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Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three

Chapter One

The desert sun suddenly dropped below the horizon. Without warning the sky overhead was filled with brown bats in flight escaping from their daily confines away from the light of day in the cave. Thousands and thousands ascended. The time was right. Night was their special time and flight was theirs.

Everyone in the small amphitheater gazed with heads tilted upward toward the opening of the cave, barely breathing, watching for the show they had all come to see. With eyes straining, they stared.

Above all was brown. Below, the eyes of all the spectators, save one, were on the swirling mass of brown wings and bodies, mammals alien to those who gazed with awe and repulsion below.

Meredith alone was not repulsed. She was barely aware of the turmoil above her as her eyes caught and held those of another. Like a magnet he came toward her.

"Meredith, look out!" Sherrie, one of her companions cried, ducking her own head and burying her face in her boyfriend's chest. "Oh, how horrible! That ugly beast touched you!"

Meredith's attention abruptly turned from the male she admired to her companions. "What are you talking about?"

"That bat! It flew right at you!" Sherrie said with a shudder. "Didn't you see it?" At Meredith's uncomprehending look, Sherrie said, "You saw it didn't you, Tom? Mike? Don't tell me I'm the only one."

"I saw it, Sherrie," Tom said. Concerned, he asked, "It didn't hurt you, did it, Merry?"

Meredith shook her head. "I didn't notice. All I saw was this incredibly attractive man, and now he's gone."

"Well, you must be blind as a bat." Tom snickered. "That bat was about to attack you and all you saw was a guy." Tom was Meredith's neighbor as well as her best friend. They had been friends since toddlers, and felt almost like brother and sister. "As long as you're all right, Merry." Tom shook his head in mock disdain. "But how could you not notice a bat flying directly at your head?"

"Bats aren't really blind," Mike said in his usual literal manner, looking rather owlish in his black, round glasses. "In fact..."

"Who asked you?" Tom gave Mike a friendly push.

"That guy you saw must have been some looker," Sherrie said. "All I saw was bats, bats, bats! Hundreds and hundreds of bats. It's a sight I never want to see again."

Tom caressed Sherrie's blond hair. "If one comes to Carlsbad Caverns, one has to witness the flight of the bats at least once. I'm sorry you got so scared, honey."

Sherrie laughed. "I'm not the one who should have been scared. It was Meredith the bat picked on and she didn't even notice."

"Maybe Merry forgot her contacts and couldn't see," Mike put in.

"I'll have you know I have excellent sight, and I don't wear contacts." Meredith chuckled. "After all I'm the only one who saw that attractive man." A research scientist at a chemical lab not far from her Socorro, New Mexico home, Meredith had always been a strong women, not about to let a sky full of bats bother her, nor her friends' gentle teasing.

The park ranger approached Meredith. "You didn't get hurt, did you, miss?"

"Hurt?" she echoed.

"The bat didn't harm you?"

"No. I didn't even see the bat or knew it flew at me until my friends told me."

"Oh, well, good," the ranger said, and let out a breath. There was an air of relief in his tone. "That never happened before. I've been here myself for fifteen years and never saw the like of it. Never saw a bat dive at anyone in the audience."

"Nothing happened." For a moment Meredith looked around hoping to see the man who had held her rapt attention while everyone else's eyes were diverted on a bat. Had he too seen the bat and been trying to scare it away? She sighed. Perhaps he hadn't looked at her with the intensity she thought.

She looked up at the sky. Now, there was nothing there, only a cloudless expanse. The bats had departed in search of their dinners, and their audience got to their feet. Meredith's eyes scanned again for the one who had caught her attention. Whoever you are, I hope I see you again, she said within her soul.

* * *

The following morning, Meredith, Tom, Sherrie, and Mike drove out to Carlsbad Caverns again, this time not in search of bats, but to see the cave. The quartet, dressed in the cherry and silver sweatshirts of their alma mater, bought their tickets, and then ambled down the trail, content in the knowledge they had beat the crowds.

