Max's flashlight picked up patches of rusty steel tracks between the dirt, rock, and debris. A small mine car was only a little farther up ahead, overturned near one side of the tunnel.
"This is one of the dig sites Leroy Wilkins worked," Valenti said. "It's on Mesaliko lands, so when the tribal police found him here, they bounced him."
"Maybe this is where Swanson found the drone he wore in the pouch around his neck," Liz said.
"Could be," Valenti agreed. "Swanson was still around back then."
Before Valenti's words could die away, the cave throat filled with the familiar hum of miniature winds. Max raised a shield, filling the cave with the energy barrier. The drones slammed into the force field and imploded, leaving bright sparks and their aftereffects.
"Drop the shield, Maxwell," Michael said, as the drones gathered, obviously trying to regroup.
When Max dropped the force field, staying ready to raise another one, Michael zapped the drones with an energy bolt. The mad rush of exploding drones jumped back and forth, like a pinball trapped between bumpers and getting some serious play. As with the last time, none of the drones survived the attack.
The tunnel took a long, loping turn to the left. Max only had to follow the tunnel a little longer before he found the ship. At least he found where the ship had to be.
The tunnel dead-ended against a tall wall scored with pickax marks. But in between the pickax marks were conical holes that looked slightly like anthills.
"Entrances," Kyle said. "The drones must be using those. But none of them are big enough for us. We're stuck."
Max looked at Isabel. "Is the ship behind this wall?"
"Yes. I've seen it. In the dreamwalk state, I can walk through that wall."
Michael stepped forward. "Fine. It's there. All we've got to do is get to it, right?"
"Maybe we should try talking to them first… " Max didn't get any further in his suggestion.
Michael threw his hands forward. Blue-white energy cascaded from his palms, meeting the wall in a thunderous explosion. The wall fell in sections, revealing a dulled, fire-blasted, and pitted metal surface behind the rock and earth.
The whole cavern shook with the force of the energy used. For a moment, Max was afraid that the cavern roof was going to come down. Miraculously, the ceiling held, but clouds of dust filled the cavern while debris rained down.
Hacking and coughing, choking on the roiling cloud of smoke around him, Max stared into the cavity that Michael's impulsive actions had revealed. Something slithered within the opening, but he couldn't make out what the thing was because of all the dust and grit in his eyes.
"Look out!" Valenti yelled, pulling the shotgun to his shoulder.
Dazed, Max watched incredulously as what looked like a vine sprung from the cavity in the wall. But the flashlight beams that hit the vine struck a metallic surface. Before Max could move, the vine wrapped his feet and yanked, lifting him from the cavern floor. He upended, falling backward and striking his head on a rock. Blackness clouded his vision and took him away.
19
Max!" Liz screamed. Fear thudded through her, at first nearly stopping her heart, then making her think it was going to explode.
The thing that wrapped Max's lower body looked like a snake, but she'd never seen one that big in the desert. The monstrosity that had captured Max would have dwarfed even South American anacondas.
"Max!" Liz yelled again, and started forward.
"Kyle!" Valenti barked.
Before Liz could reach Max as he was dragged away, Kyle caught up to her and wrapped his arms around her. He locked down and stopped her, then dragged her back to the safety of the group.
"Let me go!" Liz demanded. "Let me go!"
Valenti's shotgun roared, spitting out a bright yellow muzzle flash. For a moment, Liz was afraid that Valenti had shot Max. Then she saw the tentacle thing break away in a flare of popcorn-size explosions.
"That thing's made out of those drones," Maria said.
In disbelief Liz saw that Maria was right. The sporadic flashlight beams, maneuvered by excited hands, crisscrossed the length of the tentacle, revealing the gleaming surface and some of the individual shapes of the drones.
Max lay in a loose sprawl on the ground. One of the flashlights revealed the blood gleaming at the back of his head. The severed section of tentacle remained around his lower body, writhing mechanically like an earthworm that had been sliced in half.
"Max!" Liz yelled, straining against Kyle's hold. Oh God, don't let him be dead. He can't be dead.
"Michael," Isabel said.
Michael raised his hands and stepped forward. Before he was unable to unleash the power he wielded, a dozen lightning strikes strobed into the ground around him, blowing him backward, forcing them all back.
Static electricity popped and cracked in the air. Liz shielded her face with her hands.
Without warning the end of the tentacle that did not have Max shot forward and rejoined the severed section. They immediately melded and became one again. Effortlessly the tentacle lifted Max from the ground and drew him into the hole. He disappeared as Liz watched in horror.
"Max!" Liz pushed free of Kyle, accidentally hurting his injured arm. He yelped in pain. Then she was running, driving herself across the cavern floor.
By the time Liz reached the cavity in the wall and looked down, Max was disappearing into the side of the spaceship that was buried inside the hillside. The clouds of dust stirred up by the tentacle's passage floated slowly downward as they settled.
Tears came to Liz's eyes. Max couldn't be lost to her. Not like that. Not so final. She pointed her flashlight down into the cavity.
The spaceship lay embedded in the hill strata twenty feet down. The excavation that had progressed so far had been meticulous. The sides of the dig area looked like they'd been cut with a laser due to their smooth uniformity. The spaceship metal was a deep blue-green that looked iridescent under the flashlight beam, but partial patches showed obvious bum and impact damage. Judging from what she saw of the spaceship so far, it was huge. She just didn't know how huge.
And somewhere inside that ship, Max was hurt and alone.
"Hey," Michael said, placing a hand on Liz's shoulder.
Liz turned and faced him, seeing the worry on his face. The emotion was something she'd seldom seen on Michael's features. He was so strong, so cynical about expecting the worst of situations, and so private that the worry looked out of place.
"We'll get him back," Michael promised.
"Now may be the time to call in the military," Kyle said.
"If we do," Valenti stated grimly, "they'll wonder what the travelers wanted with Max."
"Look," Michael said, "I can hurt these things. They know that now, and we know that."
"They can still hurt us, too," Kyle pointed out.
Michael shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'm going." He turned and started climbing down into the cavern tunnel.
Without hesitation, Liz followed.
A blinding headache woke Max. He knew he was lying on the ground. A hard surface supported his back. His legs felt bruised from the vine-thing, but he didn't feel the constriction around his legs anymore. Slowly he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings.
The smooth, metallic walls told him that he was inside the travelers' spaceship. He wondered if River Dog was still present somewhere, viewing everything from his vision quest. If he was, Max realized, then maybe Isabel and the others would at least know he was all right.
An ambient red glow, from scattered screens built into the walls and from consoles, filled the room. Max had no clue what the consoles were for. For all he knew, this could have been the pilot area or a library aboard the ship.