Page 99 of Never Enough

“Copy. Progress report at all intervals.”

“Copy.”

Nemo huffed in frustration, then turned his earbud back on. At least he knew what he was dealing with. Conversation tabled.

For now.

He backed up in the tunnel to give Gem room to access her equipment as well as get his own together.

Pitons hammered in, cordage and rope attached, carabiners locked, Nemo looked on as Gem took one last glance out of the opening before pulling down her balaclava and goggles, then slithered through it. “Gem is rappelling,” Nemo informed the channel. “I’m following when she hits bottom.”

“Good luck,” Waters said over the line.

“Stay safe,” TB added. A yip in the background added Scheherazade’s thoughts as well, making Nemo smile.

I love that dog.

Nemo watched as Gem traveled down, putting additional pitons loosely into the wall to loop her cordage and rope around. They were simply meant to keep their gear as close to the wall as possible. While both items were brown to blend in with the walls, it didn’t pay to have the ropes hanging out free from them while they were out and about in the cavern. When they climbed up later, they would simply pull the pitons out as if they’d never been there.

The rappel down the side of the cavern was uneventful. Once on the cavern floor, they used another piton to pin the ropes off as close to the wall as possible, and luck was with them as it was behind some tractor equipment used to move heavy debris.

36

SEPTEMBER 17, 2022

Haskell

Haskell took a quick look around the side of the bulldozer they were behind. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Nemo tie off their ropes. She knew her answers to his questions had upset him, but there wasn’t much she could do about it now. She also knew she desperately wanted what he was offering. Had since she first met him, but they just couldn’t. She had commitments. So did he. And those commitments weren’t going to change for some time, if ever.

“Midas. Camera check.”

Over the airwaves, she heard keys clacking. “I’ve got you, Gem, but Nemo’s is static.”

She felt the man in question come up next to her. She turned her head to look for the red light on his goggles and gave the right lens a flick.

“Hey!” he complained.

“Got him,” Midas confirmed.

“You were static. Everyone knows when technology doesn’t work?—”

“Flick it. I got it. And I heard him. I do have an earbud in. I could have flicked it myself.”

“What would be the fun of that?” she teased.

She glanced around the side of the bulldozer again.

“Anything?” he whispered.

“No. Clear the opposite side.”

He chanced a quick look. When he gave the thumbs-up, both slinked around the prospective sides of the bulldozer to ensure that no one was hiding along the front of the machinery. When their eyes connected again, she pointed to the pallet of crates fifty feet ahead of them, letting him know where she was headed.

He gave her a thumbs-up.

She sent the update. “Clear. Going in.”

Both took off and plastered themselves to the crates when they arrived there, then ducked their heads around the sides to check for guards. Nothing but a huge open seam in the ground, separating them from a cave on the opposite side, and no crossing in sight.

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