Discarding the thought of taking an elevator into the bowels of the cavern, they walked the narrow trail in the opening the bats used as an exit. By daylight, the small mammals hung from ceilings above, sleeping, immune to the tourists below.

Mike said in a bookish, know-it-all manner, "Most amateur spelunkers prefer a later arrival, believing vacations are for sleeping late, a big breakfast, and then drive up the Guadalupe Mountains to the National Park's entrance."

"Where'd you read that?" Tom asked.

"Nowhere. I made it up myself. No reason we had to get up so early."

"Geez, Mike, I don't know why I bother to go anywhere with you." Tom gave his friend a scathing look. "If you wanted to sleep late, why didn't you say so?"

"Mike, the authority on everything," Sherrie jeered. "How old did you say these caverns are?"

"I didn't, Sherrie, but they're older than you." Mike grinned. "Actually, Carlsbad Caverns became a park about 1923, and the caves were formed over a million years ago. If you want to know more, buy a handbook."

Meredith smiled, listening to her friends' badinage. They still sounded like college kids instead of mature adults. She supposed wearing the university sweatshirts did it, caused them to feel younger, like twenty instead of twenty-five.

"No sun in here. You can take your dark glasses off, Merry." Tom glanced back at her as she trailed after him.

"No wonder the place looks so dark and drab." She gave Tom a friendly wry smile, and pushed her dark glasses up into her hair. She hadn't taken a purse, and was now left with nowhere to stow her glasses. Tom urged her to carry a flashlight, so to humor him she threaded a small key chain penlight through a ribbon and wore it as a necklace. She wore pocketless, designer jeans and a large cherry-red sweatshirt. The morning was warm with a predicted daytime high temperature of ninety-nine. As she got into the car earlier, Meredith already felt she was dressed too warm, so she looked forward to spending the day in the cool fifty-six degrees the caverns maintained. Now as she went deeper into the cavern she wondered if she ought to have brought a jacket as well. Ahead, Tom was already helping Sherrie into her parka.

Soft blue-grey light gave the Big Room in Carlsbad Caverns a warm inviting glow. Though the cavern was huge, at first glance it appeared small and cozy. It was not until she began to walk deeper into the hollow that Meredith realized the immensity of the chamber. It was hard to know where to look first. Lighting enhanced special stone formations. Stalactites hung down, stalagmites rose up, individually and in groupings. Columns formed by the joining of stalactites and stalagmites, and in some places sponges of stone graced the floor. Spores of stone seemed to come from nowhere, and helictrites so tiny and delicate created ethereal corkscrews and candlesticks. The cavern had an other-world atmosphere. Meredith thought she might have been on the moon, Mars, or Jupiter. Normal earth seemed far away.

A peaceful quality pervaded the area. Meredith gazed around the large cavern with a feeling she had come home. For the first time in a month she felt at peace and was glad she had fallen in with Tom's plans to visit Carlsbad Caverns. It was strange the way Tom always seemed to know what she needed. They grew up together, neighbors since both were three. If it had not been for Tom and his parents, Meredith did not think she would have survived the last month.

Meredith lagged behind the others, content to enjoy the quiet and the soft light within the room. She could see Tom, his girlfriend, Sherrie, and his old college roommate, Mike, languidly wander off ahead, leaving her alone with her own thoughts. She was grateful to Tom for his tact. No one knew her better than Tom. Since growing up together had cemented their families into best friends, she believed they had become closer than brother and sister. They shared sorrows and joys, consoling each other when a teenage crush went awry, or a goal not achieved, as well as reveling in each other's glories. The romances always belonged to Tom.

Though she dated, Meredith had not yet found a "Mister Right." Some seemed intimidated by her job. Though she was petite and amply curved in the right places, she came across as too determined, too anxious to make her way alone. Others didn't take her seriously because she was so small, barely five feet. She admitted she dressed too modestly for today's tastes, hid her generous bosom behind mannish suits and oversize shirts in order to be taken as a serious work partner. Meredith was one of the few women at her place of employment. A few men had described her as cold. Gratuitous sex was not her style, though she had nothing against sex. If nothing else, she was discriminating. Tom's friend Mike was there just to make a trio a foursome--not for romantic reasons.

