Ben feigned fear, eyes searching rapidly to his right and left. "Or perhaps it was that predatory snail looking for more of Khalid's blood. I can see it now: 'The vampire slugs of Antarctica.'"
She shoved him forward. "Get going."
Within moments, they arrived at the next wormhole, where the remaining team members clustered, slouching on rocks. Linda was examining Khalid's arm. Everyone looked exhausted, except, of course, the two SEALs. Perhaps the team should stop early, she thought, and camp for the night.
Searching for Michaelson, she noted he was missing. Great-did he start his own search already? She had told no one about Michaelson's brother being a member of the lost team. She figured if he wanted to keep it a secret, it was his business. But she had been watching as the lines of worry creasing his forehead had become deeper and more numerous. If he ran off…? She called to Villanueva. "Where's Michaelson?"
He pointed down the chute ahead of him. "Recon."
Damn him, she thought. He couldn't sit still. He always had to be running ahead to check for clues about his brother. "I didn't authorize anyone to proceed ahead on his own."
Halloway shrugged. "You weren't around."
"Well, now I am. And I expect him back up here on the double."
Again she caught a condescending smirk on the soldier's face. "I'll tell him when he gets back."
She shoved a finger hard into Halloway's chest. "Find him now."
A dark cloud descended upon the SEAL's features. Halloway towered over her, like a lion before a mouse.
Ashley cut him off before he could open his mouth. "You have your orders, soldier." She drilled him with her eyes.
Halloway clenched his teeth, then suddenly smiled coldly. "Ready or not, Major Michaelson, here I come." He spun on a heel, and within a heartbeat, he vanished down the hole.
She quietly let out her pent-up breath.
Linda and Khalid stared at her. Villanueva, clearly unimpressed by the exchange, shrugged and went back to sharpening a knife.
Ben clapped her around the shoulders, causing her to jump. "Good job, Captain. Scary sorta bloke, isn't he?"
She couldn't stop herself from leaning into his arms, shaking just a little from the adrenaline surge of the altercation. He squeezed her tighter then guided her a few steps away from the others. In a quiet voice, he said, "You did good. But you didn't make a friend."
She nodded, then softly broke his embrace. "I have enough friends. But thanks, Ben."
"Anytime, Ash."
She looked away, resisting the urge to fall back into his embrace just for the momentary comfort. They just sat in silence, knees touching.
After a lengthy wait, Linda finally called, "Look, it's Major Michaelson."
Ashley glanced toward the wormhole and saw the major climbing to his feet by the entrance of the wormhole. From his dour expression, it was evident he was disappointed. "Michaelson," she said, "I thought we all agreed to congregate here for a rest break."
"I know, but I had to find out if the other team had come this way."
"If you hadn't been in such a flaming hurry to race ahead, and instead, like Ben, had searched this cavern more thoroughly, you would have found what you were looking for."
"What do you mean?" There was a hint of hope in his voice. "Did you find something?"
Ben stepped up. "Only this." He held up the dented cup. Not much of a trophy, but from Major Michaelson's response-his eyes lit up like Christmas tree bulbs, his slumped shoulders straightened-it could have been the Holy Grail.
As usual, though, he tempered his emotions. "Are you sure it's not one of ours?" he asked soberly.
Ben nodded.
"Good." He turned to settle his pack on a rock. "Then we're on the right path. After this rest break, we should push forward. It's still early."
"Whoa!" Ashley said. "It's been a long day. And with this discovery, perhaps we should start fresh in the morning."
Michaelson grimaced. "I hate to disagree. But my reconnaissance into the next cavern did reveal an obstacle we may want to cross today rather than tomorrow."
"And what's that?" Ashley asked, wondering if he was just trying to egg the team forward to keep them all racing after his brother.
"A river, about ten yards wide, fairly swift, cuts across the next cavern. We're going to have to cross it. I figured it would be better today. Get it over with. Rather than getting wet first thing tomorrow and being soaked all day."
Linda groaned, sliding past Khalid to join them. "Not today. I'd rather tackle that in the morning. Heck, we're wet all day anyway. What's a morning dip going to change?"
Khalid, of course, agreed. "It's late. I say we camp here too."
Ashley watched the lines on Michaelson's forehead deepen. Apparently the dented cup had made him even more anxious to search for his brother. She could tell he needed to push forward. "You're right. After the crossing, we can dry out our clothes overnight. Good plan, Major."
With much grumbling, they put their gear together and pulled out their skateboards. Ashley called across to Michaelson, "Is Halloway waiting down below?"
"Halloway?" Michaelson raised an eyebrow and glanced around.
Ashley's heart pounded. "I sent him down after you. I thought he was the one who sent you back up here."
Michaelson's features went cold. "I didn't see anyone."
THIRTEEN
AS ASHLEY SCOOTED THROUGH THE EXIT OF THE WORMHOLE, she pushed quickly to her feet and stepped aside to allow Villanueva room to slide out. Good. He was the last team member. The rest scanned the new chamber with their flashlights. Ben bellowed Halloway's name. She stepped up to Michaelson. "Any sign?"
The Major shook his head. "No, and with all these damned obstacles it's going to be a long search."
Ashley grimaced. Time was precious. If Halloway was injured, any delay could mean his death. She waved her flashlight ahead and groaned at what she saw. This could take hours.
Huge spherical rocks, a yellowish ocher in color, dotted the floor, some as big as elephants, others the size of cottages. Several were clustered into nests like huge fossilized eggs. Others sat by themselves, brooding solitary behemoths. The boulders towered over the team.
She shook her head. The large rocks chopped up the view of the room, making a search with flashlights difficult. An injured Halloway could be sprawled behind any of those boulders.
"We'll split up into three teams," Ashley said, struggling to be heard above the echoing babble of the river that coursed in a deep trough through the middle of the cavern. She waved ahead. "We'll have to search behind each of these boulders."
Ben dragged a fingernail across the surface of one of the rocks. "Bloody hell! They're cave pearls!" He stepped back and scratched his head. "Never seen them anywhere near this big. Usually they're no bigger than grapefruits."
"Ben, we don't have time for that," Ashley said. "There are more important concerns. We need to-"
He held up a palm. "No, this is important."
"Why?" She sighed, praying he would be brief.
"You see, cave pearls are buildups of dissolved limestone layered around a pebble or piece of sand. They only form in eddies of flowing water, suggesting, at one time, this cavern had been flooded to the roof."
"Great," she said. "So what are you saying? Do you think this cavern might flood again? Cut off our return?"
He shook his head. "No. These pearls have been dry for aeons. The waterways must have shifted."
She sighed. "Ben, I appreciate your cavern lore, but right now we need to concentrate on finding Halloway."
"I know. That's just it. Even if he was behind one of these boulders, we'd know it." Ben clicked on his flashlight and placed it on the surface of the boulder. Suddenly the boulder lit up like a huge lamp, glowing a clear yellow color. "They're translucent. Even though they look opaque, light shines through the bloody things. If Halloway's here, he's without his lights."
Ashley sighed. Any chance of quickly finding Halloway was fading fast. "So he's either hurt or purposefully hiding."