Catalyst (5 page)

"Thank you, Sergeant," Jack turned, leaned on a
walking stick, swung his malfunctioning limb in front of him and
limped out.

"Poor guy looks heartbroken," Stephanie commented
when Jack was out of earshot.

****

Renee's eyes were showing a vision of red. She knew
she'd been asleep but this wasn't a dream. She forced her eyes open
and gasped. A dazzling light filled the cave.

Courtney screamed in excitement.

Lem heaved a sigh of gratitude and gently shook her
shoulder.

"They've found us, Renee. That was a flare."

Seconds later, darkness returned. No, it wasn't
completely dark. The glowworms had switched off but way in the
distance was a twisting spiral of white. When the second flare
burnt out, their world became black, pitch black.

"We're here!" shrieked Courtney. Her voice reached a
high crescendo that echoed through the cavern.

"Nobody will hear you," Lem warned. "That flare came
from well above us."

But he was wrong. As soon as her screams echoed it
was replaced by a sound.

"Hello. Hello." An eerie voice bounced in from the
distance like a loudspeaker at a fairground. "Are you okay?"

"Okay... Okay... Okay..." came the echoes from three
different directions.

"My God, yes!" Courtney hollered again.

"Yes... Yes... Yes..." her voice repeated.

A garbled voice replied.

"We can't understand," Lem shouted. "What did you
say?"

The speaker sounded again, while the three strained
to make sense of the words.

"I think I know," Renee whispered in the silence that
followed the last echo. "They want us to go to where we see the
flare."

Immediately, in the direction of the first flares, an
orange one lit up the cave. Lem took a small compass out of a
pocket and held it flat in his hand.

"You're two hundred yards northeast of us," he
yelled.

It took several repeats before the second flare died
and the voice continued.

Renee frowned. "I think they want us to make our way
to it, since the cave at our end has collapsed."

A small light, like a dangling twenty-watt bulb,
flickered in the distance. It descended until it hung like a
distant light on a foggy street.

"Well," said Lem. "Shall we go?"

Renee found herself Lem's arms supporting her

"You okay?" His voice vibrated in her ear.

"Yes but what about you?"

"We'll make it. Just lean on me and tell me if your
ankle hurts."

Renee clung on and limped forward. She couldn't put
any weight on her right leg but managed a sort of hobble. Len
glanced down at her and without a word let her go and turned with
his back to her.

"Climb on my back and hold on," he said.

Renee almost protested but realized that to do so
would only hinder rather than help her companions. She reached up
and found herself carried forward at a walking pace. She glanced
across to find Courtney strutting beside her with three backpacks
hitched over her shoulders at a weird angle. The girl's eyes were
wide with excitement.

The youngster placed a spare arm around Lem's waist
below where he held Renee and said in a hushed voice, "Do you
mind?"

"I thought you didn't like touching others?"

"Yeah, well I changed my damn mind. Girls are allowed
to do that, you know."

"Sure," Lem said and laughed.

Renee smiled as the trio plodded forward towards the
distant beacon of hope.

****

It took more than twenty minutes and if it wasn't for
the glowing bulb, the trio would have become hopelessly lost. The
cavern was gigantic with no walls in sight. They reached the light
to find it twenty or more feet above.

"I swear you put on fifty pounds since we started
walking here," Lem said and placed Renee down against a slab of
rock.

She smiled and hobbled up on one leg, while Lem
straightened himself and Courtney slung the backpacks down.

"We're beneath the light," she yelled and received an
instant reply.

The light was lowered with a microphone so their
shouts became ordinary speech. Information was exchanged with a
state trooper who introduced himself as Gary McKnight.

"We're sorry to hear the news about Sam but we're
glad the rest of you survived," the sergeant said after Lem's
report on their situation, " I have a doctor here who has
suggestions about Renee's ankle. We have a number of emergency
canisters for you." He chuckled. "The folks here call them metal
frankfurters."