A long, slender stalactite drew her attention. It hung down thin and graceful, alone, away from other groupings. It's like me, she thought. Alone. She knew she wasn't supposed to touch it, but was compelled to feel its texture. For a moment she caressed the smooth stone, feeling relaxed, drained of the sorrow of her parents' untimely death. Meredith stood immobile, an uncoiled wire, a rag doll, as her fingers drew relief from the cool stalactite, her mind, for once, a perfect unthinking blank, sorrowful thoughts scurrying away, leaving an inner peace.

Beneath her feet the ground began to shake. The cavern was suddenly filled with frightened, flying, screaming brown bats as a loud crash, and then a rumble filled the cave. Rubble fell from the ceiling, the ground opened and Meredith felt herself falling through space. She screamed.

Chapter Two

The loud rumbling ceased. Meredith no longer pitched downward, but was in a silent, dark void, somehow more frightening then the thundering turmoil that left her only God knew where. She looked around in the black unknown to which she had fallen. Seeing nothing, she felt around her, discovering she was on a small ledge, barely big enough to hold her. Miraculously, she was unhurt. She heard the flap of wings as a bat flew near. Gingerly, she moved, pushing her foot out, but found nothing but air. She swallowed. Her mouth was dry with fear; her heart pounded rapidly. Dear God, where am I? Meredith felt frozen, could not move. Fear erupted within her. For a few moments her head went blank, then she remembered the small flashlight Tom had insisted she take. She forced herself to move one hand, and pressed the button on the end on the penlight, but the small light did little to help. She decided she had better remove the lanyard from around her neck to be able to shine the sliver of light in more directions. She released her thumb from the on button, reached up and slid the ribbon over her head.

"Are you all right?" a low-pitched, male voice asked from out of the darkness.

With pounding heart, she jolted from the unexpected soft voice, dropped the flashlight, and a second later heard a tiny splash as it fell into water. She swallowed several times before answering. "Yes." Thankfully, she was not alone. Others are here. "I think I'm okay. Maybe a few bruises." She squinted trying to make out his form in the darkness, and where he was. His voice echoed in the cavern. He could be above, below, far, near. "I dropped my penlight. I can't see you."

"You will later when your eyes adjust to the dark. I'm not far from you. If you allow me, I'll take you to safety."

"Oh, please. Can you?"

"Yes. I think it's best that you close your eyes now, and don't open them until I tell you to do so."

"Was that an earthquake?"

"We'll talk later. First, I must remove you from that ledge to safety. You are in a precarious position. Even though you say you cannot see, close your eyes. I can help you but you must trust me and do as I say."

"I do trust you," she whispered, not knowing why she did. Obediently, she closed her eyes, and soon found herself enveloped in strong arms that seemed to enfold her in a cocoon of safety. She seemed to be flying through the air, carried protectively, until she felt herself gently put down.

"You may open your eyes."

"I can barely see you."

"Last night, we saw each other. Our eyes met and held."

"You! I saw you last night when the bats flew out."

He chuckled softly. "Yes. Were you frightened?"

"No. All I could see was you. I didn't even notice the bats flying around. My friend nearly fainted, and someone said a bat touched me. I didn't see it, only you."

"Something about you drew me and I wanted to touch your hair. Will you forgive me?"

"Yes," Meredith said softly.

"I feel we are kindred spirits. It was as if a magnet drew me toward you."

Meredith smiled, feeling lighthearted despite the tremor and the dark. "Is that what happened just now? Our magnetic pull caused all that havoc?"

"Perhaps."

"Thank you for helping me just now. It felt like such a long jump, almost like flying. How did you do it?"

"Let's just be happy I did."

