Steve walked over to the desk and tightly grabbed the desk top and gave it a hard jerk upward. It came free with a loud screeching noise as the screws pulled loose and Steve looked blankly back at Frankie.
“Don’t be a dummy. Go place it over that big hole. That’s our way out of here.”
Steve carried the desktop carefully over to the chasm and set the bottom end on the ground near his feet. The water was a mere one half inch deep by this point and it didn’t interfere with the desk top. Steve let the top end go and it fell with a small thump when it hit the rock bottom of the tunnel on the other side of the hole. It cleared the opening by less than two inches on either side and a wide smile came to Frankie Medford’s face.
“I knew it would work.” He boasted to Steve. “I’m a genius.”
He looked directly into Steve’s eyes and said. “Well, I may be a genius but, I’m not stupid. You’re going across first to see if it’ll hold your weight. If it breaks and you fall into that nasty pit, no big loss. I’ll just find another way out and I won’t have to worry about you pulling a fast one when my back is turned. Go ahead. Get your butt across there but, remember don’t try anything funny. This gun will reach across that hole quite well. The minute you get across, if you do, don’t try to run because I’ll blow your ass to bits. Understand?”
Steve nodded his head in agreement and tentatively stepped on the desktop. He put his full weight on his right foot and it seemed to hold all right. He placed his left foot down and then proceeded to slowly cross the makeshift bridge. The desktop bowed a lot in the middle but it held his weight and he finally made it to the other side. When he was again on solid ground, he breathed a large sigh of relief and turned backed toward Frankie and waited for him to cross.
Frankie had gotten his left foot started on the bridge when Steve saw movement behind Frankie in the open doorway of the computer room. A national guardsman uniform was standing in the doorway and peering intently into the light caused by the flashlight Frankie was holding. Steve felt a feeling of total euphonium when he saw the man start to enter the room. The Calvary had finally arrived, he thought to himself and he saw Frankie staring at him with a look of puzzlement on his face. Frankie turned around and took his aim off Steve and pointed in the direction of the doorway.
“Howdy folks.” Came a too familiar voice out of the darkness. “I was wondering where you guys had gotten to.”
Steve’s wonderful feeling vanished quickly when he recognized Stretch’s voice coming from the national guardsman’s uniform.
“Where in the hell did you get that Stretch? I thought for a moment you were the enemy.”
“It’s a long story Frankie but, I can condense it into a smaller version for you. Someone gave the guardsmen a description of us. I think it was that girlfriend of my brother and also the desk clerk even though she hadn’t seen me. Anyway the guardsmen found me hiding in that fallen down section, right near the bar and they started questioning me pretty extensively. One of them went back to ask the sergeant what to do and when the other one was alone, I caught him off guard and planted a kitchen knife I had tucked into the back of my waistband deeply into his ribs. He fell without a sound and I was almost finished changing into his uniform when the other one came back. He thought at first that the guy on the ground was me and I caught him totally off guard and gave him the same treatment as his buddy. Unfortunately for them, these two were helping the people get out of the fallen-in area and they had left their rifles at the base of the ramp. I would like to have a rifle or two but what the heck. I can probably sneak right past them with this uniform on and I don’t really need one.”
“Well buddy.” Exclaimed Frankie. “Let’s get out of here over this bridge that your stupid brother is standing on the other side of.”
“Not so fast, Frankie. I have something I have to discuss with you first. I want my share of the loot you and Carrie got out of that vault. I don’t know where he is at and at this point I don’t really care. Once we get on the surface you could split with mine and Carrie’s share and I’d would probably never see you again. I want the money up front.”
He walked up to Frankie and held his hand out. Frankie stepped back off the desktop and held out both hands, one containing the flashlight and one containing the gun.
“Come on Stretch. You know I wouldn’t screw you over. We have been friends too long. Besides, I gave the money to Carrie to hold because I had my hands full with holding people hostage.”
“You know Frankie. You’re a fucking liar. You would never have trusted Carrie to hold the money.” He quickly reached out with the butcher knife and slit Frankie’s throat from ear to ear. He watched as Frankie slowly crumbled to the ground and he reached into the fallen man’s shirt and pulled out a folded canvas bag. He picked up the flashlight that had rolled across the floor when Frankie had dropped it and the gun and peered into the bag. “Just as I thought.” He said to Steve over the chasm. “It’s full of money and jewels from the safe. I knew he was lying to me. Stay right where you are. I’m crossing over.”
He picked up the revolver from the pile of mud it landed in, barrel first and pointed it at his brother.
“We need to make tracks. I don’t like the idea of all these guardsmen running around when I am still wearing their uniform.”
They started walking down the tunnel toward the light with the gun again placed against Steve’s neck.
Kathy Santos paced back and forth in front of the hole leading down into the lobby. She was worried about Steve. Why hadn’t he come back yet, she wondered? He has been gone way too long. Kevin Backlin and Bill Forham returned from the newly found exit on the other side of the resort and were rejoicing with their families. She decided to walk over and ask them if they had seen Steve before they climbed out of the sunken lobby. She approached the two men with a worried look on her face and the two friends looked at her and asked what was wrong.
“Have either of you seen Steve? He stayed down in the hole to look for his brother and I haven’t seen him come back. He wasn’t wandering around where you were was he?”
“No Kathy.” Bill volunteered. “We saw quite a few people but, we haven’t seen him since we separated the first time. We thought he was back on the surface with you.”
“Well, I’m really worried. He should have been back by now. I think I’ll walk over to where you two climbed out and see if he might come out over there.”
“We’ll go with you if you want Kathy and try to help you locate him.” Kevin said.
“No, it’s all right. You two stay with your families. They’re happy to have you back.”
“I’ll go with you.” Paula Howard suggested. She was standing a few feet away with Tyrone Washington while, a paramedic was bandaging his arm. She heard the conversation and she wanted Kathy to find Steve. She had seen the look between them and knew she had witnessed one of those miracle “love at first sight” scenarios. “You’ll be all right won’t you?” She directed the question at Tyrone.
“I’ll be fine honey.” He replied. “You two go find Steve. I’m sure he will be happy to see you.”
The two women walked around the collapsed lobby and headed for the other hole across the green courtyard. They both looked back and saw the scattered hundreds of people walking around enjoying their freedom from their near death experience.
Stretch Sidel kept nudging his brother in the back while they walked along the rock floor of the tunnel.