Chosen (43 page)

“Oh?  Well, you’d better hope they do, for your own sake.  If they don’t…” he trailed off menacingly.

“Nobody would be crazy enough to follow you here!”

“Then I’ll have to make do with you,” he said viciously.  There was no reply.

I looked at the others.  “It’s them,” I mouthed.  “Hurry!”

We hurried to the end of the cave, careful not to make a sound.  Hearing Liz gave me hope.  It meant she was here, and she was alive.  That was not the worst possible outcome but, who knew how things would develop from here?

We made it to the end of the tunnel, just before the turn that opened up to the cavern of crystals.  I motioned to the others to stay back, and pressed myself up against the wall.  Slowly, I edged up to the corner and peeked around.

The light was coming from the crystals as before, which I thought was strange since it was dark out.  Then, I noticed the enormous, industrial-sized flashlight aimed right at them.  Though the beam from it was strong, I wouldn’t have imagined it would have enough power to light up the entire crystal bouquet, like the sun had done before.  But that was exactly what had occurred.  It was almost like the crystals amplified the beam, so that the cavern was nearly as bright as when I had come here during the day.  But there was no shine from the crystals this time, no glitter and shimmer like before.  Still, it gave more than enough light to see everything.

Liz sat slumped against one wall, her head down and her hands behind her back.  It took me a second to realize her limbs were bound.  She was facing the crystals, her profile to me.  From my vantage I could tell she was in rough shape.  Her hair was a mess, and her upper lip was swollen, as if she had been hit there.  I moved my head a bit to see better, and suppressed a gasp.  Her face was bruised.  She had a swelling black eye that would disfigure her for weeks. 

Chris was on the other side.  He was pacing up and down beside the crystals, too preoccupied to notice me.  He looked like he had seen better days, too.  There were four parallel gashes on his cheek, stretching from just under his eye to his chin.  I took a little solace in that.  It looked like Liz had fought back, and scratched him with her nails.

Suddenly he jerked his head toward me.  I instinctively pulled away.  My heart jumped to my throat.  Had he seen me?  Had I given myself away?  I waited a few seconds and dared another look around the corner.  Chris had resumed his anxious pacing.  I sighed with relief.  He hadn’t noticed me.

Somebody pulled on my arm.  I looked back, and found Ashley standing beside me.  She motioned for me to step away so she could take a look.  I shook my head.  “Too risky,” I mouthed, and pulled her back.  When we were a good ten feet away from the corner, reunited with Eve and Madison, I relaxed.

“What is it?” Ashley asked.  “What did you see?”

“It’s not good,” I told them.  “Liz is tied up.  She’s alive, but in pretty bad shape.  And Chris was just across from her.”

“What was he doing?” Eve asked.  “Was there anyone else?”

“No, just him.  And he was pacing back and forth.  He looked… nervous.  He has a cut across his face.”  I drew a line along my cheek.  “Like that.  I think Liz managed to scratch him.”

“Atta girl,” Eve said.

“So, now what do we do?” Madison asked.

“I don’t know,” I answered.  “I have to think.”

“Who died and made you ringleader?” Eve asked.  “I say we all take a look.  We need to know what’s going on.”

“Fine,” I replied.  “Just be careful.”

“Of course,” Eve said dismissively.  She walked to the corner.  Ashley, helping Madison along, followed after her.  I went with them.  Eve was the first to look around the corner, and then Ashley, and finally Madison.

“The crystals,” Ashley breathed once she turned back.  “They’re… beautiful.”  She turned toward me, and I heard the longing clear in her voice.  After a few seconds, Eve and Madison turned back as well.  They both had the same look of dumb desire plastered on their faces.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Madison breathed.   

“Focus!” I snapped at them.  “We’re here to save Liz, not admire the crystals!”

“Right.”  Ashley shook her head and blinked a few times to regain focus.  “You’re right.  Well, we’re here.  Now what do we do?”