Perhaps she wasn't as far from the ground as she felt or as it looked from the little she had discerned from her penlight's glare. At any rate she was glad to be safely on a larger, level space. Several minutes passed and her savior said nothing more. Finally, unable to stand the silence she asked, "Do you work here?"

With a laugh, he said, "I'm here so much, I practically live here."

"I've never been in a cave before."

"Oh? Caves are part of my life."

Despite the situation, Meredith found herself smiling. "Then I guess I'm in luck."

"Luck?"

"If you're an expert on caves, you probably know the way out."

"My name's Brandon Battlesworth and I'll help you find a way out of here." His voice exuded confidence. "There are so many nooks and crannies, tunnels that lead close to the surface, so if need be, we'll dig a way out."

"Thanks. Together, I'm sure we'll somehow survive," she said with assurance she did not feel. "I'm Meredith Walker. I'm here with friends. Do you think they are all right? Did you see anyone else fall?"

"I didn't. Only you." He hesitated a moment. "I just happened to be down here. We're about three stories below the Big Room. Few have ever seen this part of the caverns, but I know it quite well."

"That's some comfort." Meredith sighed. "But it's so dark, I'm surprised you can see at all." Baffled, she asked, "How did you manage to see me?"

Brandon Battlesworth didn't answer her question, but told her instead, "The tremor caused a lot of damage but I hope it did not close off the small entrance that leads to the Big Room. If that is so, it's just a matter of a steep climb."

"A climb in the dark," she muttered. The blackness was complete. She knew she stood next to Brandon, could feel his warmth, but could not see him at all. How could they tell where to go? Where to climb?

"Are your eyes adjusting?"

"Not yet." Meredith felt helpless for the first time in her life and leaned against him, clinging, afraid to let go. "It's so very black."

Brandon put his arms around her, feeling the soft swells of the sides of her breasts. Umm, soft, he said to himself in wonder. So soft. The full length of her melded against him. He felt her heartbeat and the rise and fall of each breath. Her feminine softness befuddled him, an entirely new experience, albeit, an enjoyable one, heavenly just standing together.

Brandon wondered at her image of him--large, powerful, protector--but what else?

His father had told him long ago he had the power but Brandon had never used it until last evening when he saw her, and again now. What had Wharton explained? He tried to remember his father's words as the young woman clung to him. He had been told he would experience feelings heretofore unknown to him, and his father warned him he must use control. Advantages in using the power were mostly sexual, his father said--long, pleasurable, almost constant encounters and sensations were the pluses--but must be controlled--sex was more than a mating for off-spring. It gave and derived utmost pleasure for humans. There was more that Wharton had said, and Brandon wished he had listened more closely. But, he admitted, so far it felt pleasing having the woman near. He breathed inhaling the aroma of her scent.

Now, here he was alone with this small woman's body leaning against him. He felt the length of her and the differences. She was warm and soft. Tentatively, he touched her back. Even with the cloth covering, he felt the softness of her. His hands traced her back and roved lower to move over her fleshy hips and buttocks.

He felt her muscles tense and she pushed back.

"Sorry." He mustn't frighten her. This was not the time nor place to fulfill his curiosity. He released his hold of her, yet kept her within the circle of his arms.

"It's okay. I'm sure you didn't do it on purpose. Hard to know what one's doing in the dark," she babbled. "I-I feel so lost."

He felt a thrill as her warm breath lingered against his chest. "I'll take care of you."

"I wish I could see you."

"You saw me last night."

"Yes, for a moment."

"What did you see?" he asked. He had to know. What was her picture of him? How did he appear in this form?

"An attractive male with brown hair and eyes, and wide, powerful shoulders, a nice smile, and dressed in brown."

"Then you know what I look like better than I." He chuckled. "Today I am much the same."

She smiled and nestled her head against his chest again.

Tenderness for her surged through him. She needed his protection and guidance. Her life depended on him. He enjoyed the way she leaned into him, so small, delicate. Somehow, he had to see to her survival. She was most interesting.

