Page 70 of The Promise
"It's not working."Cara was exhausted, driven on only by her overriding need to help him get back to his brother.
Michael looked as tired as she felt. "I've been in and out of this blasted tunnel in every conceivable way. I don't know what else to do." He sank down on a rock in the entrance, staring off at the orange rays of the sinking sun.
There wasn't much time left and they didn't even have a flashlight. She rubbed her arm. It ached where Nick had twisted it, but, thank God, nothing was broken. "We've just got to try again. It has to work." She reached for the pendant, surprised when it wasn't there. "Michael, the necklace. It's not here."
"What?"
"It's not here." She met his gaze then dropped to the ground, frantically searching for the pendant. A sparkle beneath the rock caught her eye. She smiled and reached for it, surprised to see how much her hand trembled. She grabbed the chain, but somehow, between her shaking hand and the finely wrought silver, she managed to drop it.
It clattered against the floor of the tunnel and rolled deeper into the mine. Cara watched it disappear, but her tired body was slow to respond.
Michael moved faster, heading into the tunnel after the necklace. "Cara. Come here." The words were sharp, and pulledher immediately out of her lethargy. She stepped into the faint light of the tunnel. Michael was standing with the pendant in his hand. It had evidently split in the fall.
Heartbroken, she met his gaze. "I broke it?" She'd meant the words as a statement, but they came out a plea. What had she done?
"No." His whispered words were almost reverent. "It's a locket, Cara. The fall must have triggered the mechanism holding it closed."
"A locket?" She felt stupid. All she seemed to be able to do was mumble questions.
"Yes." He extended his hand and even in the growing shadows she could see that the broken pieces were in fact the two halves of the locket, still joined by a slender hinge.
"Is anything in it?" She held her breath, not knowing what to expect. She'd never even realized the pendant was a locket.
"Yes." Again his tone bordered on amazement.
"What?" She snapped the word out impatiently. God, she needed sleep.
"Well, there are two locks of hair. And a note."
"There's a note?" She was back to repeating. She swallowed and tried to pull her brain online. "What does it say?"
"I don't know. It looks like a code of some kind. But, Cara, I recognize the handwriting."
The hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention as a chill splintered down her spine. "Whose writing is it?"
"My father's."
She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could even formulate her thought, a strong arm wrapped around her throat and she felt the cold metal of a gun against her back. "I'll take that, Macpherson."
Nick.
She twisted her head around, trying to see him and wished she hadn't. His face was caked with blood, distorting his features. His mouth was swollen and twisted, making him seem almost inhuman.
Michael took a step forward, his hand clenched in anger.
"Oh please. Let's not go through this again." Nick shifted the gun to Cara's head. "Give me the locket or it's all over for your lovely girlfriend."
Michael held out the necklace. Keeping the gun firmly against her temple, Nick released his hold on her throat and reached for the pendant. "The paper, too. What do you take me for, a fool?"
Michael's mouth tightened into a grim line, but he held out the note. Nick snatched it and, with a hard shove, sent her sprawling toward Michael. Everything after that happened in an instant.
Michael snarled and dove forward just as Nick shot twice at the ceiling. There was a loud rumble and then the entire earth seemed to move. Rocks and debris from the tunnel rained down on her.
She huddled on the floor, trying ineffectually to cover her head, surprised to hear someone screaming. It was a moment before she realized the blood curdling sound came from her own throat.
A solid chunk of rock crashed against the back of her head sending shards of white light dancing through her brain. She struggled to hold onto consciousness, but felt the encroaching blackness take control. As her vision dimmed and the darkness enveloped her, she whispered his name.
"Michael."
