“Maybe we should go back,” Nish said in a whisper that shook.
“It might be our only chance,” said Sarah. She swiftly killed the light and pressed on.
They moved in silence, their feet sure along the rock paths, their hands out to one side so they could run their fingers along the shored-up walls.
As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, the light in the distance slowly took on a new brilliance. Travis could see that it was steady, not moving, and presumed it was either a bulb or an electric lantern someone had hung up on a wall. He could detect no movement around it and was grateful for that.
They drew closer, increasingly afraid of stumbling or even breathing too hard.
Sarah held her hand back, touching Travis, then Nish, indicating that they should stop. She whispered so low they could hardly hear her. “I’ll go on my own from here.”
She handed Travis the lantern. There was no arguing with her. It was too risky to talk, for one thing. But neither was there any point: she had her mind made up.
Travis felt helpless as Sarah disappeared into the near-total darkness. A few times she cast a long shadow as she moved quickly up the tunnel and was caught by the distant light, but most of the time he could detect nothing. She moved in complete silence.
Travis tried to control his breathing. He could hear Nish breathing hard beside him and once or twice Simon stifled a cough. But none of them said a thing.
Travis squinted hard, trying to force his eyes to see more clearly.
There was more movement nearer the light now. The light blacked out entirely as Sarah moved from one side of the tunnel to the other.
Then Travis heard her fall.
Sarah never said a word, but it was clear she’d skidded on loose gravel or a board and had gone down hard.
“HEY!” a voice boomed from far off, the sound seeming to grow as it hurled down the tunnel.
None of the Owls said a word.
“Who’s there? What’s going on?”
The voice sounded frantic.
And then came the most terrifying sound Travis Lindsay had ever heard.
KAAAAAAA-BOOOOOOOOOMMMM!