Underground

By Jonathan Chaus

          Action, intrigue, femme fatal, double crosses, gold and a forggotten underground government installation from the cold war combine for a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end.                     

          Nick must find out the secret that destroyed his grandfather’s life, but he only has one clue, its underground.  He meets a beautiful woman that wants to help him. Her sister wants to kill them both.  Where will it all end---Underground.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jonathan Chaus
• Release date: Sep 13, 2016
• ISBN: 9781536522884

Book preview

UNDERGROUND

Chapter One

Nick hadn’t thought he was going to die when he woke up this morning. Now he was not quite sure. He wondered how many people actually know when it is going to be their last day. Nick had these thoughts as he fought to remain conscious. Only seconds ago, there had been a loud rumble, and eight tons of earth and rock fell. It felt as though it was all on him.

He couldn’t move much. He knew he had to, though. Holly had been with him a second ago. Holly. He couldn’t scream, but the thought helped him focus as he forced his fingers to move. His fingers pushed dirt, and he felt air on his hand. He made them dig and push more dirt. Push, dig, reposition. Push, dig, reposition. Nick’s arm was free now, but still he couldn’t breathe. His battle with consciousness continued.

I’ve got to breathe! Clawing at the dirt in front of his face, Nick saw a vision of his grandpa.

Come on, son. Try a little harder. You’re the only one who can prove I wasn’t crazy. I need you to live, Nick! Then the vision was gone.

With tremendous effort, Nick’s hand had moved just enough dirt from his face so that he could breathe again. His mouth and lungs filled with dusty air. He coughed and then laughed, because it was so great to be able to cough. Nick opened his eyes and blinked, but total darkness met him. 

I hate the dark! Nick was surprised by his own voice. Holly! Holly!

Only the echoes off of the mine walls and the sound of sliding gravel bounced back to him. He stretched his hand out to try to find her, and it hit a large boulder lying on the ground only inches from his head. He grasped the boulder and pulled. His body moved a little, just enough to free his other arm. This time he pulled with both arms and felt his body move again. Once more, with all his strength, he pulled then kicked with his legs, swimming the dirt away from him. It worked. He was out from under the cave-in, but he was still inside the mine that they had been exploring. He rolled over onto his back, his heart and lungs screaming at him. His side was racked with pain. He rolled to his stomach and nudged something soft.

It was Holly. Her hand was limp and motionless. He followed it up her arm to her shoulder and to her face. Her face wasn’t buried, and he could feel her breathe. He could feel her chest rise up and sink down, as if she were asleep in his bed. She had not been covered by the cave-in, but she wasn’t moving.

Holly. Babe, I’m here. Nothing. He slid closer and picked her up into his arms but this time felt the moist spot on her forehead, muddy with blood and dirt. He checked the rest of her as best he could in the dark. He reached down and felt her legs then up again and felt her arms, but nothing seemed broken. One of her hands still held her backpack, and Nick searched the outside pocket for one of the extra flashlights.

Light. Blessed light! he thought, as he pushed the button and filled the dusty mine shaft with light.

He looked at Holly and slowly rocked her in his arms. She was covered with dust, and near her temple he could see the gash, which was still bleeding. The blood and dust had matted her hair and muddied her face.

Oh God. Holly, It’s all right, honey. I’m here. I won’t let you go, Nick whispered in her ear and nudged his face into her hair.

Nick’s fight for consciousness failed, and he saw his grandpa again, Nick, I’m not crazy. I know you’ll find it. Nick. Nick. Nick. His grandpa slowly faded away.

Nick- Nick, can you hear me? The sound of an angel reached his ears. He realized it was one special angel and opened his eyes to see Holly’s blue eyes looking into his. Nick, you’re alive! she said, kissing him. I thought you were gone. I couldn’t feel your heart. Oh honey, you’re alive.

Nick sat up and kissed and hugged Holly’s lovely, dust-covered face. He didn’t know if people woke up knowing when they were going to die, but he knew that he wasn’t going to die today, at least not yet. He didn’t know what he was supposed to find to prove his Grandpa’s sanity, but he did know what it was like to be alive, and he liked it. So he decided to take his time and enjoyed breathing and, of course, kissing.

