Page 71 of Trapped with the Covert Ops Soldier

“No. I’m too tired and sober for nonsense, and I really want to get out of here before the roof comes down on us.”

Smitty nodded and they picked their way around the boulders until they reached the dry riverbed and the two men.

Abby bent down to check Virgil’s pulse and found it strong and steady. Next, she carefully checked his head for injury and found a small bump.

“I didn’t hit him too hard, did I?” Jack asked, and for the first time in her memory, he sounded anxious. “I only tapped him.”

“There’s just a bit of swelling. I don’t feel a crack and you didn’t break the skin at all, so I think he’ll be fine.” She glanced at Jack. “We’ll take some x-rays to be certain.”

“Good, good,” Jack said, pulling at the ends of his fingers over and over again. “Can we get out of here?” He looked over his shoulder and out into the dark. When he faced them again, his gaze was wide with terror. “Please.”

Another stone crashed to the floor not more than five feet away.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Smitty said. He looked at Abby. “I’m going to pick him up and carry him out, if that’s okay with you?”

“Sure, just be careful of his head.”

With a nod, Smitty knelt next to Virgil and carefully draped the older man over his shoulder. He got to his feet and started walking toward the man-made tunnel.

Abby followed with Jack. “Could you go ahead and help Smitty get him through the tunnel,” she asked him.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said and hurried ahead of them.

She snorted. She’d never seen him move so fast. However, getting Virgil through the man-made shaft wasn’t going to be a quick job.

After some consideration, Smitty switched places with Jack so he could go in backward, supporting Virgil’s head against his chest while Smitty lifted the old man from underneath his arms. Abby followed, but it wasn’t long before they reached a section that was too tight for them to get through unless they turned him sideways. It took a lot of maneuvering to get Virgil positioned the right way as they inched their way through the narrow space.

A loud crash echoed through the cavern behind Abby, sending a shiver through her and making the spot between her shoulders itch. That had been no small stone.

Ahead of her, Jack and Smitty had stopped moving.

“Lift him a bit higher, Jack,” Smitty ordered.

“I’m tryin’,” Jack said with a grunt. “But the old bastard weighs more than he looks.”

They finally got Virgil through the narrowest section and moved a bit faster through the rest until they came to the opening to the shed.

“I’m going to put him down, climb up into the shed, then you two can lift him up to me,” Smitty said like they carried bodies around every day.

“Not sure I have that much left in me,” Jack said, “But I’ll try.”

“Maybe grab some rope, so you can pull while we push,” Abby suggested.

Smitty looked at Virgil, then nodded. “Yeah.” He stood and took a step toward the hole.

“Wait,” Abby said. “That thing I gave you earlier to put in your pocket, can I have it back?”

He frowned. “You want it back?”

“I want to put it where it belongs,” she said, holding out her hand.

“You sure about that?” he asked, one corner of his mouth curling up. “That thing could make a lot of things easier out there.” He jerked his head toward the hole.

“I’m sure.” She made gimmie motions with her fingers.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a closed fist. He held his fist out to hover over her hand, then he winked at Jack and very carefully put the nugget of gold on her palm.

Jack’s eyes went wide. “That’s...” He cut himself off and swallowed hard. “What are you going to do with it?”

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