"You're not wearing a shirt," she murmured against his chest, her words partially muffled.

"I wasn't expecting company."

"Aren't you cold?"

"No, not with your warmth against me."

"Are there dormitories in the caves for workers? Are others with you? Were you asleep when the quake hit?"

"Yes." She asked so many questions. Not knowing how to answer them all, he replied to the last. He brushed her hair with his hands, reveling in its silky softness. "Are you feeling more comfortable, less frightened?" He felt her nod against his chest. "Good. I'll scout around and see if I can find an opening."

"You're going to leave me?" Her voice trembled. She put her arms around him as if to keep him from going.

The pleasurable feeling he received as she pressed even closer to him filled him with such indescribable sensations, he could barely answer. She was so small and fragile, so dependent on him. "Just for a little while."

"But how will you find me again?"

"I'll find you. We are magnets. Remember? And I'll always come to you now that I've found you."

Brandon took her by the arm and led a short way to a small pool and a rock beside it that made a comfortable pallet for her to rest upon. He filled his hands with water and had her sip from them. "Better?"

"Yes." She sighed. "It's so dark."

"Are you afraid of the dark?"

"Not usually. If you leave, I'll be alone. It's strange but with you, I don't feel frightened at all anymore. When I was a child, I used to crawl under the porch and play that I was in a cave. I liked the dark," she babbled. "My dad used to call me his 'Little Spelunker.' I didn't know what it meant then. This is my first time in an actual cave."

"Your parents will be worried about you."

With a small shake of her head, she said, "No. They're dead."

"I'm sorry."

"Thank you. They've only been gone a little while."

"My mother died when I was quite young," Brandon said.

Meredith sighed. "I just hope Tom, Sherrie, and Mike survived as well as I. They brought me here for a change of scene, and I'd hate to think they were injured because of me. They were about fifty feet ahead of me. I was lagging behind, touching stalactites that aren't supposed to be touched, and feeling...feeling..."

"Feeling what, Meredith?"

"Peaceful. Like I'd just come home from a long journey."

"I find the caverns peaceful, too." He sat beside her and took her hand. "Try to rest. I'll look around and see if I can find a way out. Then I'll come back to you."

Meredith panicked. "Do you have to go alone? Can't I come with?"

He smiled and touched her hair. "It's better if I look by myself. I know these caverns inside and out. Admittedly, the caves are a bit different now, but by myself, I can reconnoiter quickly. Meredith, I will be able to find you." He held her small hand lightly in his. "Why don't you try to nap? You will need strength for what lies ahead. I believe this area here is safe and steady, even if aftershocks occur. We are in a small grotto and the rock is solid. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Before she could detain him further, Brandon was gone, walking softly, and then he disappeared into the darkness. She gazed unseeing in the dark, thought she heard something, perhaps a bat flying near. No, it was her imagination. No sounds but her breathing. With resignation, she leaned back, reclining on the rock. It was surprisingly comfortable, smooth, almost molded to her body. She stroked the smooth stone wondering what it and the rest of the grotto looked like. Mostly, she wondered about Brandon. When he spoke, it seemed to her it was like he was testing the words. She could not quite put her finger on it, but, though she liked the sound of his deep voice, his was somehow different. Yes, that's what it is, she thought, like some of the foreign exchange students. A bit of an accent, that was it. Not Spanish. Coming from New Mexico, she was used to that. Perhaps Brazilian.

She shivered, hugged herself, and decided to take Brandon's advice, try to nap. Sleep and forget she was trapped in a cave. Using a meditation method she was once taught by a psychology instructor, she relaxed and quickly dozed.

In her sleep memories flashed in her mind.

... A happy time...Tom and other friends celebrated St. Patrick's Day at her house. Everyone wore green, except for one girl, who had declared she was an Orangeman, and wore orange. Tom had managed to buy some green beer and tried to talk Meredith into drinking some.

