That’s when he spotted the shovel blade he had dropped earlier. It was lying only two feet to his right, but it was facing the wrong way. The loaded end was nearly up against a boulder, pointing directly away from the man Lewis assumed to be the leader of Pierre’s military force. Lewis raised his hands in defeat, letting the knife dangle between his fingers. “You win,” he said, giving the knife a gentle toss to the side. Lewis’s only remaining weapon tumbled downward, landing directly on the loaded shovel blade. The impact caused the dynamite to explode as before but this time, the large rock up against the would-be muzzle prevented the ammunition from coming out. Instead, the blade rocketed forward, directly towards the startled gunman.
Gunfire erupted from the leader’s rifle. Lewis was struck first in the leg then twice in the shoulder as the gunman squeezed the trigger for the last time before the rocket-propelled shovel blade severed his grimacing head from the rest of his body. Samantha screamed from the top of the mine shaft when she saw Lewis crumple to the ground as well.
Racing to his side, she found that Lewis was still alive but losing blood rapidly. He was working to wrap the tattered remains of his shirt around his leg wound, which looked to be the source of most of the blood loss. “I’ll be okay,” he said when he saw the worried expression on her face. “Flag down that boat,” he said, pointing to a jet boat rounding the bend, heading upriver.
As Samantha raced to stop the boat, Lewis hobbled over to where Gonzalez lay. When he got closer, he saw that she was still breathing. His heart skipped a beat and he nearly forgot his own wounds as he quickly knelt beside her, carefully rolling her onto her back. She had been hit only once, in the right shoulder, and her forehead had a nasty gash from falling on the rocks. Lewis scooped her in his arms and headed to the waiting boat, anxious to get away from this place.
It turned out the boat had been chartered by a group of doctors on a weekend fishing trip. “This is your lucky day,” one of them said as he and his colleagues checked over the wounds.
“If this was a lucky one, I’m asking for a refund on my rabbit’s foot,” Lewis said as he looked to Gonzalez and Samantha seated beside him. Gonzalez reached out and squeezed his hand. They all laughed a painful but much needed laugh as the boat raced back down the river towards civilization.
Epilogue
Samantha stayed in the Lewiston hospital with Lewis and Gonzalez for a few days, doing her best to keep the authorities at bay while her friends’ wounds healed. She had given her deposition to the authorities and it was time to get back to her responsibilities in Canada. Saying her goodbyes, she gave Gonzalez a gentle hug then enveloped Lewis in a warm embrace and long kiss that made Gonzalez blush. “You saved our lives,” she said, before flashing an apologetic look at Gonzalez and leaving the room.
The visits from various government officials continued for an entire week as they tried to piece together the full scope of events. Agents from the FBI and INTERPOL had interviewed all three survivors multiple times. Lewis knew there would be more questions to come, and he envied Samantha for at least getting away from the center of the investigation.
The FBI had already managed to answer one question that had been nagging Lewis ever since he discovered Pierre’s involvement: why did Pierre’s men dynamite the cave with their boss inside? Preliminary investigations showed that the explosives used to close the river opening were actually purchased by a Michael Stonewood. Lewis thus suspected that Craig, acting under Stonewood’s orders, was actually responsible for sealing the cave entrance, to keep Pierre’s team out.
The federal government would be bringing in an expert archeological team from the National Parks Service to explore the cave and document the treasure before transporting it to a secure facility in Washington, DC. The Parks Service people hoped Lewis and Gonzalez would accompany them on another expedition into the cave once their wounds healed. Feeling they weren’t ready yet, Lewis redrew the same detailed map he had already given the FBI, handed it over and told them to figure it out on their own. Deep down, he knew he and Gonzalez wouldn’t actually miss the conclusion of their adventure together, regardless of what he told the feds. If for no other reason, they owed it to their fallen friends to see that everything was handled appropriately and that the treasure didn’t fall into the wrong hands.
Lewis realized he wouldn’t be getting paid for this job, but he didn’t care. He had something better than a paycheck — he had met someone truly special.
On their final day in the hospital, Lewis arranged for a candlelight lunch, complete with champagne and a tuxedoed waiter. “To our first date,” he toasted.
“It was worth the wait,” she replied, before scooting closer and giving him a lingering kiss. “I still owe you a home-cooked meal for getting us out.”
Lewis smiled as he said, “I’ve got the rain check in my pocket.”
She gave him a second kiss before whispering in his ear, “When we’re done cleaning up the mess here, I’ve got a real adventure for you, under Antarctica.”
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Thank you for reading Backlash. If you enjoyed it, please spread the enjoyment by recommending it to a friend or leaving a review at your favorite retailer! Even if you hated it, you can still leave a review or recommend it to someone who has a different taste in books — or to someone you don’t like. You can also submit feedback directly to me, keep up on future developments, and get additional information by visiting my website at http://www.DLThomasBooks.com. You can also find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DLThomasBooks.
Thank you,
D. L. Thomas