Solitaire. Lindsay McKenna

her right arm sent such a spasm of pain up Cat’s side that she lost consciousness.

      Cat was used to darkness; when she constructed a mine shaft, she was constantly in the darkened earth with only a safety lamp and lighted hard hat to illuminate her way. But rarely had she gone without any light at all, and now the dark was as suffocating as the dust that hung around her. A shiver rippled through her, the darkness like fingers of fear closing around her throat. Cat tasted her panic and concentrated on removing the rocks from her thigh, gradually releasing herself from the entrapment.

      Minutes dragged by. And each minute seems like a lifetime, Cat realized. She clung to the hope that Slade would call again. Just to hear another human voice eased the terror that was intensified by the dark. Her breath came in painful, ragged gasps; each one feeling as if a knife was being plunged through her lungs. Sweat mingled with dust as it trickled down her face, stinging her eyes. Resting until the dizziness passed, Cat knew she would have to use her right hand to start removing the debris from her right leg. An involuntary cry tore from her contorted lips as she pushed the first rock off her thigh. Blackness closed in on her and she rested her brow against her left arm, sobbing.

      * * *

      “Over here!” Slade motioned the first of two arriving volunteer fire department pumpers toward the opening of the mine. Graham reluctantly got out of his car and met the chief, who was dressed in a white helmet and turnout gear. Finally, Slade thought, moving toward the fire chief. In moments he had established his identity and was given an air pack and mask. He took a safety lamp and settled the hard hat on his head, then entered the mine. His heart rate picked up. How far down the crosscut had the cave-in taken place? He mentally began to calculate the possible scenarios he might find. If there was a huge wall of debris, it might take days before they could reach Cat. He prayed it was the opposite–that the bulk of the cave-in had occurred behind her and only a thin wall stood between her and freedom.

      Chapter Two

      Slade found the wall of rock near the second timber support in the crosscut and carefully examined the timbers around him. They were sturdy and did not appear stressed. That meant mining equipment such as drills and augers could be moved into the mine to begin removing the debris without fear of another avalanche. The dust was still thick as Slade breathed in the sweet flow of oxygen through his face mask. Sweat trickled down his temples, following the line of his jaw. Some of his fear for Cat slipped away; most of the rock and dirt that had fallen was in small chunks, and easily handled by picks, shovels and wheelbarrows. Rescue would come more quickly.

      Slade crouched by one wall of the crosscut, watching as a constant stream of water disappeared into the wall. He knew that if it was getting through, life-bearing oxygen could also be carried into the chamber where Cat was trapped. Pulling out the radio, Slade attempted contact with her. He waited patiently, repeating his call three times before she answered. Cat’s voice was tight and hoarse, and Slade knew she was in a hell of a lot of pain.

      “How’s my girl doing?”

      A choked sound came over the radio. “Hanging–in there.”

      “Mining engineers always did have more guts than brains,” he told her wryly. “I’m outside the wall where you’re trapped, Cat. Give me a status report.”

      “Oxygen level seems the same. There’s–running water to my left.”

      “Outstanding. How about you?”

      “Would it do any good to tell you?”

      “Don’t play that game with me. I know I can’t get to you yet, but I want to know the extent of your injuries and if you’re feeling worse.”

      “I’ll bet you use that line on every woman you meet, Donovan.”

      He grinned, but it didn’t reach his narrowed eyes as he continued to appraise the wall of debris before him. “With you, I wouldn’t use a line. Come on, level with me. How are you doing?”

      “I’ve got the rocks off my legs and I managed to turn over. The right side of the tunnel wall looks weak and the stull above my head keeps creaking and groaning.”

      Slade scowled. That meant that even Cat’s chamber could cave in, burying her under tons of rubble. Urgency thrummed through him. “How’s that concussion you’re sporting?”

      “Not–good. I keep passing out. Very sleepy when I shouldn’t be. I was sleeping until you called. The scratchy sounds from the radio woke me up.”

      Damn it! She had suffered a worse head injury than he had first thought. “Okay,” Slade soothed, keeping his voice steady. “How’s your ribs?”

      “If I don’t breathe, I feel great.”

      She had spunk, he’d give her that. “And when you do?”

      “Feels like someone’s shoved a knife up under my right rib cage.”

      “Think you’ve got compound fractures?” If she did, the broken bone could conceivably puncture the lung if she moved around too much.

      “I can feel blood there. I don’t know. It hurts too much to touch the area and find out.”

      “Stay still if you can.” It was either busted ribs or a punctured lung. Or both.

      “Right.”

      “Do you have a water source?” If she had oxygen and water, Cat could last a long time. But if she had undetected internal injuries, time could prove to be their enemy. Cat needed immediate medical attention.

      “Y-yes, a small stream along the left wall. All the amenities, Donovan.”

      “Except you don’t have me. And I intend to remedy that situation shortly. Tell me, how many posts are in your chamber?” There was a post for every ten feet of spacing.

      “One, Donovan. And it’s not looking very healthy.”

      “You know enough to place yourself under it, with your back up against it, don’t you?”

      “Y-yes. Once I feel up to crawling over there, I’ll do it.”

      “Can’t you walk over to it?”

      “Too dizzy. I’d fall and skin my knees.”

      He almost smiled. “Wouldn’t want you to skin up those pretty knees.”

      “You’re full of Texas baloney, Donovan.”

      He laughed. “I told you before, Cat, with you, I’m honest.”

      “Sure, an honest geologist. That’ll be the day.”

      “Guess I’ll have to prove it to you, won’t I?”

      “Right now I need a knight on a white charger. Come and get me, Donovan.”

      “Would you settle for thirty firemen, fifty miners and some drilling equipment instead?”

      “Sounds wonderful.”

      He heard the sudden wobble in Cat’s voice, as if she were close to tears. Slade tightened his grip around the radio. “Look, it appears that about ten feet of earth and rock are separating us, Cat. Unless we run into some limestone sheets weighing a ton or more, we ought to be able to reach you within twenty-four hours.”

      “Slade?”

      Slade blinked the sweat from his eyes, hearing the fear in Cat’s voice for the first time. “What is it, sweetheart?”

      “C-could you contact my parents? Tell them what’s happened? Especially my brother Rafe? They live in Colorado. The Triple K Ranch. If I give you the phone number, could you call them? Please?”

      “Sure, anything you want.”

      Relief cracked her voice. “T-thanks. Here’s the number.”

      Slade committed it to memory. “I’m signing off, Cat. The miners will be here any minute.