'You're right,' Tom said. 'I think we ought to just stay here. It might've been nothing, so we shouldn't get upset and go off on a wild-goose chase. If they've had a real emergency and they need help, I'm sure they'll send someone back here to let us know.'
***
If anyone's left alive,
Kyle thought.
What did happen?
he wondered. There were four women in Darcy's group, but the screaming had all been done by just one. Maybe it had nothing to do, after all, with the crazies behind the wall.
Maybe they got through to the other side without being attacked.
Or maybe the others didn't get a chance to scream. Or they might have all gone silent, hoping to hide in the darkness as the crazies came scurrying through the hole. Even now, a mad hunt and struggle could be going on in the Lake of Charon.
When it's over…
The crazies won't go back into their side of the cave. They'll head this way.
Kyle led Paula aside. He felt the heat from the fires fade, the cool air seep through his clothes. Standing in the shadows, he whispered, 'I want to sneak away from this bunch. They're going weird, you know?'
'Just that creepy guy.'
'But look what Calvin did to him. He could've killed the guy. Everyone's real nervous, starting to act crazy. I think we'd be a lot safer if we made ourselves scarce until help gets here. Who knows what they might do next, do you know what I mean?'
Paula nodded. 'You think someone else might start trouble?'
'Yeah, I do, and the longer we're trapped down here, the more likely it'll get. The fires are going down. Before long, they'll be out. It'll be dark again, and cold. Everyone's already nervous, but pretty soon some of them are going to start panicking. When that happens, there might be some real trouble.'
'So you want us get away from them and hide?'
Kyle took both her hands in his, and stared into her eyes. He realized that his fear of those from the other side of Ely's Wall had been pushed aside by feelings of eagerness, almost excitement.
They won't get me,
he thought.
Not a chance. This'll be good, really good.
Hiding with Paula. Away from the others. In the dark.
'I'm just thinking about you,' he said. 'I probably wouldn't bother, just for myself, but… Another thing is, I don't like the way some of these guys have been looking at you.'
'What do you mean?'
'Like they might want to… I don't know, maybe I just worry too much. But when it's dark again and no one can see what anybody else is doing, people might try things. Stuff they wouldn't normally do. I'd try my best to protect you, but… I just think we shouldn't stick around. It'll be better for both of us if they don't know where to find you.'
Frowning, she shook her head. 'You're afraid someone might want to… molest me?'
She's buying it,
Kyle realized.
She believes me.
'Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up,' he continued, 'but yeah, that's crossed my mind. Nothing would surprise me.'
'Who?'
'The one that got knocked out was giving you funny looks.'
'Yug.'
'Both those guys with the goatees, they've been checking you out, too.'
'But they're homos, aren't they?'
'If they're homos, why have they been staring at your breasts?'
'Have they?' She wrinkled her nose.
'Yeah. And the old guy that gave the cigar to Calvin.'
'You're kidding,' Paula whispered.
'But the one I'm really worried about, it's that gal with Calvin.' Kyle wrinkled his own nose and made himself sound disgusted. 'I can almost see her drooling when she looks at you.'
'Oh God. A lizzie?'
'Haven't you seen any of these creeps giving you the eye?'
She shook her head.
'I'm not saying they'll actually try something, but once it's dark…'
'So you think we should hide,' Paula said.
'Yeah.'
'Where'll we go?'
He nodded toward the darkness. 'Over there. On the other side of the River Styx. They'll never find us over there.'
Neither will the crazies,
he thought. That was the main thing. He wanted to get alone with Paula, but more than that, he wanted to be hidden if those from behind the wall should come. He was sure they'd take the walkway if they left the Lake of Charon. The walkway followed this side of the stream, and would lead them straight to those waiting near the elevators. With or without Paula, he intended to be hiding on the other side of the stream when they arrived.
But with her would be so much better.
'Okay?' he asked.
'Okay.'
Taking his time, he led Paula around the outer rim of the group. No one seemed to notice. Most were facing the fires, as if they feared the darkness and hoped to deny its existence by keeping it behind them.
But there were about thirty of them. For a while, Kyle hovered at the rear of the group, trying to make sure that no one was watching. Then he stepped backwards drawing Paula along with him.
After four silent steps, they were well into the darkness. Even if someone should look now, eyes accustomed to the brightness of the firelight probably wouldn't be able to spot them.
Kyle turned around. Paula stayed at his side. Arms around each other, they moved quietly away, deeper into the dark.
'Can we stay in sight of the fires?' Paula whispered.
'Sure.'
He'd already planned on that. He hoped to see what would happen when the crazies showed up. Though he'd warned Paula that the fires would soon burn out, there was enough broken wood inside the elevators to keep the flames going for quite a while yet. With any luck, the fires would last long enough for him to watch the mayhem.
From a safe distance.
Kyle stopped and looked over his shoulder. The clustered people were dark silhouettes against the light of twin fires, forty or fifty feet from where he stood. Taking that distance into account, Kyle figured he must be very close to the railing that bordered this side of the stream.
He led Paula slowly forward, reaching out with one hand until he touched the cold, moist metal of the railing. 'Here we are,' he whispered. 'I'll go first.'
He squatted low and ducked beneath the railing. When he was clear, he turned around and felt for Paula. He found her shoulder. She rose up in front of him.
'This is so weird,' she whispered. He saw the vague shape of her head turn, and he guessed that she needed to comfort herself by looking back at the firelight. 'What if they find out we're gone?'
'Big deal. You think they'll come looking?'
'I just wonder if we should be doing this.'
'Do you want to go back?'
She was silent.
She's not going back.
'I guess not,' she finally said.
