head.
“You won't be able to cut her free by yourself.”
“What if I do it?” Megan asked.
“No, it would be safer if I do it.” Gemma looked down at the girl.
“It would? Why?”
“Because I didn't just climb five stories up a vertical ladder,” Gemma said as she swung her leg into the shaft.
“Now just hold on a minute,” Robert said, causing another snort from Megan as he pulled Gemma back. “There's got to be another way.”
“Pun intended, right?” Megan said, a definite note of hysteria creeping into her voice.
Robert looked alarmed. But his voice was soft, almost teasing, as he continued his rapport with the teen. “Every pun intended my dear. I had a teenage daughter once, you know.”
“You did?” Megan said.
Gemma glanced at Robert, and though the deep rumble of his voice didn't give him away, something in his face told her this was the cause of the sadness he seemed to carry with him.
“She was a lot like you,” Robert said as he knocked on the wall with his knuckles.
“What? A scaredy-cat?”
“No.” Robert stretched around Gemma, his arm pressing against her as he studied the shaft wall. “She was the bravest person I ever knew.”
“What happened to her?”
“That, my dear, is a story I'll share when we get you out.”
“I'm going to hold you to that.”
Robert chuckled. “I'm sure you will. Now – if you'll excuse my pathetic attempt – I'll be back.” Robert's impersonation left a lot to be desired, but the groan the young mother let out was an encouraging sign.
Robert quickly explained his plan to Gemma, Donavon and Anne. Inside the shaft all was silent as Christopher and Megan listened.
“There's a support beam here.” Robert knocked at the edge of the shaft opening. “If we smash through the wall, they'll have something to grab onto. Now down here,” he kicked the base of the wall, “we can give them something to stand on.”
“You're going to smash the wall in?” Megan sounded doubtful, but Gemma had seen one of her mother's boyfriends punch his fist through a wall. Hope bloomed.
“You better believe it,” Robert said. “My trusty crowbar is going to make short work of this wall. Now keep your heads turned the other way.”
Donavon handed Robert the crowbar, and Robert slammed it into the wall with great enthusiasm. Then he wedged it under the plaster.
Gemma held the chunks steady as Robert carefully pried them away, and before long the beam was fully exposed.
Robert stopped to catch his breath. Sweat poured down his brow and he panted heavily.
“Doctor's been at me to lose weight,” Robert shrugged in apology. “Reckons I'm a heart attack waiting to happen.”
“Here, let me.” Donavon took the crowbar, and set to work at the base of the wall.
Gemma got down on her hands and knees to help pull the plaster away.
“Gemma?”
Gemma looked up at Anne's soft tone. Anne's worried eyes were on Christopher.
Handing Gemma the torch as she got to her feet, Anne nodded at the wall. “I'll do that. Christopher needs you.”
Anne lowered her voice. “I don't know how much longer he can hold on.”
Christopher's jaw was firmly gritted. The side of his head rested on the rung in front of him. Even in the soft light Gemma could see that his arm had gone a strange color, rendering it almost useless.
“Hey you,” Gemma said softly.
Christopher looked up, the pain in his eyes cutting into her. “Hey yourself,” he grunted.
Gemma searched for words of reassurance, but quickly realized that wasn't what he needed. Keeping her eyes firmly locked on his, she smiled, and was encouraged when he offered her a shaky smile in return.
“Just so you know,” Christopher growled. “I'm going to kiss those beautiful lips senseless when I'm back on firm ground.”
Gemma didn't quite know what to say to that, and despite the situation – or perhaps because of it – she felt something stir deep inside her. She'd never been so afraid for anyone in her
“You won't be able to cut her free by yourself.”
“What if I do it?” Megan asked.
“No, it would be safer if I do it.” Gemma looked down at the girl.
“It would? Why?”
“Because I didn't just climb five stories up a vertical ladder,” Gemma said as she swung her leg into the shaft.
“Now just hold on a minute,” Robert said, causing another snort from Megan as he pulled Gemma back. “There's got to be another way.”
“Pun intended, right?” Megan said, a definite note of hysteria creeping into her voice.
Robert looked alarmed. But his voice was soft, almost teasing, as he continued his rapport with the teen. “Every pun intended my dear. I had a teenage daughter once, you know.”
“You did?” Megan said.
Gemma glanced at Robert, and though the deep rumble of his voice didn't give him away, something in his face told her this was the cause of the sadness he seemed to carry with him.
“She was a lot like you,” Robert said as he knocked on the wall with his knuckles.
“What? A scaredy-cat?”
“No.” Robert stretched around Gemma, his arm pressing against her as he studied the shaft wall. “She was the bravest person I ever knew.”
“What happened to her?”
“That, my dear, is a story I'll share when we get you out.”
“I'm going to hold you to that.”
Robert chuckled. “I'm sure you will. Now – if you'll excuse my pathetic attempt – I'll be back.” Robert's impersonation left a lot to be desired, but the groan the young mother let out was an encouraging sign.
Robert quickly explained his plan to Gemma, Donavon and Anne. Inside the shaft all was silent as Christopher and Megan listened.
“There's a support beam here.” Robert knocked at the edge of the shaft opening. “If we smash through the wall, they'll have something to grab onto. Now down here,” he kicked the base of the wall, “we can give them something to stand on.”
“You're going to smash the wall in?” Megan sounded doubtful, but Gemma had seen one of her mother's boyfriends punch his fist through a wall. Hope bloomed.
“You better believe it,” Robert said. “My trusty crowbar is going to make short work of this wall. Now keep your heads turned the other way.”
Donavon handed Robert the crowbar, and Robert slammed it into the wall with great enthusiasm. Then he wedged it under the plaster.
Gemma held the chunks steady as Robert carefully pried them away, and before long the beam was fully exposed.
Robert stopped to catch his breath. Sweat poured down his brow and he panted heavily.
“Doctor's been at me to lose weight,” Robert shrugged in apology. “Reckons I'm a heart attack waiting to happen.”
“Here, let me.” Donavon took the crowbar, and set to work at the base of the wall.
Gemma got down on her hands and knees to help pull the plaster away.
“Gemma?”
Gemma looked up at Anne's soft tone. Anne's worried eyes were on Christopher.
Handing Gemma the torch as she got to her feet, Anne nodded at the wall. “I'll do that. Christopher needs you.”
Anne lowered her voice. “I don't know how much longer he can hold on.”
Christopher's jaw was firmly gritted. The side of his head rested on the rung in front of him. Even in the soft light Gemma could see that his arm had gone a strange color, rendering it almost useless.
“Hey you,” Gemma said softly.
Christopher looked up, the pain in his eyes cutting into her. “Hey yourself,” he grunted.
Gemma searched for words of reassurance, but quickly realized that wasn't what he needed. Keeping her eyes firmly locked on his, she smiled, and was encouraged when he offered her a shaky smile in return.
“Just so you know,” Christopher growled. “I'm going to kiss those beautiful lips senseless when I'm back on firm ground.”
Gemma didn't quite know what to say to that, and despite the situation – or perhaps because of it – she felt something stir deep inside her. She'd never been so afraid for anyone in her
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