merchandise.
Chris realized her shirt was open. She started to button it.
'Aw, now.'
'Don't bug me, okay?'
'I happen to have a fully equipped bar over in my trailer. You look like a martini might do you a world of good.'
'No, thank you.'
'Some fire, isn't it? I hear a couple of folks got cooked. They say there's more than a hundred trapped in the cave.'
'Including my daughter. Get outa here.'
'Well, excuuuuuuse me.' He turned away. As he walked off, Chris heard him mutter something that sounded like, 'Tightass cunt.'
She flinched at the roar as another section of roof collapsed. The fire was spreading more rapidly to the right - to the east… in the direction of the cave elevators.
A man with a home video camera crossed the driveway at the front of the parking lot. He stepped over the curb and made his way closer to the burning complex.
A young woman in a guide uniform rushed up behind him.
Thick, reddish-brown hair. She had to be Lynn, Darcy's roommate.
She grabbed the man by the arm, spoke to him, turned him around and walked him back into the lot.
Chris leaped down from the bumper. She hurried forward, weaving between parked cars and spectators, scanning the area ahead, trying to spot Lynn.
And found her near the front.
'Lynn!'
The girl turned to her. For a moment, she looked confused. Then she raised her thick eyebrows. 'Oh, Darcy's mom, right? Hey, you know, I'm sure Darcy's just fine. I mean, there's no way in the world the fire's going to get down in the cavern. She's totally safe, you know?'
'I have to talk to you.'
'Sure. Shoot. You got any idea where Mordock is? He ought to be helping with the crowds, you know?'
'He's dead.'
Lynn's eyes went wide. She didn't appear bothered by the news, just surprised. 'No fooling? Dead? Ethan? The owner?'
'That's right. He's been dead from the start. You've got to help me, Lynn.'
'Sure. Just name it.'
'Darcy's trapped.'
'Yeah, I know. The pits, but like I say… I mean, I wouldn't wanta be stuck down there myself, but it's safe, you know?'
'How is she going to get out?'
Lynn shrugged. 'I guess the elevators.'
'The place is burning to the ground,' Chris pointed out, trying to keep her patience. This girl seemed incredibly dense. How could she be a guide, like Darcy? in a little while, there won't be any elevators.'
'Well, yeah, I guess not. But the shafts, they'll be there. They aren't going anyplace. So the fire department can maybe lower ropes or a basket or something.' As if reciting, Lynn added, 'The shafts are a hundred and fifty-three feet deep.'
'That's pretty goddamn deep.'
'I'm sure the fire department will have a way to get to them. Don't you think so?'
'I suppose.'
After the fire's cold, Chris thought. After the rubble has been cleared from the shafts.
'Are there supplies down there?' Chris asked.
'You mean like food? Nothing like that. There's plenty of water, though. You shouldn't worry about it, really. I mean, I can't imagine they won't be out in a few hours. By tomorrow, anyhow.'
'I took the tour, yesterday,' Chris said. 'Darcy talked about a natural opening to the cavern.'
'Yeah, but that's all blocked off.'
'With a rock wall like the one on the inside?'
'I guess. I've never seen it up close.'
'Do you know where it is?'
'Kind of.' She pointed to the east.
'Come with me.'
'You've been there?' Hank asked.
The girl shrugged. 'Well, see, I wasn't what you might say actually there.' A voluptuous ditz, Hank thought. 'I mean, I saw it from the other side of the valley. Tom that's the guy who helps with the boats down in the cavern - he's down there, too, you know.'
'What
Chris realized her shirt was open. She started to button it.
'Aw, now.'
'Don't bug me, okay?'
'I happen to have a fully equipped bar over in my trailer. You look like a martini might do you a world of good.'
'No, thank you.'
'Some fire, isn't it? I hear a couple of folks got cooked. They say there's more than a hundred trapped in the cave.'
'Including my daughter. Get outa here.'
'Well, excuuuuuuse me.' He turned away. As he walked off, Chris heard him mutter something that sounded like, 'Tightass cunt.'
She flinched at the roar as another section of roof collapsed. The fire was spreading more rapidly to the right - to the east… in the direction of the cave elevators.
A man with a home video camera crossed the driveway at the front of the parking lot. He stepped over the curb and made his way closer to the burning complex.
A young woman in a guide uniform rushed up behind him.
Thick, reddish-brown hair. She had to be Lynn, Darcy's roommate.
She grabbed the man by the arm, spoke to him, turned him around and walked him back into the lot.
Chris leaped down from the bumper. She hurried forward, weaving between parked cars and spectators, scanning the area ahead, trying to spot Lynn.
And found her near the front.
'Lynn!'
The girl turned to her. For a moment, she looked confused. Then she raised her thick eyebrows. 'Oh, Darcy's mom, right? Hey, you know, I'm sure Darcy's just fine. I mean, there's no way in the world the fire's going to get down in the cavern. She's totally safe, you know?'
'I have to talk to you.'
'Sure. Shoot. You got any idea where Mordock is? He ought to be helping with the crowds, you know?'
'He's dead.'
Lynn's eyes went wide. She didn't appear bothered by the news, just surprised. 'No fooling? Dead? Ethan? The owner?'
'That's right. He's been dead from the start. You've got to help me, Lynn.'
'Sure. Just name it.'
'Darcy's trapped.'
'Yeah, I know. The pits, but like I say… I mean, I wouldn't wanta be stuck down there myself, but it's safe, you know?'
'How is she going to get out?'
Lynn shrugged. 'I guess the elevators.'
'The place is burning to the ground,' Chris pointed out, trying to keep her patience. This girl seemed incredibly dense. How could she be a guide, like Darcy? in a little while, there won't be any elevators.'
'Well, yeah, I guess not. But the shafts, they'll be there. They aren't going anyplace. So the fire department can maybe lower ropes or a basket or something.' As if reciting, Lynn added, 'The shafts are a hundred and fifty-three feet deep.'
'That's pretty goddamn deep.'
'I'm sure the fire department will have a way to get to them. Don't you think so?'
'I suppose.'
After the fire's cold, Chris thought. After the rubble has been cleared from the shafts.
'Are there supplies down there?' Chris asked.
'You mean like food? Nothing like that. There's plenty of water, though. You shouldn't worry about it, really. I mean, I can't imagine they won't be out in a few hours. By tomorrow, anyhow.'
'I took the tour, yesterday,' Chris said. 'Darcy talked about a natural opening to the cavern.'
'Yeah, but that's all blocked off.'
'With a rock wall like the one on the inside?'
'I guess. I've never seen it up close.'
'Do you know where it is?'
'Kind of.' She pointed to the east.
'Come with me.'
'You've been there?' Hank asked.
The girl shrugged. 'Well, see, I wasn't what you might say actually there.' A voluptuous ditz, Hank thought. 'I mean, I saw it from the other side of the valley. Tom that's the guy who helps with the boats down in the cavern - he's down there, too, you know.'
'What
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