At their backs, the building started to topple and crash into the water. A displaced surge came straight at them. Debris smashed against Bodie’s foot, propelled by the sudden rush. Cassidy allowed her body to straighten and drifted underwater for a moment to set her breathing apparatus properly. Jemma did the same.
Together, they pushed Bodie’s mask over his face.
It was only now he realized he’d been holding his breath all this time.
Cassidy pushed her breathing valve into his mouth, a kiss from a good friend, and he took several lungfuls before giving it back. She sucked hard herself then, readying her body for the next big challenge.
She pointed. Bodie stared. Oh, fuck me. A million what-ifs barraged his brain. Below, the waters of the cave funneled into and through a narrow hole. The possibilities of what lay on the other side were endless.
Just remember what you’ve already passed through. It will be the same.
He gestured frantically to the far wall and the staircase. Cassidy made an explosive motion with her hands and Bodie realized what she meant. If they followed the soldiers they risked walking into bullets or bombs.
So down they went. They paused once more, this time Jemma pulling her breathing valve free and lending a lungful of air to Bodie. Cassidy went first, allowing her body to ride the spiral of water down through the hole wherever it led. Then Jemma and Bodie followed as he saw, to the left, an expanding wall of rubble coming toward them.
The master thief closed his eyes.
Cassidy fell through into another cave, splashing into the water from a height. This one was three-quarters full and had a staircase cut into two sides. There was no telling what ancient wonders were in here. She struck out for the side underneath the higher staircase. Behind her, Bodie and Jemma bobbed along, finally meeting the wall. Cassidy climbed a small part of the wall up to the stairs, seeing a narrow hole right above them. When she arrived at the stairs she peered up, wondering if the hole led into the cave they’d just vacated.
It didn’t.
The shaft veered away from the underwater cave system. It occurred to her, finally, that these were air vents, and in fact the reason they hadn’t been poisoned by the underground air. It made sense. In fact, it was perfect. She waited at the top and explained her thoughts to the others, while unselfconsciously hanging off the wall.
“Bollocks,” Bodie said, now looking close to his old self. “And there I was just starting to enjoy swapping saliva from the breathing tube with the two of you.”
Cassidy considered kicking him off the wall. Jemma screwed her face up in disgust. All three of them then climbed into the vent together and began to wind upward through the rock.
“Let’s hope we don’t meet anyone coming down.” Bodie peered beyond Cassidy’s haunches. “Since there’re no wide spots.”
The air was good, the going tough. The passage was narrow and hard on the hands and knees. Sharp pieces of grit and rubble assailed their flesh and suits. Small creatures scuttled around them and fell from the ceiling. When they stopped for a breather they had to lie flat, end to end, until they felt ready to continue.
“In one way I hope that wasn’t the temple of Poseidon,” Bodie said during one break. “But in another, I really hope it was, because it shows we’re still on the right track.”
“Yeah, those soldiers really cooked it. Do you remember what you saw?”
He recalled taking photos. “I was too busy clicking,” he admitted. “Didn’t register the images.”
They forged on, the tunnel growing steeper until they had to claw their way forward. This continued until they could go on no more and collapsed in pain. Even after recovering and retrying, they found that the way ahead was nearly impossible. Cassidy groaned and slid backward. Bodie galvanized her with an ultimatum.
“Keep moving,” he said, “or I’ll crawl right over you and pull you with me — and, girl, I won’t ever let you forget it.”
A deeper groan and she was inching forward again. A grueling half hour later and the slope leveled off. The trio rested once more, took several gulps of air, and suddenly realized how much fresher it tasted.
A breeze wafted down the tunnel.
“We’re close, be doubly careful,” Bodie warned.
“I didn’t come all this way to end up as soldier bait,” Cassidy growled.
There was a surprise waiting for them at the tunnel’s exit. An outcropping of rock and brush covered the opening, and when Cassidy angled her body into it, moving headfirst into waning sunlight and sliding slowly free, her eyes ended up looking down the side of a mountain to the rolling ocean below. Heart pounding, she grabbed hold before she fell out.
“Pull me back,” she whispered furiously. “Just pull me back now!”
Bodie carefully dragged her to safety and let her readjust. “What’s the problem?”
“Let me check.” She let her eyes adapt to the light, gauged the vault of the crimson sky to determine the time, and saw the early sprinkling of stars above and a vertical space below her. “Shit, we’ve been in there a long time. It’s dusk.”
“Is that it?”
“No, that’s not it. I’m staring down the side of a fucking cliff face. That’s the problem.”
“Ah, what’s the distance?”
Glad to hear Bodie’s thought processes matched her own. She estimated the drop. “Eighty feet?”
“Shit, that’s a tricky jump. Not impossible, but tricky.”
Cassidy shook her head. “Oh, great. So the mighty Pantera never taught you cliff diving?”
Bodie smiled. “Everything but.”
Cassidy studied the area below. The truth was, there were no rocks, no rough surf, just rolling water. “Everything I can see down there looks safe.”
“Cool. After you, then.”
Cassidy smiled to hear the muffled voice from around her waist, where Bodie still held on. The bonds they had forged recently would only intensify. Her outlook on trust and friendship had been enriched, not least in the last few weeks. It even made her feel stronger inside, where it counted.
“Hold on,” she called back. “I’m gonna see if we can climb up.”
Wriggling, she shifted and angled her body until she hung out below the rocky outcrop. Then she grabbed hold of it and lifted herself up. Damn, that was good exercise for the abs. Bodie’s grip was powerful, and she placed her life in his hands. She edged out a little farther and clung, staring toward the top of the cliff. The face wasn’t vertical, but it was close. The sparse vegetation promised no handholds, and even the rock itself looked smooth.
“Pull me in. Climbing is not gonna work.”
Quickly, she related her findings and then told them what they were going to do.
“Keep your chin up. Jump out, feet down, and do not look at the water. Use your arms to stabilize yourself, but put them down before you land. Land strong, feet together, knees slightly bent. And Bodie, cup your sack unless you want it to turn into a really bad day.”
She counted eight seconds of silence and reflection before Jemma’s scared voice filtered out of the tunnel. “You’ve done cliff diving before?”
“No, an old boyfriend of mine used to compete. Guess I listened more than I thought.”
“We’re jumping, then?”
Cassidy told Bodie to let go of her feet and then slowly shuffled into a sitting position. Using the outcrop as both a fulcrum and a safety anchor, she rose, shaking out the aches as she went. Dead ahead, the sun set spectacularly, casting a sheen of fire across the steadily rolling waves.