Kyle took her hand. 'Well, if you change your mind, fine. Just tell me. I'm not forcing you into anything.'
'I know.'
'I'll go first. Stay in back of me, and hold on.' He turned around. Paula curled her fingers over his shoulders, and he began making his way down the embankment, knees bent, arms out for balance. He could see nothing in front of him. The rock slope felt smooth and somewhat slippery under his shoes. Instead of taking steps, he scooted without lifting his feet.
When he judged that he must be near the stream, he stopped. He slid a foot forward and tapped a few times with his toe. Hearing no splashes, he moved ahead a little farther and tried again. This time, he heard a soft liquid patter when he tapped.
'We have to wade across,' he whispered. 'It's only a few inches deep, but out feet'll get wet. I'm going to take off my shoes and socks.'
'Okay,' Paula said. 'Me, too.'
They sat down beside each other on the slope. Kyle pulled off his running shoes, peeled his socks off his feet and stuffed them inside the shoes. Paula, he remembered, wore a kilt and knee socks. Without the socks, her legs would be bare.
Bare all the way up to the panties she must have on beneath the kilt.
He suddenly pictured Darcy in the grotto, naked except for her panties, clutching her trousers to her breasts. The panties were wet. They were glued to her.
The memories made him hard.
Then came a hollow ache as he realized he would probably never see Darcy alive again, never get a chance to touch her or squeeze her or taste her, never ram her with his cock or make her bleed and squirm and cry out like Amy Lawson.
Others might get to do it. The ones who dwelled beyond the wall. But not Kyle.
They'll cheat me out of it,
he thought.
But I've got Paula.
'Okay,' Paula said.
Holding both his shoes in one hand, Kyle stood. He took her arm, and helped her stand up. She stayed at his side as they eased forward and entered the water.
She made a hissing sound. 'Christ, it's cold.'
'Yeah.' His feet felt numb to the ankles. The stream-bed was gritty as if a thin layer of sand and gravel had been sprinkled over its rock floor. He lifted a foot out of the water, took a small step and set it down carefully. Then he did the same with his other foot.
What if I make her fall?
Kyle asked himself.
So it looks like an accident. Then her clothes will be all wet and I can get her to take them off when we reach the other side. I'll tell her she can wear my pants, and…
If she falls, she might yell. The others will hear her, and come looking.
Forget it.
There'll be plenty of time to work on her. He'd had her blouse open just before the elevators fell, it shouldn't take much to get her bra off, and after that, who knows?
His foot came down, finding rock instead of water. 'Here's the shore,' he whispered. 'I'll go first. Get behind me and hang onto my belt.' He released her arm and her fingers pushed under the back of his belt. Crouching, he felt the rocks ahead and began to move forward up the embankment. His shoulder bumped something, probably one of the stalagmites he'd often noticed along this side of the stream. He stepped around it.
He'd looked across the River Styx countless times, and had even explored over here on several occasions. He knew that the area was cluttered with speleothems that would provide wonderful hiding places, but he couldn't recall the exact details and the dark was disorienting.
He felt his way along like a blind man stumbling through a maze.
And stepped on something soft.
He crouched, stroked the cool cloth surface, and realized what he was touching. 'There's a blanket here,' he said.
'Geez.'
Kneeling, he crawled on the blanket. It was doubled over, giving it a double thickness. It seemed to be about a yard wide and six feet long. When he reached its far end, his sweeping hand crushed a slick, springy mound that he guessed might be a pillow. He explored it with his fingers - and realized it must be a sleeping bag in a stuff sack. He picked it up and heard a muffled clank of glass. Reaching down, he found a bottle. It was heavy. Liquid sloshed inside. He twisted off the cap and sniffed. There was a pungent odour of alcohol. Though he didn't know much about such things, he guessed that it must be a bottle of Scotch or Bourbon.
'Pretty neat,' Paula whispered from behind him.
'There's a sleeping bag.'
'You're kidding.'
'And a bottle of booze.'
'Really?'
He turned around on his knees and eased the bottle in her direction.
'I can smell it,' Paula said.
'Take a sip. It'll warm you up.'
'I don't know.'
'I won't tell.'
'Where'd it come from?'
'Right here.'
'Is this stuff yours?'
'Sure isn't.'
'You took us right to it.'
'Glad I did, too. But it isn't mine. I didn't even know anything was here.'
'If it isn't yours, where'd it come from?'
'God, I don't know. Somebody must've… maybe it's a make-out place.' Turning his head, he saw only black. He reached out. Just past the edge of the blanket was a barrier of rock. Rising, he saw the distant shapes backlit by the elevator fires. 'This is great,' he said. He sat down again. 'Think I'll give it a taste.'
'Maybe you shouldn't. If you don't know whose it is…'
'Must belong to somebody who works here. Maybe Tom. Maybe he comes over here with one of the guides.'
Darcy?
he wondered. Had she spent time here with Tom, hidden among the rocks, drinking and fucking?
He imagined her naked inside the sleeping bag, writhing and gasping, but not with Tom. It was Kyle in the bag with her, squeezing her breasts, thrusting deep into her wet heat.
Maybe they would sneak down here at night. Or even hide here during the day, out of sight as tours went by.
Not Darcy, though.
Probably Lynn. Lynn and Tom.
Lynn was such a slut, he wouldn't put anything past her.
'You think it's sanitary?' Paula asked.
'Sure.' He lifted the bottle to his lips, and tilted it up. The liquid took a moment to reach his mouth, so he figured the bottle was about three-quarters full. He sipped. Some kind of whisky, all right. He swallowed and the heat rushed through him. Shuddering slightly, he said, 'Good. Try some.'