"You know I don't like beer in any color," she said, pushing the glass away. "Run off to your latest lady-love, Tom. I know you're dying to." Meredith turned to talk with others, pushing away the feeling of foreboding that suddenly enveloped her.

The phone rang. Its jarring jangle interrupted a joke, and sent a feeling of panic fluttering inside her being.

"Hey, Merry, answer it," Tom called from across the room as the phone continued to ring.

She looked down, for some unknown reason, unwilling to answer its beckoning. Yes, she was nearest the phone. Meredith picked up the receiver. As she stood there with the phone in her hands, she felt life drain out of her. Her lips parted but nothing came out.

Tom came, took the receiver from her, and spoke to the person on the other end. Tom put the receiver down and took Meredith in his arms to console her. "Party's over. Merry's parents were in an accident. I'm taking her to the hospital."

With Tom and his parents' kindness, she faced the double funeral. The world was now a lonelier place...

* * *

Meredith woke. With a feeling of terror, she looked into the darkness, afraid to move; then she made out Brandon's form standing nearby looking at her. "You're back."

"I thought rest the best thing for you, so I let you sleep. I'm afraid we have a tough hike ahead of us." He sat beside her and took her small hand in his larger one. "I found no opening into the main cave or any sign of your friends. I am sure no one was badly hurt. The cavern is strong, sturdy. There must have been just a sudden crack that propelled you here, and as far as I can tell, that crack has been sealed." He took a deep breath. "I'm glad I was here so you're not alone."

"If the situation were different, this could be quite romantic," she said softly, surprising herself for saying it. She certainly didn't want to lead him on, not trapped in a cave like this. Brandon seemed nice enough, but he had touched her, and that made him suspect, dangerous. Perhaps it had been accidental. It must have been. She did not think any human would pat her behind right after pulling her off a perilous ledge. Reflecting on her words, even she thought she sounded like she was leading him on. Romantic? No, it was terrifying. What was wrong with her? Why had she said 'romantic'? "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

"It is romantic. Any place with you would be so." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm.

Though his lips on her palm brought a pleasant tingly sensation, Meredith pulled her hand away. He thought she was giving him the go ahead. Why had she said that? Talk about something else. Anything. She came up empty. What does one talk about sealed in a black cave with a mysterious stranger? Mysterious? Maybe.

"But I must not be selfish," Brandon said, breaking into her thoughts. "First things first, and that is to find a way out of here. Caves are my world, so I am not afraid, but they are not your world."

"No, my world is a chemical lab." That's better. Nothing romantic about her job.

"Chemical lab?" He tilted his head in thought as if not sure what a chemical lab was. "And what do you do there?"

Glad to move on to a safer subject, she smiled and explained. "Mostly, I look into a microscope. But we do important things. Create and test insecticides, pesticides."

"An insecticide killed my mother." His gruff tone showed his distaste for her profession.

"Oh, I am sorry! How did that happen?"

"I don't know. I was an infant. It poisoned her, I was told."

Meredith grasped his hand in sympathy. "Most are quite safe now to humans. Your mother must have had an allergic reaction, Brandon. One must never breathe in insecticides or swallow them, of course, but by and large, most used in the United States are safe now, used for the good of all."

"Good of all?" He sneered. "Many creatures still are hurt by insecticides."

"So we rid the earth of some bugs and varmints." She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sorry about your mother. She must have gotten too close to spraying or something."

"What of those who feed on insects?"

"I'm testing all the time to make sure there is little or no harm to birds and fish."

"And mosquitoes?"

Meredith chuckled. "Well, almost every person I know would love to rid the world of pesky mosquitoes."

"Some creatures eat mosquitoes. You poison such pests as you call them, and you poison those who feed upon them."

With a careless shrug, Meredith admitted, "Nothing is perfect, but we do try to protect as much as we can, and insecticides are created to do away with insects."

"With harm to others. Nature's way is best. All were created for a reason, one to feed on another without artificial tampering by man."