They could always find another way out of this mine He hoped.

Chapter Two

After the kissing came the pain, both Nick and Holly ached. He knew it was time to find a way out. The way they came in was out of the question. His pack was lost under tons of rubble so they were down to three flashlights and a few chemical light-sticks. The air was breathable, for how long was anyone’s guess, but they were alive, and that was something.

Everything working, nothing broken? Nick asked, as he helped her to her feet.

Holly nodded finally looking back at the passageway that brought them here. It was entirely blocked and that worried her. He could see it in her face.

Nick decided to take her mind off of it by looking at her forehead. Okay. Let me take a look at that gorgeous noggin of yours and clean it up a bit. I don’t think any of your brains are leaking out, but you can’t be too sure. Holly spun around, hit him and let out a little laugh.

The small back-up first aid kit that Nick took out of Holly’s backpack was inferior to the first-class kit he always carried in his pack, but that was gone now, so he would have to make do. He dabbed an alcohol wipe gently across her forehead, which brought a wince of pain to her face. She was tough, but he could tell that it hurt. He looked into her clear blue eyes. They focused on his without a flickering of the pupils, so he could tell there was no concussion. As he looked he thought about this woman who he had met nine months ago.

It had been at a grocery store. Nick had a few things and a six-pack of beer, the type with the lime juice already in it, the condensation sliding down the bottle as he waited in line to pay. 

He had first heard her voice when she said, That sure looks good and cold. It was a heavenly voice, not high-pitched, but smooth and velvety. It was a voice like he had heard in the old black-and-white movies his grandpa liked to watch. A woman’s voice dipped in honey.

Nick had turned to look and was pleasantly surprised to see such a lovely woman, just south of thirty, with exquisite clear blue eyes. She wore a slight smile, almost challenging, but friendly. She looked fun. Well then, I’d be willing to share them with you while they’re still cold, he said as he smiled back at her.

So they paid for the items and sat on the tailgate of Nick’s truck and drank the beers. A police patrol car cruised through the parking lot and stopped right behind the truck. The flashing lights went on, and Nick felt her tense up.

The police officer stepped out of his cruiser and said, Don’t you know it’s against the law to drink alcoholic beverages in this here parkin lot, boy? The officer placed a hand on his holstered gun and stared hard at Nick.

Nick took another swig from his beer and returned the officer’s stare, and then he looked down and smiled. Yeah, I heard it said. He paused. I think you were in the car with me at the time. Want one? Nick held out a beer to the officer.

No, never on duty, the officer replied.

Since when?

Both men laughed. Are you going to Tony’s on Saturday, Nick?

I don’t know Bobby. Maybe. Nick shrugged his shoulders.

All right Nick. I’d better get going the officer said and got in his car. He rolled down the window and leaned over passenger seat, Maybe you shouldn’t hang out here too much longer. You know how Mr. Reed loves to call things in. The flashing lights were turned off and the patrol car drove away.

Nick smiled at the memory. He had liked her immediately. It was as if they had known each other their whole lives. She was easy to talk to, and her laugh was like birds singing. 

He was brought back to the present by her, Ouch.

Sorry. Sorry. I know that must hurt. Okay, let me put a little gauze on it to keep the dirt out, and we’ll be on our way, he said getting her to smile.

Any idea how to get out of here? she asked.

Yeah, I reach over and grab that big boulder and hold the mountain up and you slip out, Nick said as he walked over to the boulder and grabbed it. Ready?

Holly smiled, Okay Hercules, I’m ready if you are.

Urgh. Urgh. I guess I forgot my spinach, so we need to head that way.

Nick had made light of the situation, but he knew things were not good. They could wander around for days looking for a way out and still not find one. Old mines were like that. There was air, which was good, but it could come in from all sorts of different ways. It might come through little shafts that were much too small to climb through, if they could even find them. Nick knew that they couldn’t go back, so he took Holly’s hand and went the only way they could. He noticed the rough-hewn rock walls were about seven feet high. The floor had powdery dust that hadn’t been disturbed for years. He figured that they were hundreds of feet below the surface and heading into the center