“When we get out of here,” he said softly, taking her hand, “I know a nice little restaurant in Santa Cruz where the view of the bay is quite romantic and they have a great soloist. What do you say?”
“It’s a date,” she said, smiling a smile that would steal the heart of any man. She then quickly leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. Turning, she confidently adjusted her backpack and started climbing through the small opening to the lava tube as Turner watched her shapely figure vanish into the gloom. He glanced at the others around him, smiled at their quizzical looks, then he and the rest of the unlikely entourage followed her into the darkness.
They walked through the ancient lava tube at a good pace, ever mindful of their footing, with Maria leading the way. Even after their harrowing experience and brush with death earlier, they all marveled at the awesome display of nature before them.
The channel they traversed was a myriad of twisting turns and inclines leading upward to the heart of the dormant volcano. The tube was a naturally occurring conduit; once a pathway for the flow of two thousand degree magma that hardened as it traveled beneath the cooler surface. They were in one of the main tubes that branched into the many smaller vents as the ancient lava slowed and drained out away from the erupting volcano.
As they walked onward in the dancing yellow glow of the lantern, Maria explained the lava marks on the cave wall that showed the height of the once rushing molten river of rock.
“Look at that,” Eli marveled from behind, as he pointed to the sharp-edged columns suspended like ghostly fingers from the cave ceiling.
“They’re basalt stalactites, Dr. Turner,” Maria said. “They formed because the lava dripped from the ceiling as the vent slowly cooled. Some even bear a close resemblance to sharks’ teeth.”
“What is that reflecting off the stalactite? Did we hit the mother lode of gold?” Samuel asked with a chuckle as he walked up beside her.
“I’m sorry to burst your bubble, Samuel,” Maria replied. “It’s only the reflection of a deposit of calcite crystals. These caves are loaded with calcite and gypsum. Some lava tubes at other places in the world are known to go as far as twenty miles.”
“I hope that’s not the case here,” Turner said.
“I knew you were getting soft, Josh,” Samuel said in mock disdain. “Too many burgers when you were in the states, huh?”
“We have to watch for break-outs in the floor that lead to lower chambers,” Maria interrupted. “If one of us were to fall in, there would be no way to get out without the proper climbing gear.”
“How are you doing, Dad?” Turner asked his father, worried about the effects of the blow to the head he received earlier.
“Ah, I’m okay, Son. I’m a tough old bird, but I promise you that when we get out of here, I’m gonna pay a visit to those bastards that tried to kill us,” he said in an angry tone.
“Not so fast, Dr. Turner,” Captain Saune said from behind the two men. “We don’t know who we’re dealing with, and I would strongly suggest that we obtain the manpower to launch a proper raid on that Bishamon complex.”
“I agree with the captain, Dad. We need to go to the authorities first. Do you have any idea why they attacked you?” he asked, as the group continued going around a gaping chasm in the floor that dropped into the deep recesses beneath them.
“My guess is a drug smuggling operation,” Samuel said, jumping into the conversation, “but it just doesn't make any sense as to why they would risk exposing their operation like this.”
“Hey, we all know that crooks aren’t the brightest people in the gene pool,” Turner offered. “And hopefully, as far as they suspect, we’re all dead. I’m hoping the guy we sent nighty-night outside of the cave woke up and reported the cave-in to his superiors.”
“I can have a tactical unit ready in a moment’s notice,” Captain Saune said. “The warrants though, could become a diplomatic problem since this is a foreign interest. We—”
“Shush,” Maria said from the lead position. “Everyone stop. Put out the lantern Private Gonzales.”
Gonzales quickly extinguished the lantern, thrusting the group into total blackness. Samuel switched on the flashlight, keeping the beam aimed at the floor, which cast a dull light sufficient to see within a few yards.
Turner, Maria, Captain Saune and the private quickly flipped down and powered up their night vision goggles, casting their world into an eerie green glow.
“What’s the matter, Maria?” Turner whispered. He walked up to her in the lead as she crouched, her eyes and ears intent on something ahead of them in the darkness.
“I could have sworn I heard footsteps coming from that way, Josh,” she said, pointing to a branch in the lava tube ahead of them that split into two directions. “It sounded like it came from the left branch.”
“Are you sure it wasn't the echo of our footsteps?” Turner asked.
His question was answered by the sound of gunfire up ahead, echoing throughout the cavern as he, and the rest of the group, instinctively crouched low against the lava tube’s wall.
“That definitely came from the left branch,” Turner said in a whisper to Maria, who had taken his arm and now held it tightly. “Quick, Maria, head back to Samuel and give him your night vision gear,” he whispered.
“Hey,” she retorted defensively. “I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can, Maria, but Samuel is armed and we’ll need him to have the night vision gear,” he responded, gently brushing her cheek with his fingers. “I don’t want you to get hurt. I couldn’t live with that, alright?”
“Okay,” she replied in agreement, “but only because I’m not that good with guns anyway.”
She turned to go back as Saune and Gonzales reached the lead where Turner, now crouched low, was looking ahead.
“Captain, please have Private Gonzales take Maria and my father into the right branch of the tunnel divide and find them some cover.”
“Do it,” Captain Saune ordered to his man, sending him back as Samuel appeared out of the darkness wearing the night vision gear given to him by Maria.
“What’s the story, guys?” Samuel asked, adjusting the headgear on his goggles and then pulling the 45 from his waistband.
“Sounds like more of our friends from Bishamon are headed this way,” Turner answered.
“Do you think they heard us coming?” Samuel asked.
“I don’t think they were close enough,” Captain Saune replied and then added, “but from the original report of gun fire, I’d say they were a good distance away. Don’t ask me what they were shooting at.”
“See that lava pool off to the left?” Turner said, pointing to an almost perfectly rounded three-foot depression in the ground that he had seen before they first heard the shots. “We can use that for cover. Let’s go,” The three men sprinted across the thirty-meter wide cavern. One by one, they dropped into the lava pool using the high side of the ancient depression as cover. Saune swung the AK-47 to the ready as Turner and Samuel brought their 45-automatics to bear on the darkened tunnel ahead. Turner could see Gonzales in his night vision goggles leading Maria and Eli into the right branch of the lava tube and, thankfully, out of danger.
After a few minutes, they all heard the distinct sound of footsteps growing ominously louder and coming directly towards them. Then, just as quickly, they saw a dim beam of light as it came around a bend no more than fifteen feet from the three men in the cover of the lava pool.
To Turner, the figure coming at them wearing a lab coat hardly looked like a mercenary. He could see that he was unarmed and saw the blood stain on his jacket. The halogen light he held was dying quickly as the man slowed his approach.