And indeed they were. A line of shiny stainless steel
cylinders appeared from above, all dangling one beneath each other.
Courtney ran and grabbed the lowest one to coil in. They had
color-coded screw tops with the first one containing a pamphlet on
what was enclosed. The blue-topped cylinders contained water, the
green, food, red, medical supplies and so on. Others contained
clothing, sleeping bags and even a tent. Courtney pulled a rolled
up newspaper from the last cylinder and held it out for the others
to see.

Survivors found in Misty Depths Catacombs
, the
front-page headlines screamed around a colored photo of the rescue
team in operation.

"In a race against death..." Courtney read. "They did
exaggerate a little, didn't they?" She handed the paper to Lem.

"We even have a CBS news team up here," Gary's voice
cut in, "I'll switch you over to Leanne, our doctor."

A woman's voice came through the speaker with
questions about Renee's leg.

"We'll send down a mobile support, Renee," she said.
"It comes in two sections that are clamped around your ankle and
inflated to make it more comfortable"

"Thank you," Renee replied. "My ankle is numb at the
moment unless I bump it."

"Right. The brace will help."

It was painful but Lem did an excellent job. In spite
of her fear, Courtney was a great help and held the clamps in place
around the swollen ankle while Lem attached the cylinder of
compressed gas and opened the valve. Renee gritted her teeth as
pain, sent spasms of agony through her leg. When finished, Lem
strapped four clips together to complete the process.

"There we are, Renee," he said and held her moist
hand. "How about a quick hundred yard dash?"

"After lunch," she gasped and squeezed his fingers.
She managed a smile as Courtney wiped her damp forehead with a
dampened tissue.

****

The tent was roomy and soon Renee was zipped in a
lightweight sleeping bag and dozed off. Courtney took a bundle of
clothes sent down and realized they were almost perfect in size.
Someone in the rescue team had been thorough. She disappeared
inside the tent to change and came out a few moments later looking
fresh. Lem took the opportunity to have a shave and also changed
into clean clothes.

"We were getting a bit stinky, weren't we?" she said.
"All I need now is a hot, steamy shower."

Lem grinned. "Or better still a ride out."

"Yeah," Courtney replied but her voice turned somber.
"And you can both go home."

"Possibly but nothing stays the same, does it?"

"No, I guess not." She glanced at Lem. "If you don't
mind I think I'll slip into a sleeping bag."

"Sure. See you in the morning."

"There's space in the tent for you, Lem. I'm sure
Renee won't mind if you come in." Courtney glanced at the darkness
beyond the overhead light. "You know, with those drips it's raining
out here. Far more than where we were."

"I noticed," Lem replied. "It's colder, too."

"So will you come in?"

"Why not? Give me a yell when you're ready."

He wandered over to the dangling microphone. "Hello,"
he said. "What happens now?"

A cheery voice from a woman called Stephanie replied.
"Crews are using satellite maps to find a way in, Lem. They'll be
starting in the morning but it may take a while. Is there anything
else you need?"

"Courtney wants a shower," Lem said with a chuckle.
"Renee is asleep and I'm about to turn in. Thanks for the tent and
gear."

"No problem. There'll be someone manning this site
all night so don't hesitate to call if there's an emergency." The
voice hesitated. "Wait a tick, Lem. A message is coming in."

Lem heard the tap of computer keys before Stephanie's
bright voice came back. "There's a message from a Nikki Erksberg.
Your wife is it, Lem?"

Lem couldn't keep the coldness from his tone. "She
was. What did she say?"

"She rang earlier, said she was glad to hear you're
safe and will try to get here tomorrow. She added that Patrick has
returned to New York. Does that mean anything to you?"

"Yes. Thanks. Hear from you in the morning. 'Bye,"
Lem replied. "So the loving wife returns to rescue her husband from
the bowels of the earth," he muttered to himself. "That's so
typical."

"Problems, Lem?" a gentle voice sounded.

Lem jumped in fright and swung around to see Renee
standing behind him with a curious expression on her face.

"My wife sent her regards."

"But you aren't pleased?"

"Not really. Nikki and I are separated."

"And?"

"Oh nothing. I just didn't expect to hear from her,
that's all."

"I'm sorry," Renee replied. "I didn't mean to
encroach on your private life."

