Page 27 of Wired Ghost

His eyes scanned the room, but he could not see an exit.

“I think this is the proverbial end of the line, Jake. A reference to when train tracks were first laid, crossing the United States,” Sophie said.

“Extra bonus for knowing not only what the saying meant, but the derivation,” Jake said.

She turned to him with a smile. “That’s a big word.”

“I am not unfamiliar with big words.” He pinched her butt. “For instance, right now you’re obfuscating the semi-disaster that this chamber is as far as we can go.”

“It might not be a disaster if we can get to that opening in the ceiling. It looks wide enough to slip through.”

“Big enough for you, maybe.” Jake narrowed his eyes, gauging the distance. “I can tell my shoulders and chest are too wide. And how are we going to get up there?”

“There must be a way. You look for that, while I check the perimeter and make sure there are no more exits.” She moved off with the torch.

Jake frowned, staring up.

The opening above looked to be about four feet deep, a crack in the bubble that had formed the ceiling of the cavern, covered by a layer of dirt. Ferns and grasses grew around its edges. The crack was probably hardly visible from the ground.

He turned to examine the sides of the cave. The walls were uneven, laddered with stone ledges. Climbing up the sides wouldn’t be hard, but even if they reached the ceiling, they’d still be a long way from the actual opening with no way to cross the roof decorated with sharp knuckles of black stone.

It would be a challenging climb, even with proper equipment, and they had nothing.

He fought down a surge of fear.

They were fine. They had a water source a way back, fresh air here. They’d be good here for days, if a little hungry and uncomfortable, until Bix was able to find them—as long as the lava didn’t find them first.

Chapter Nineteen

Connor

The private jetfrom Chiang Mai landed at Hilo Airport at last. Connor had slept, worked out, eaten well and meditated for the duration of the flight, gathering and conserving his energy for the challenges ahead. As he’d directed, Bix had arranged for a helicopter to meet them along with an operative from Security Solutions, currently on the island to help with Sophie’s case.

Connor descended from the jet, still wearing the whitegithat was his uniform at the compound. The Security Solutions operative, an elegant blade of a man dressed in tactical gear, raised a brow at his attire, but stepped forward with his hand extended. “Pierre Raveaux. You must be Connor. Bix told me you could help us find Sophie and Jake.”

“Good to meet you as well, Inspector Pierre Raveaux.” Connor had looked up the man’s résumé, and now he tested the strength in Raveaux’s cool, dry handshake. “I’ve read your contractor file. This is my right-hand man. His name is Nine; he speaks only Thai.”

Raveaux’s dark brown eyes were assessing, but he imitated Nine’s reserved bow in his direction. “A pleasure.”

“Did you gather the first aid supplies and personnel I requested through Bix?” Connor was already walking toward the sleek multipurpose chopper warming up on the tarmac within sight of their jet. “I assume a flight plan has been filed and all of that.”

Raveaux strode to catch up with him. “There have been some problems. All air traffic over the eruption areas has been restricted by the National Guard and the United States Geological Survey. Heat, emissions, and unpredictable explosive events have made any form of viewing of the active lava unsafe at this time.”

“We don’t care about viewing the freakin’ lava.” Connor snapped. “Tell me all systems are go.”

“Bix took care of hiring the pilot. So far, Mr. Agno has told me he refuses to fly outside of designated areas. But he can get us fairly close to thekipukawhere Sophie and Jake were abandoned. We may need to go further on foot.”

Connor gave a brief nod. That wouldn’t be good enough, but he’d deal with that when they came to it.

They reached the Bell Jet Ranger. The pilot was already inside, doing a preflight check. Connor opened the front passenger door and stepped into the craft to sit beside him, while Raveaux took a place with Nine behind them. Connor glanced into the back—the two rear seats had been removed to make a cargo area in the tail. Six canisters of oxygen with plastic masks were netted onto the walls, along with a couple of stretchers and a large first aid kit.He hoped like hell they didn’t have to use any of that.

Connor greeted the pilot, extending a hand. “Thank you for helping us find and retrieve two of our most valuable personnel. I’m Connor.”

“My name’s Felipe Agno.” The man’s eyes gleamed with intelligence and excitement. “I’ll certainly try, within the restrictions we’re under. This eruption is no joke.”

Connor studied the pilot for a moment, reading the man’s electrical field as he checked the instruments.A strong blue, threaded with gray and yellow. Agno was stubborn and independent. Connor would have to find leverage to get him to go where they’d need to.

Connor donned his helmet and five-point harness, adjusting his seat, as the blades began to whirl. After they completed a brief orientation to the comm units and confirmed their destination, thekipukawhere Jake and Sophie had last checked in, the chopper rose smoothly into the air.

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