Page 22 of Silent Grave

"Your family?" Gabriel asked, positioning himself to cover the mine entrance. "And where are they?"

The man jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "Back inside."

Sheila stared at the mine entrance. No movement from there.

"We heard about the deaths," the man continued. "But these mines, they're part of our heritage. Been exploring them since I was a boy."

"Is that so?" Gabriel asked. "What's your name?"

"John Tanner. My dad, Ezra, worked these tunnels back in the sixties."

"You know him?" Sheila asked her father in a low voice.

"Ezra, yeah. Or I did."

"You think his son would be capable of this sort of thing?"

Gabriel chuckled humorlessly. "I wouldn't have pegged him for the type, no. But who isn't capable of violence? Sometimes you think you know somebody…" He trailed off, then clenched his jaw as if wishing he could bite back the words. More than likely, he'd realized the irony of what he was saying, given the way he'd lied to Sheila recently.

"Where's this family you mentioned?" Sheila asked John, her weapon still trained on him.

"Right behind me. Sarah!" he called toward the mine entrance. "Bring the boys out. Slowly now."

No answer. Nothing happened.

"I swear they were right behind me," John said, looking puzzled.

Sheila wasn't sure what to think. Was John lying, making up the part about his family so that he'd look less suspicious? Or was he telling the truth—in which case, his family might very well be in danger back in the mine?

"You spend a lot of time in these mines, John?" Sheila asked.

John shrugged, though he was clearly still tense. "Now and then. Not all the time."

"You religious like your father?" Gabriel asked.

John hesitated, looking surprised. "Religious? Why do you ask?"

"Just answer the question," Sheila said.

John took a few moments to think about it. "Not really. I go to church on the holidays, that sort of thing, but that's it."

Sheila studied him carefully, trying to decide whether she could believe him. Then, before she could come to a conclusion, a woman emerged from the darkness of the mine. She was holding the hands of two young boys, maybe eight and ten. They squinted in the sunlight, looking scared but not panicked.

"What's going on?" the woman asked, looking around in bewilderment.

"Are you this man's wife?" Sheila asked.

The woman nodded. "Yes. Sarah Tanner." She paused. Then she volunteered, "We just wanted to show the boys where their grandpa worked. Is something wrong?"

"Mind if we check your pack?" Gabriel asked.

John hesitated. "Why? Are you looking for something specific?"

"This'll go a lot easier if you let us ask the questions, son," Gabriel said.

"Just let them," Sarah said to her husband in a low voice. "What's the problem?"

John looked like he might continue to refuse. Sheila calculated how long it would take him to unsling the rifle and bring it around. Too long—she and her father would clear their holsters long before John had a chance to fire.

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