"You aren't," Lem replied and broke into a grin. "I'm
sounding as mysterious as Courtney, aren't I?"

"Yes," Renee said in a blunt voice. "You've told us
nothing about yourself, you know."

"Suppose not."

"We want to hear all about you, every grimy little
detail," Courtney interrupted. She smirked at Lem from the opened
tent flap. "After all, we've both babbled on about ourselves, so
why shouldn't you?"

"Sounds fair," Lem replied. "But only if you pour the
coffee."

"It's a deal." The teenager laughed.

A few moments later the trio were snug in the tent
sipping coffee and munching a bag of doughnuts.

"I run a small company called
Epsilon
Products
," Lem began. "Epsilon is the fifth letter in the Greek
alphabet and looks like a capital E."

He took a couple small business cards out of a pocket
and handed one to each. Renee studied the stylized red E in the
corner and smiled at Lem. "I like your trademark."

"Yes, I worked out the company name and designed it.
We're sort of a fifth level firm that makes components that fit
into other equipment. At the moment our biggest selling item is a
catch used in luggage doors on the Boeing 777 and 737 passenger
aircraft. We specialize in small parts and underbid the larger
firms," Lem explained. "So far our philosophy has worked."

****

CHAPTER
5

"For God's sake, can't you stop doing that," growled
Nikki Erksberg across the breakfast nook.

Lem sighed, stopped banging the teaspoon on the
coffee mug edge and returned to his breakfast. This was typical.
Everything was wrong lately. Nikki was an attractive woman but her
eyes were cold, always cold. In the previous six months it was as
if a candle had slowly been snuffed out. He wiped the corners of
his mouth with a tissue and stared at his wife.

"That's it," he stated in a calm, firm voice, similar
to one he might use at the factory.

"What?"

His eyes found hers and he shook his head. "You may
wish to continue this façade but I can't," he continued. "It's
obvious we are not getting along and when it gets down to you
screaming at me because of the way I stir my coffee, I wonder what
is wrong with you."

"Oh, don't be stupid, Lem," Nikki replied but her
tone was calmer.

"Stupid is it? Tell me. When do we enjoy each other's
company? When have we gathered each other in our arms and embraced
for no reason than to express our love?"

Lem knew that this strong-willed person was not used
to him starting an argument. Usually, he would stand and walk
out.

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Lem," Nikki retorted. "We
aren't teenagers with our hormones going out of control."

"No, we aren't," Lem answered. "And neither are we
lovers." He coughed. "Or even friends. We don't talk anymore,
Nikki, about anything. We have our meals. The house is clean, neat
and empty."

"That's not true." Nikki stared with cold eyes now
determined.

Lem looked at his wife. "We'll talk tonight. I have
to get to work but I will be back by six. We can go to a
restaurant. How about that?"

"No, Lem," Nikki replied. "I won't be here when you
get back."

Lem stopped mid-stride on his way to the door and
turned. "What do you mean?"

"Just what I said. You're right about everything. My
firm offered me promotion if I move to our New York headquarters. I
decided to go but I'm leaving now. I'll get an apartment downtown
for the next few weeks and shift to New York at the end of next
month."

"Just like that."

"No, Lem, not just like that," Nikki retorted. "All
you do is spend time at that stupid factory of yours. Sure, you
built it from nothing but at what cost? Don't you dare say it's my
fault."

"No, I guess it isn't." Lem wanted to say more but
knew their marriage was over. "If you need help, just ask."

"Thanks. We did have good times, Lem."

Their eyes met for a second and Lem noticed the
coldness was gone from his wife's eyes, those eyes that once
sparkled when he was near, almost seemed warm again.

"Take care," he said and walked out.

****

"And did she move out that day?" Renee asked.

"Yeah," Lem replied. "That was the last time I saw
her. Oh, she rang up a couple times. I found out later there was
more to this transfer than a promotion. She moved in with one of
the bigwigs in the firm, this Patrick fellow. The guy is decades
older than me but was rolling in money, something Nikki liked." He
shrugged. "From what I heard, it appears they have since split
up."