The Dreaming: Dark Star (Book 5)

In the hole - Part 1

       

Liran landed on compacted earth in a room that smelled musty like a root cellar. Definitely not fresh air down here.

He felt his way along, and as his eyes adjusted to the dark, Thir passed by him heading to where he'd just come from—the hatch.

Liran thought Thir might leave, but Thir just pushed the heavy bar out of the hatch, and the trapdoor closed with cacophonous finality, as the tower of precariously balanced metal above crashed down.

On top of the door.

They were locked in.

"What did you just do!?" Liran yelled. "What the hell were you thinking? We're stuck now!" They would die down here.

Thir just laughed, and passed Liran in the narrow corridor, bumping into his shoulder on purpose. "You afraid of the dark, Liran?"

Liran wanted to punch the guy in the head, but they had Imorah. He bit back his temper and followed after.

They wound their way through some corridors in the dark—Thir knew his way around.

The earth around him was slightly moist and hewn by human hands. This wasn't a natural cave, and it wasn't well made like the laboratory. It was some underground hideaway.

Finally, Liran saw a light around the next corner.

They arrived in a dark room, dimly lit by a grease candle. Dit'teh was sitting on a filthy bed, drinking some water.

Thir sat down beside her.

"What are we doing?" Liran asked as he knelt by Imorah who was lying unconscious on the dirt floor. Her face was scrunched like she was working hard on something. She must be dreaming. A thought, a fleeting memory of something he couldn't quite put his finger on passed by, but he didn't catch it.

"We're waiting," Dit'teh said.

"Waiting for what?" Liran asked. "We can't get out of here." And then he realized that probably someone would dig them out. Of course. That made sense. Someone was going to come and get them out of here after the Iddy's left. He sighed with relief.

Dit'teh pointed with her nose at a door Liran hadn't noticed. A big heavy metal door that looked like it weighed a ton.

"Where does that go?"

Dit'teh smiled. "I can't tell you all my secrets."

Liran scowled at her, "Why did you shoot her?" he asked. He didn't want to ask—he hated that Thir was sitting there with a toothpick, digging around for gold in his mouth, with a smug look on his face. He had Imorah's bag. "Why did you betray me?"

"Betray you—you idiot! Does this look like betrayal?" She sat up, angry. "I've saved your life!"

"But..."

"I made a deal—her life for yours. You go free in exchange that we surrender her. In an hour or two, someone will arrive at that door, and we'll deliver her into their hands. Then we'll catch a ride back up."

"A ride back up? What are you talking about?" Liran felt sick to his stomach. "What did you do!?" he yelled. "You can't deliver her. You don't understand."

"What are you saying!? You told me it's all a ruse—she's brought you trouble, no?"

Liran shook his head and looked down at Imorah. "Ayah, she has brought me trouble, but...."

"But nothing—don't be an idiot, Liran. She's one of them—she belongs with them. They're coming to pick her up, and then you're a free man. I made the deal."