The B Girls - By Cari Cole Page 0,67

Lucy said. "If the document's in there we shouldn't open it until we get someplace clean and safe."

"We can open it once your arm is taken care of and Belle is safe. We'll have a party. With alcohol," Mae said.

I'm going to drink myself blind tonight," Jane said.

"I just want to get you out of here," Lucy said.

"Party pooper," Jane said.

"We can fight later," Mae said. "Right now, I'm going for help."

"I have a better idea," Jane said. "I told you I've been thinking about how to handle this."

"I can't wait to hear this," Lucy said.

"I know I can get all the way back to the first shaft. With a little help." Jane held up her good hand when Lucy started to protest. "No, hear me out."

Lucy nodded. Why not let her talk?

"The first section we have to navigate is a short, walking bent section. I know I can do that. Same with that little bit of wading. The next climb will be a little tricky but if you all help me through the tough parts with a rope I can make it."

Lucy wasn't convinced, but she made an encouraging noise.

"Okay then comes the nightmare crawl."

"We only thought that was a nightmare. Mae and I found the real nightmare," Lucy shuddered then shook it off. "But I see your point. There's no way you can pull yourself through there."

"What happened?" Jane asked.

Lucy waved off the question. "Later. What about that first scary tunnel?"

"If we use one of the space blankets as a sort of stretcher one of you can pull while the other pushes me through. All I'll have to do is lay there. And then an almost easy stroll back to the base of the first shaft."

Lucy wondered if it was possible. Could she and Mae really maneuver Jane through that crawling section?

As for the rest, with room to maneuver they could probably get her through. But it was dangerous.

"I still think we should let help come to you," Lucy finally said.

Jane shook her head. "I have to at least try. I'm feeling pretty tough right now."

Lucy hesitated. The last thing she wanted to do was to make things worse.

"What's your vote, Mae?" Jane asked.

Mae shrugged. "I don't know."

Jane looked at them with pleading eyes. "I have to try. I don't want to lay here like some helpless ninny."

Lucy looked at Mae.

Mae nodded. "Let's try. I don't like the idea of our splitting up. What if something happens to me on my way out? I think we have to at least let her try."

"First we need to do a better job of immobilizing that arm. The less jarring it gets the better," Lucy said. "And you have to promise to let us know right away if the pain gets to be too much."

"I swear. But I really think there's some sort of chemical thing going on to anesthetize the arm."

Lucy had her doubts, but every foot closer to the entrance would be a good thing. "Let's do it."

Mae and Lucy did what they could to bind Jane's arm to the front of her body with more of the space blanket. The trick was to get it tight enough to hold it still without putting so much pressure on the break that it caused more pain.

Once they were satisfied, they helped her to her feet.

Jane gasped once on the way up and swayed a little. "Wow. That was a little more exciting than I would have liked."

"You want to sit back down?" Mae asked.

"No. I want to get the hell out of here."

The first section they had to retrace was wide enough for two people--if they were friends--even though it required walking bent over.

"Will it help if one of us walks next to you?" Lucy asked.

"I don't think so," Jane said. "I won't really be able to lean on you."

"Stay close behind me and put your hand on my back," Mae said. "That should give you a little support and help keep you steady."

And off they went, moving slowly.

As the walls closed around them, the tune to "Three Blind Mice" got stuck in Lucy's brain and she started humming.

Mae joined in, and by the time they'd shuffled back to the edge of the pool, they were singing like drunken sailors.

Not that they had an easy time.

Jane stopped frequently to suck in big gulps of air. Each time Jane stopped, Mae waited and Lucy leant what support she could from behind.

"So, do we get naked again?" Mae asked as they stopped