"Brandon, I do understand the way you must feel. Your mother's death due to a reaction from a pesticide was terrible. But that's my job, to see that these chemicals are safe. Many have been banned now, as you must know. DDT, Chlordane."

Brandon looked down at the small woman, studying her. She spoke with such assurance, but she really did not understand, possibly could never understand; however, the conversation had distracted her from their perilous situation. If she were to survive, he must help her. Must push his distaste of her work from his mind, think only of survival, both hers and his. She was most interesting, not only her body, her mind as well. As she studied elements with a microscope, so would he study her. As he now was in this form they were so similar, yet so very different. He would protect her, this small, beautiful, yet strange individual, and if possible, he would free her to her world again, not crush her as she would a small mosquito.

Meredith looked about her unaware that Brandon was different in any way, now seeing the obsidian beauty of the grotto they were within. It was amazing. She could see. There was a glow about Brandon, changing the cave from pitch black to a dusky grey. The pool, though black, was clear.

"Things could be worse." He, too, gazed at the pool. "We have water."

"Water uncontaminated by chemicals," she put in mischievously.

"Yes, just so," he answered soberly.

Brandon, sitting beside her, was as attractive as she remembered, his body strong and powerful, his teeth white when he smiled. A soft down of hair covered his hands, arms and chest. She kept her gaze above his waist. He still had not found his apparel, but appeared comfortable. He must really be warm-blooded, she concluded.

An overpowering urge filled her and she ran her hands over his shoulders, feeling the large, powerful muscles. She buried her head against his chest. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." She pulled back.

"Do not be sorry, Meredith."

His lips captured hers, softly, gently.

Meredith quivered as his lips left hers. What was wrong with her? Was it fear that caused her to want to touch him and be touched by him?

The earth shook and rumbled. Brandon covered Meredith with his body, shielding her. A stalactite crashed, splintering beside them, and they were rudely thrown from their nesting place.

When the shaking stopped, Brandon quickly released her and glanced around. The grotto was still intact, a fairly safe place as he had surmised, but rubble now lay strewn across the floor of the cave. Several stalactites had left the high ceiling then crashed. Even fairly safe places could be deadly.

"An aftershock," he muttered.

In fear, Meredith's arms reached out for him. She needed to be held, comforted.

Brandon's eyes raked her waiting body. Her full breasts beckoned him. Masses of dark hair framed her face and thin neck and tumbled across her shoulders. The sweatshirt she wore had worked itself upward as they had been cast about during the earth's rumba. Her waist looked impossibly small. She was petite and fragile, a treat for his voracious appetite. It would be so easy to take her, to drown in the pleasures of her body, to become one with her, to know her hidden charms.

He wet his lips. If he chose, he could make her, his own. Then, he chastised himself, reminding himself there was more to consider than his pleasure. There were things she did not know, but he did, and he knew the consequences. For the woman's sake, he must not let his passion and his desire to possess her overwhelm him. Brandon sighed deeply regretting his decision to act with honor but knowing it should be so. Remembrance of what his father told him came crashing down.

He must wait.

He was tantalized by the rise of her sweatshirt, hiding the mammary glands that convinced him they really were not so different. Both were mammals. That instinct within him to procreate strongly urged him to take her and to forget honor. An inner argument raged in his mind as he again studied her. She sat where he had left her, looking frightened, vulnerable, lovely. He weighed the options very carefully.

The emotions that surged through him were entirely new. One thing outweighed everything else. He felt protective of her, and he wanted her to want him as much as he now wanted her. What Meredith craved was comfort, some inner voice told him. But maybe that would change from comfort to desire. Yes, he admitted, he wanted her. Could one like her want him? If she knew, would she? Could she? He must gain her trust. As he gazed upon her, he knew she trusted him. She trusted him to find a way out, but was there more? His head clamored with unanswerable questions. The desire to mate overwhelmed everything else. He took a step toward her.

The floor of the cavern began to quiver. Rumbling noise of shifting earth grew louder, more insistent, thunderous. Brandon lunged forward.

