couldn’t let it end here…like this. He wanted to cry—wanted to scream—wanted to rip this damn cave apart with his bare hands.
A wild thought formed in his brain. I can do that. After replacing the bowl, he pressed a long kiss on Kyndal’s slack mouth then scrambled through the cranny. He would dig them out. He would not sit here and watch Kyndal die. If the ceiling came down on his head, maybe the painted cavern would keep her safe until somebody came.
With the flashlight through his belt loop, he bored his fingers frantically into the wall of dirt, grasping handful after handful and throwing them behind him. The dirt loosened and shifted, filling in the spaces he cleared.
Every time he twisted to throw the dirt, the pain in his back caught and wound its way to the front. He gasped in shock at the increasing severity, but he refused to stop.
Dirt poured into the holes his fists vacated, leaving no trace of his disturbance, nature’s way of obliterating his intrusion. He let out a feral scream and pounded his fist against the unforgiving earth and the futility of his efforts.
“Chance?”
He whirled around to find Kyndal pulling herself through the gap. He rushed to her. “What is it? What is it, baby?”
“You…screamed.”
He helped her turn over and lifted her onto his lap, clenching his teeth, breathing through the pain. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m okay.” He stroked her hair—her beautiful silky strands, now tangled and matted by blood and sweat and dirt. “I’m going to get us…” He paused. A noise. He listened, straining to hear even the slightest sound. There it was again! A dog’s bark. Coming from the tunnel.
“Here! We’re here!” Could it be Chesney? Had she broken through the electric fence? “This way! Chesney? Here, girl!”
A whine echoed down the tunnel. A shuffling. More whining. Some barking.
Chance’s heart beat so hard in his ears, it muffled the sounds coming their way.
But it wasn’t long before a filthy Chesney loped onto the plateau from the tunnel and launched herself at him at breakneck speed.
She went wild at the sight of him, and he feared she might collapse from overexcitement.
He praised her as he hugged her neck, trying to calm her. “Good girl, Ches. You’re such a good girl.”
Her tongue covered his face with slurpy dog kisses and her tail beat everything in its path—mostly Kyndal who barely seemed to notice.
His mind raced. Chesney’s collar was gone. Had someone removed it or had she gotten out of it by herself? Even if she’d lost the collar, maybe he could send her for help.
He leaned Kyndal against the wall. How much longer could she hang on? His heart skipped a beat when her mouth curved into a slight smile as Chesney cleaned her face.
He stretched through the crevice far enough to grab Kyndal’s backpack. Inside, he groped for the masking tape and anything that might be used as a signal. The broken water bottle? It was as good as anything. He held the bottle against Chesney’s neck and wound the tape round and round until he was satisfied it wouldn’t fall off easily.
He could hear Kyndal’s labored breathing. The sound nearly caused his own to stop.
“Now go!” He shoved Chesney toward the opening.
She wagged her tail and licked him in response. “Go, Chesney!”
She tilted her head at the sound of her name and sat down obediently.
“Find the Frisbee. Go get the Frisbee!”
She jumped toward him, ready to play, not the least interested in leaving his side.
Okay, she’s not Lassie, but maybe somebody’s with her. He fumbled through his pack until he found the whistle, and he blew repeatedly with all his might. Chesney whined, running laps around him. He blew until he thought the pain in his back would break him in two—blew until he grew dizzy and faint, and lights flashed before his eyes.
After a few blinks, all disappeared but one. A dim one, but it grew brighter and larger every few seconds.
“Here!” he yelled.
“Chance?” A deep voice rumbled up the passage.
“Yes, and Kyndal! She’s hurt!”
“They’re here! They’re alive!” The deep voice relayed its message and was answered by shouts from other voices.
It wasn’t long until a giant hulk topped by a hard hat and a lamp clambered through the opening. Chance squinted as the bright light caught him full in the face, blinding him. Thankfully, it moved from him quickly and fell on Kyndal who still leaned against the wall, not seeming to comprehend what was