“We have to let Chris know we came,” Madison answered.  “And we have to make sure Liz is safe.  Then we need to get her away from here quickly.”

“And what if it’s a trap?” Ashley asked.  “What if he’s expecting us to come, and just wants to do the same thing to us as he did to her?”

“There’s
four
of us,” Eve said.  “Even he wouldn’t be dumb enough to try something like that.”

“No, there’s more to it than that,” I said.  “We need to be careful.  Chris knows something about the crystals, otherwise he wouldn’t be here.”

“What could he possibly know?” Ashley wondered aloud.  “Only females can use the crystals, and no one else knows about them.”

“But he brought Liz here for a reason,” I answered.  “And we have to figure out what that reason is.”

“Simple,” Eve said.  “He wanted to exchange her for you.”

“And
then
what?” I snapped.  “What does he want from
me
?”

“Beats me,” Eve said breezily  “He’s
your
friend.”

“
Was
my friend,” I corrected.  “Besides, if it were that easy, he wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of kidnapping Liz.  He’s up to something, and it has to do with all of us.  And the crystals.”

Suddenly a small gasp escaped from Madison’s lips.  She had snuck back to the corner, and was peeking around again.  She turned to us.  “There’s something in his hand!”

“What?”  I came up to her, and poked my head around the side.  I couldn’t see it at first, but then I noticed that something he held reflected the light.  It was long and slender, and had a silvery gleam.  A blade?

I pulled Madison away.  “He’s got a knife,” I told the others.

“Great,” Eve said sarcastically.  “Now what?”

“Well, he wants me.  Maybe you were right.  Maybe I should just go down there.”

“No way.”  Ashley shook her head vigorously.  For some reason, after her failed attack against me, she had become very protective of me.  “If we do that, we give away our biggest bargaining chip.  Here’s what I say we do.  Madison, why don’t you and I go there?  Tracy, you stay back with Eve.  That way, you two can keep watch.  Maybe if he thinks you didn’t come, he’ll let up on this madness.”

“I will
not
just sit back and wait!” Eve exclaimed.

“You’ll have to,” Ashley spoke right over her.  “You’re the only one of us with a crystal.  If anything happens – well, maybe you’ll be able to use it.  You’ll do better keeping watch.  Besides, I’m more…
diplomatic
… than you are.”

Eve sniffed loudly, but didn’t protest.

“Tracy, you’ll need to stay back as well.  I don’t know what Chris has planned for you, but I don’t think any of us wants to find out.  If Madison and I can get Liz out of there without involving you, it’ll be better.”

“All right,” I agreed reluctantly.  I didn’t want them risking themselves for me.  I was the one who had caused this, somehow.  If I shied away now… well, to say I shared Eve’s sentiment about being left behind was an understatement.

“We don’t want to spook him either by all showing up at once.  Madison’s got a limp, so she won’t seem a threat.”  Madison smiled weakly.  “Hopefully, I can get Chris to release Liz just by talking to him.”

“And if that doesn’t work?” Eve pondered.

“We’ll deal with that when we get there,” Ashley said.

“It’s not much of a plan,” Eve said sarcastically.

“I know.  But it’s the best we’ve got.  None of us has ever faced something like this before.  We have to be as cautious as we possibly can.”

“All right.  Fine,” Eve said.  “Let’s just get on with it, shall we?  The anticipation is killing me.”

“Right.”  Ashley stood up, and looked at Madison.  “Come on.”

The two girls walked toward the cavern.  After they turned the corner, Eve quickly dragged me after them.  “Come on!” she said, “We need to be able to see what’s going on.”

I huddled at the corner and peeked out.  Ashley and Madison were walking toward the middle of the cavern, but hadn’t been seen yet.

“Hello, Chris,” Ashley said in a cool, clear voice.  Madison limped beside her.

Instantly, Chris turned to them.  “There you are!”  His voice was vicious.  “Did you bring her?”

