be here by one or thereabouts. You should look behind you. Where’s Dr. Fitzgerald?”

Evan turned and gasped at the sight of the spire. Most of it was gone. “She’s under that lot. How’s the dam?”

“Holding for now.”

As he watched the remaining piece of the spire fell, sending shockwaves through the lake. A scream echoed through his helmet, cut off before it reached its peak. “I need help down here. Lou is trapped in the crypt.” He threw the radio down and seized his phone, dialling 9-9-9. He explained quickly to the operator that he needed the underwater search and rescue team—a combination of both police and fire brigade divers. He quickly gave all the details he could, including telling them to use the boat as a marker.

Then he hung up and reattached his helmet. “Lou, can you hear me?” Not getting an answer, he immediately dived under the water. The murk prevented him from seeing clearly. The entrance he’d left by was completely blocked. He began to lift the stones, grunting with effort. It was slow, laborious work, and he began to despair that he’d not reach her in time.

He knew how afraid she must be. Trying over and over to communicate with her, he could only conclude her radio had gone down. The other possibility was one he’d rather not let cross his mind. That she was pinned down hurt, unconscious, or worse.

Shadowy figures appeared beside him. Help had arrived. But instead of relief his anxiety increased.

One of the officers held up a board which read channel three if you have comms, but you need to surface.

Evan shook his head, flipping his radio over to channel three. “I’m not leaving her down here. She’s in the crypt. To get to that you have to move this lot. You’ll never find her without me. She’s on channel two.”

He flipped his radio back. “Lou, answer me. Please, let me know you’re OK.”

“Ev-an?” Her voice was faint and saturated with pain and fear.

Relief engulfed him. “See, told you I’d come back. I have the underwater search and rescue service here. We’re working on getting you out.”

“Hurry…my ear is beeping.”

He frowned. “Beeping? What does your tank say?”

“Can’t see it. So tired.”

Evan shifted a rock and slid through a gap, several divers following him. “Don’t you go to sleep. Keep taking to me.”

“Sorry…”

“Lou.” There was no answer. “Come on, sweetheart, talk to me.”

“Don’t call me that unless you mean it,” came the breathless response.

“Then talk to me.” He swam over to where he’d left her. “She’s under that lot. Where’s your light, Lou?”

“Broke.”

“OK. We’re almost there now.” He watched helpless as the divers began shifting the debris. As much as he wanted to help, he’d only hinder. “Where are you trapped, Lou? Arm, leg?”

“Chest and arm. I can’t breathe…no air.”

“The tank is probably damaged.” Evan noted the change in her voice. The higher pitch and hysterical tone indicated how scared she was.

She cried out. “There’s something in here with me.”

“We need you to calm down, Lou.”

“Get away!” she screamed. “Noooooo.”

“Lou?” Evan could see her now.

She screamed again, moving frantically. “Sh…hark…”

Fear speared him. She was hallucinating. That wasn’t a good sign. “Lou, we’re nearly there. I can see you. There’s nothing in there with you.”

“There is.”

“There isn’t. I promise. Keep still, honey, another minute and we’ll be there.” Something golden glinted in the light from his helmet. He reached and scooped up a key. He shoved it into his belt.

Lou stopped thrashing and her head slumped.

“Lou, wake up.” Evan pushed his way past the diver and into the small gap. Somehow he managed to shove a piece of debris out of the way, enabling them to reach her. He clutched her hand. “Lou? Wake up.”

Her eyes fluttered.

“We’re here. We’ll have you out in a few more minutes.” He checked her tank. “She’ll need a new one, unless you can get her out of here in three minutes.”

The divers began working on shifting the huge slab lying on top of Lou. Evan squeezed her hand. “Just hold on.”

“Tell Jim…he was right…”

“Jim’s your best mate, right?”

“Yeah.” Her eyes slid shut.

He shook her hard. “Don’t you give up on me, you hear?”

The lead diver tapped him on the shoulder. “We need you to surface, sir.”

“I’m not leaving her.”

“I have to insist. We’ll be right behind you with her. This building is coming down.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “See you top side.” Reluctantly, he circled and swam out of the crypt. Vibrations and water movement increased around him as he headed to the surface. Stones fell to the bedrock, sending clouds of sand into the water as the structure collapsed around him.