Read Online Beneath the Veil by William McNally - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: William McNally
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grateful.”
“It’s nothing someone hasn’t done for each of us before,” he replied. “Now, who do we have here?” he asked, winking at the children. “We heard tale of some young people living out there on there own, my name’s Doc and we’re real glad to have you.”
Daniel awkwardly shook his hand while his sisters took in their new surroundings.
“Well, let’s get you folks settled in. Come on this way.”
He led them through the mine building and into the vault, then grabbed the heavy door and feigned weakness.
“You kids want to give old Doc a hand?”
The children eagerly helped pull the door closed, and then Doc spun a tumbler locking the vault.
“Jackson, you mind leading the way?” Doc asked.
“Sure.”
Jackson climbed onto the ladder and descended through the opening. When they all reached the floor of the storage room, Doc waived them out into the machine shop where the equipment stood silent in the empty room. All but a few in the camp were down below for the night.
“I’ve got a treat for you, unless you’re afraid of heights, that is.”
The orange sun was low in the western sky and shadows formed along the rim of the quarry. Doc led them to an elevated steel cage hung from a thick chain wrapping a steel spindle.
“Any volunteers? She can handle four at a time safely.”
Jackson stepped out on to the wooden floor of the makeshift elevator and grabbed the bars of the cage as it swayed side to side.
“Haven’t lost anybody yet,” Doc said smiling. “Had a few get stuck one time, but that was a long while ago.”
Barry joined Jackson on the platform and motioned for Tonya to join them. She stepped in slowly, and Doc closed the gate behind her.
“Enjoy the ride, its one hundred and sixty seven feet to the bottom.”
He pulled on a long metal lever and the platform began to move. Daniel stepped near the edge to watch them descend. A minute passed until the chain slackened. Doc pushed the lever up and walked over to the voice tube.
“How we looking?”
“All set Doc, pull her up,” a voice below answered.
He walked over to an orange generator mounted on a trailer with a black gas tank attached. He pushed a priming rod, pulled a rope and the machine roared to life. He checked the gauges and then tightened a pressure valve. The chain tightened with a jerk, and the spindle began to turn. The chain wrapped around the spindle as the platform climbed back towards ground level. When the top of the cage appeared over the edge of the quarry, Doc twisted the valve and the platform came to a stop. He opened the gate and motioned for them to enter. Jen followed Daniel, who carried his sleeping younger sister, onto the platform.
“I need to stay up top,” Doc said. “I have watch duty with Sully. We take turns every few nights. The folks below will see to you.”
He closed the gate and lowered the platform for the last time that day. The camp had rules and the most important one was that once darkness came, the elevator remained down until daybreak. The men left up top understood they were the last defense, unable to retreat to the safety of the quarry.
C H A P T E R T H I R T Y - T W O
J en sat in a makeshift tent used as a dining hall eating a second plate of food. She had never been so hungry in her life. Picnic tables lined the tent and tree timbers sunk into the ground provided support for its canvas roof. One of the camp residents, Elaine Forester, was busy getting them settled.
“You can all bunk in here tonight until we get you permanent places to stay,” she said.
“Don’t go to too much trouble. We won’t be here long,” Jen answered.
Elaine, a former school teacher, looked somewhat confused. “Okay. We will try to make you comfortable here, for however long you plan to stay with us.” Elaine put down a set of sheets she was folding and walked out of the tent.
“What’s that all about?” Jen asked.
Barry shot a glance at the
“It’s nothing someone hasn’t done for each of us before,” he replied. “Now, who do we have here?” he asked, winking at the children. “We heard tale of some young people living out there on there own, my name’s Doc and we’re real glad to have you.”
Daniel awkwardly shook his hand while his sisters took in their new surroundings.
“Well, let’s get you folks settled in. Come on this way.”
He led them through the mine building and into the vault, then grabbed the heavy door and feigned weakness.
“You kids want to give old Doc a hand?”
The children eagerly helped pull the door closed, and then Doc spun a tumbler locking the vault.
“Jackson, you mind leading the way?” Doc asked.
“Sure.”
Jackson climbed onto the ladder and descended through the opening. When they all reached the floor of the storage room, Doc waived them out into the machine shop where the equipment stood silent in the empty room. All but a few in the camp were down below for the night.
“I’ve got a treat for you, unless you’re afraid of heights, that is.”
The orange sun was low in the western sky and shadows formed along the rim of the quarry. Doc led them to an elevated steel cage hung from a thick chain wrapping a steel spindle.
“Any volunteers? She can handle four at a time safely.”
Jackson stepped out on to the wooden floor of the makeshift elevator and grabbed the bars of the cage as it swayed side to side.
“Haven’t lost anybody yet,” Doc said smiling. “Had a few get stuck one time, but that was a long while ago.”
Barry joined Jackson on the platform and motioned for Tonya to join them. She stepped in slowly, and Doc closed the gate behind her.
“Enjoy the ride, its one hundred and sixty seven feet to the bottom.”
He pulled on a long metal lever and the platform began to move. Daniel stepped near the edge to watch them descend. A minute passed until the chain slackened. Doc pushed the lever up and walked over to the voice tube.
“How we looking?”
“All set Doc, pull her up,” a voice below answered.
He walked over to an orange generator mounted on a trailer with a black gas tank attached. He pushed a priming rod, pulled a rope and the machine roared to life. He checked the gauges and then tightened a pressure valve. The chain tightened with a jerk, and the spindle began to turn. The chain wrapped around the spindle as the platform climbed back towards ground level. When the top of the cage appeared over the edge of the quarry, Doc twisted the valve and the platform came to a stop. He opened the gate and motioned for them to enter. Jen followed Daniel, who carried his sleeping younger sister, onto the platform.
“I need to stay up top,” Doc said. “I have watch duty with Sully. We take turns every few nights. The folks below will see to you.”
He closed the gate and lowered the platform for the last time that day. The camp had rules and the most important one was that once darkness came, the elevator remained down until daybreak. The men left up top understood they were the last defense, unable to retreat to the safety of the quarry.
C H A P T E R T H I R T Y - T W O
J en sat in a makeshift tent used as a dining hall eating a second plate of food. She had never been so hungry in her life. Picnic tables lined the tent and tree timbers sunk into the ground provided support for its canvas roof. One of the camp residents, Elaine Forester, was busy getting them settled.
“You can all bunk in here tonight until we get you permanent places to stay,” she said.
“Don’t go to too much trouble. We won’t be here long,” Jen answered.
Elaine, a former school teacher, looked somewhat confused. “Okay. We will try to make you comfortable here, for however long you plan to stay with us.” Elaine put down a set of sheets she was folding and walked out of the tent.
“What’s that all about?” Jen asked.
Barry shot a glance at the
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