Ark

Chapter 50

It was well past midnight when they emerged from the warren of underground passageways that twisted and turned beneath the slopes of Ol Doinyo Lengai. It had been a long, difficult climb, with only their cell phones for light, but they’d kept at it, taking every passageway with even the slightest uphill slant, hoping to find a way to the surface. All the while, the sounds of destruction had chased them along as the chambers that had lain hidden for thousands of years were washed clean by the deluge and buried beneath a mountain of stone. It was a shame, Maddock thought, but fitting in a way that a flood should be the agent of its demise. Again and again the ground shook beneath their feet, but the tunnels through which they traveled held fast.

They lay on the rocky mountain slope, battered and bloodied, but alive. The chill night air sliced through their sodden clothing. Dima pressed her body against Bones for warmth, but Maddock kept his distance. After the CPR incident, he knew Bones would have no interest in sharing body heat. He didn’t care; he was happy to be alive.

The moon hung high in the velvet sky, casting the land beneath in silver light. It amazed him that the world could lie at peace, blissfully ignorant of the destruction wrought far beneath the mountain. After witnessing the terrible power that had been unleashed, it somehow seemed wrong to bask in the serenity of the African night.

Maddock gave their group a half-hour to rest before he insisted they begin working their way down the mountain. Climbing after dark wasn’t exactly safe, but hypothermia was a real threat considering the temperature and their thin, wet clothing and weakened conditions. At least they were down on the lower slopes and the moon provided more than enough light for them to find their way. It should be a safe descent.

“I don’t suppose there’s any chance of recovering the trident?” Dima clung tightly to Bones’ arm as if she feared he might get away if she were to let go.

Maddock had a feeling his friend would have no easy time shaking that girl.

“I doubt it. My gut tells me the whole place caved in. You heard the sounds.”

“And felt them, too,” Bones added.

“It’s not that I want it, or anything,” Dima said. “But if it can be recovered, I would hate to see it to fall into the wrong hands.”

“Amen to that, sister.” Bones gave her a squeeze.

“Don’t call me ‘sister.’ It’s creepy.”

“True. Besides, Maddock is the one who’s into sisters.”

Maddock stopped in his tracks. “Wait a minute. She’s not my sister. As a matter of fact, someone in this group did date my sister, and it wasn’t Dima and it sure as hell wasn’t me.”

“Is that a fact?” Dima quirked an eyebrow at Bones. “Funny, I don’t recall you mentioning that.”

“Well, I’ve dated a lot of chicks. It’s hard to keep track.” Bones paused. “That didn’t make it any better, did it?”

“Not even a little bit.”

Buoyed by the joy that only comes from narrowly averting death, they kept up the light banter as they continued down the slope and into the valley.

“Where’s our car?” Dima asked when they’d finally come down off the slopes.

“A few miles that way,” Maddock said. “Still a bit of a hike, but we can handle it.”

“You know what I just realized?” Bones rose up on his toes and looked around. “This valley is full of predators and we lost the stone that lets us make friends.”

Maddock shook his head. “It’s all right. After what we’ve been through, I’ll take my chances.”