“I’m free.” Erin almost fell over, forgetting her ankles were still tied.
Mom held her steady. “Let me get your ankles too.”
“Thanks,” Erin said. “You’ve had practice at this, have you?”
“Not really. Just planning ahead in case this day arrived.”
“So that’s what you’ve been doing with your time.” Erin hoped her mother heard the smile she’d injected into the words, because she certainly couldn’t see Erin’s face. “I’m sorry, I was only—”
“No regrets, Erin. No time to be sorry. We have to leave before they get back.”
“I’m not sure I could find my way out of here. I’ve never been here before today.”
“I have. They opened it up for one day to show people it wasn’t going to hurt the environment. The only issue is my ankle will slow us down.”
“I’ll help you. Which way, then, Mom?”
“We keep walking into the mine. They’re digging a two-mile-long, truck-sized shaft. It’s angled, so we have to be careful not to trip.”
Erin envisioned falling and then rolling into the depths of the earth surrounded by darkness.
“You can’t be serious. We are not going to walk deeper into this mine in the dark. What are you thinking?”
“There’s equipment down there. The cabs of those rigs are almost bulletproof. We could potentially drive it out of here. But if you’d rather we walk toward the hired guns standing outside the mine, then let’s go. Be warned. If they catch us trying to escape, they’ll either kill us or truss us up so there’s no chance of escape. Do you understand?” Mom’s angry, determined tone was meant to strike fear.
Erin had heard that tone before—that night in the woods when Missy was taken.
A flashlight shone in the distance and illuminated the wide tunnel. Erin never wanted to see another tunnel in her life after today.
“Let’s go.” Mom grabbed Erin’s hand, and together they made their way deeper into the mine.
She wished they could run, but Mom’s ankle wouldn’t let them. Erin had hurt her ankle and foot as well days before, but the pain was barely perceptible now. Her pulse pounded in her throat. Roared in her ears. What if the flashlight stopped and they could no longer see where they were going?
The idea that they should head deeper into the earth, deeper into darkness, warred with her better judgment. But the options were few—men with guns or a dark, treacherous mining shaft.
“Hey!” an angry voice shouted from behind them.
Gunfire spattered from an automatic weapon. Mom yelped as she plummeted forward. Erin tried to prevent her mother from tumbling, but her efforts weren’t enough and they both hit the ground hard.
“Come on, Mom.” Erin tried to help her mother get up.
Mom groaned and grabbed her shoulder, crimson seeping between her fingers.
“Mom!”
“Go, you have to get out of here. I’ll stall them.”
“Forget it. I’m not leaving you.”
Erin applauded her mother’s effort to try to find a way to escape. Her mother was a survivor and because of her, Erin had survived too. She wouldn’t give up now.
She tried again to assist Mom to her feet. “Come on. We can make it to the equipment just like you planned. We can do this.”
“Go without me. Leave before it’s too late. Please, you don’t understand . . .” Tears choked Mom’s voice, surprising Erin. So much bravado moments ago had quickly bled out of her with the seeping wound.
“That I could die today? Mom, I’m not afraid of death.” She pressed her hands against Mom’s wound and glared at the approaching men.
She couldn’t make out much behind that light. “You shot her! She’s bleeding and needs medical attention.”