“Tracy?  No, I didn’t see the need for it.”  Ashley examined her fingernails casually.  “The way I see it, you took away one of my friends.  I’m here to get her back.”  Off to the side, Liz was staring wide-eyed at Ashley and Madison.  She looked shocked to see them there.  “Well?  Don’t tell me I came here to waste my time, Chris.”

“You’re lying!” he hissed.  “
She is
here, and I know it!  How else would you have known where to go?”

“Are you really so arrogant as to think you are the only one to have explored the unground caves?” Ashley asked.  Her composure was truly astonishing.  She was standing there, staring down somebody who was clearly not well, and she was as calm as if she was discussing the weather.  “Besides, I don’t like when demands are made of me.”

“You stupid bitch!” Chris screamed.  “Do you know what you have done?”  Abruptly, he started laughing.  So far Liz hadn’t said anything.  Then I realized, somewhat belatedly, that Liz’s mouth was gagged.  She
couldn’t
speak.  “You didn’t bring her.  That means
she
gets it!” He pointed the knife toward Liz.

Ashley took a step toward him.

“Stay back!” he warned, waving his knife at her.  He was positioned between the two girls and Liz.  “Don’t take another step!”

Ashley froze.  “Chris,” she said softly, “put the knife down.  Nobody needs to get hurt.”

“Nobody needs to get hurt,” he repeated.  “Nobody needs to get hurt?  That’s what you think!” Again came that maniacal laugh.  Who had he become?  “Well, I’ll tell you what.  If she—” he pointed at Liz, “—does what I say, nobody
will
get hurt.”  Liz started to squirm under the bonds.  “But if she doesn’t listen…” his blade flashed.  Madison let out a scream.  The knife stopped mere inches from Liz’s face.  Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

“We need to do something!” I hissed at Eve.

“Just wait.  Ashley knows what she’s doing.”

“Chris,” Ashley spoke again, though her voice quivered this time, “put the knife down.  We’ll do what you want.”  Madison snuck an anxious peek back at us.

“Will you?  Swear it!”

“I promise!” I could hear the tension in her voice.  “Please, just leave Liz alone.”

“And what about her?”  Chris pointed at Madison.

“I will,” Madison said in a tiny voice.

“Hmm.  You might do as well.  Maybe better than Liz, even.”  He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a ruby the size of his palm.  It was wide and flat.  Its red face was carved into three perfect planes.  With the ruby, he pointed to the crystals in the middle of the cave.  “There.  Do you see them?”

“The crystals?” Ashley said slowly.  “Of course I do.”

“I want you to
use
them!  And don’t play dumb!”  He motioned to Liz’s bruised face.  “That’s what it got your friend.”

Ashley gulped, then nodded.  A savage smile spread across Chris’s face.  He really was deranged.  He had become somebody else entirely.  Why?  And how?

Ashley took a small step in his direction, toward the crystal.  Madison stayed where she was.  He nodded in anticipation. 

Ashley took another step, then stopped.  “You have to let her go first.”

Chris frowned, considering the request.  “Hmm…” he mused.  “No deal.  But I can give you my word that no more harm will come to Elizabeth if you do what I ask.”

Behind him, Liz had taken to squirming wildly, desperately trying to get free.  She started making a warning sound through the gag, and was shaking her head vigorously.

“Shut up!” Chris roared at her.  He turned back with an upraised arm.  She flinched and huddled into a ball.  He didn’t hit her.  Instead, he let his arm fall, and turned away.  Then, just as she relaxed, he whipped around and backhanded her viciously across her cheek.

Madison cried out at the same time as Ashley.  “You bastard!” Ashley screamed.  “What are you doing?”  Liz had fallen to the floor.  Blood was spreading on her face where her lip had broken anew.

“Nuh-uh-uh,” Chris intoned, waggling  the knife in front of his face.  “Remember who’s in charge here.  I can do much worse than that.”  Casually, he fingered the hilt of the blade.

Liz was on the floor, completely distraught and sobbing now.  I couldn’t stay back any longer.  “We have to do something!” I hissed at Eve.