Page 163 of Darling Wildfire
“Copy,” Atlas murmured.
“Go,” I said.
I circled around the house, went up to the back door and inched it open. I signaled to Nyx—two at the table, one in bed, another looking out the window.
I crept inside. I stood behind the man at the window and a floorboard creaked. He went to turn, but I already had a hand around his throat, covering his mouth and then my knife was shoved up into his head, killing him. The second man lunged up from the table with a shout, lurching towards his gun. Nyx had already dispatched his partner at the table and was on the one in bed just as I neatly slammed the last one against the wall and killed him quickly.
We walked outside and Knight fell into step with us. Lachlan and Atlas faced the forest, the other two men dead at their feet.
“Move out.”
I headed back towards the trees and we swept into the shadows as silently as we’d arrived.
“Second guard house, mile out to the east,” West said. “This is a barracks—I count twelve men.”
I signaled to move closer. This building was better constructed and there were two vehicles parked along one side. There wasn’t anyone outside so Nyx, Knight and I quickly made our way to the door while Atlas and Lachlan circled to the other side. I poked my head up to look through the window andsignaled to Nyx and Knight.
Five.
I pulled the door open and we rushed inside. The men jumped up in surprise but Nyx and I had already dispatched one each before they could even draw their guns. I rushed one, shooting him in the head quickly, then stabbed another as he pointed his gun at my face.
We advanced down the hallway.
I heard the occasional shout from the other end of the building but otherwise it was quiet. Knight and I went into the first room where two men were sleeping. I shoved my knife into the first one’s neck while Knight did the same to the other then we moved on.
With ruthless precision we efficiently and quickly cleared the building room by room until we met up with Atlas and Lachlan in the middle. We made our way outside and I motioned for everyone to spread out and clear the rest of the area. I didn’t want anyone raising the alarm early.
“Knight, rig the trips in the road,” I said.
Once done, we headed off through the trees in search of the caves.
We got to the caves that overlooked the lake and while Atlas kept watch, the others followed me into the mouth of the largest opening. I pulled out my flashlight and followed the winding path down into the darkness. We searched and searched but an hour passed and we still hadn’t come upon any gold. When one passageway became too narrow to continue, we doubled back and chose another tunnel.
Another hour passed.
“Are you guys lost?” Atlas asked. The comms connection crackled with static as we ventured deeper under the rock. None of us found it funny. It was claustrophobic and oppressively quiet underground.
After the third hour, my frustration grew and I stopped to gather my bearings. We’d explored the majority of the passages that branched off of this cave with nothing to show for it besides us growing increasingly more dusty as the minutes ticked on.
“There’s another cave entrance a few yards from where we came in,” Lachlan said. “We’ll check that one.”
Another few hours of cave exploration passed.
I was beginning to think the map was wrong until my flashlight swept over a wall and I saw a large fissure extending high above our heads. I almost walked past it, but something made me stop and I examined it further. It wasn’t a fissure, someone had caused a cave in.
“Here,” I said.
I handed the light to Knight while I climbed up the boulders and peered through the gap in the stone.
“We need to get back there,” I said.
Together we moved enough rocks to allow us to squeeze through to the other side. The passage was narrow and claustrophobic but it quickly widened into a shelf overlooking a pool that glistened darkly a few feet below us. A dim glow emanated from crystals on the ceiling, casting a blue sheen on the water revealing what we’d been looking for.
At the bottom of the pool, our beams of light caught on the trove gleaming in the depths.
Gold bars.
“Bingo,” Nyx said excitedly.