Chapter Three

Small fragments of debris dusted Brandon's back as he shielded Meredith with his body. Fortunately, the tremor did little more damage but merely shook the earth's angry innards, causing a few loosened particles to cascade downward. When he was certain the woman would be safe from falling rubble, he raised himself.

"Are you all right?"

Nodding, she answered. "I am, but what about you? You were unprotected."

He smiled, touched by her concern. "Little fell."

"But you didn't know."

"I know I must protect you."

"Thank you, Brandon." She gazed at him with gratitude. It was obvious she trusted him to keep her from harm and to find an escape route. Yes, he would do his utmost to be worthy of her confidence.

"We had better leave here. I see no way for rescuers to reach us in this cavern. Perhaps we can find a way. We are well below the main caverns. From what I can tell, the only fissure was the one you fell through, and it closed again tightly."

Meredith got to her feet, ran her hands through her long hair, and gave him a brave smile. "Lead on, Brandon. I'm completely under your command."

"Are you?"

"One of us has to be the leader, and I think you're more qualified than I."

Brandon nodded. "Yes, caves are my specialty."

"You have a nice voice."

"I do?"

"Someone must have told you that before." She tilted her head to the side, assessing him.

"No, you are the first."

"I find that hard to believe."

Brandon took Meredith by the hand. "It is good to talk."

"You mean it will keep up our spirits?"

He nodded. Why tell her more than she had to know? Why not just enjoy her company while he could. He could hope. But most important, he must find a way for her to join her people. Then, if she wanted to return to him, she would be his for the right reasons, reasons reflecting understanding, and for him...honor.

* * *

Outside, temperatures reaching one hundred degrees and more baked the desert countryside, hampering rescue efforts by making hand-digging and exertion almost intolerable. Workers scurried for hours like ants working diligently, trying to ignore their sunburned bodies, thirst, and the soaring temperature. As the sun began setting, renewed energy filled the men and women who worked and prayed that only minor damage occurred in the caverns and that no lives were lost.

Orange streaks filled the desert sky as the sun slowly dipped below the western horizon giving the sky a warm mellow glow. The lingering softened glow was deceiving. Nothing in the Guadalupe was relaxed. Stability had vanished that morning as the earth shook and rumbled. With nightfall and the cooling temperature, those involved in the rescue effort felt a sense of rebirth. All believed they would soon break through and clear the entrance.

The ground shook, and the earth belched cascading gravel, stones, and rocks as the land shook itself as a wet dog might shake his body of water. Again, all round was in turmoil as clouds of dust rose up from the Guadalupe Mountains, and rocks tumbled down peaks into nooks and crannies of the canyons within the range. Workers rushed to and fro running away from the shaking mountain, then back once more when the quivering earth settled. Hope that their day of digging was not in vain vanished as more rubble piled up to block what once was an open entryway. With a shrug of resignation, the rescuers renewed their efforts to dig away at dirt that clogged the cavern.

Headway had been made during the day before the last after shock made waste of their efforts. Workers had thought they were near to creating an opening into the main cavern. Now they started over again. There was no way of knowing the extent of damage inside the caverns, and each said a silent prayer for the safety of the fifty-seven occupants. Fortunately, the morning attendance was sparse, an unusual condition for early June. Best estimates put those trapped at fifty-seven including park rangers. All knew if the rangers were unhurt, they would be calming the tourists and working at removing rubble from within.

Earthquakes were rare in the vicinity with none recorded in modern times. The caverns' rangers prided themselves on the safety of the caves. There were few incidents of accidents in the Big Room. Usually, only those spelunkers who ventured into unexplored caves had accidents and those had been minimal.

After the sun sank behind the horizon, floodlights focused on the rubble-closed entry.

Few bats left the cave site that evening, only those few who had rested in crannies outside the cave. Most bats were trapped, the same as the tourists and rangers. The few bats that circled, cried and swooped to where the entrance had been, as if looking for missing friends, while men with picks and shovels scraped against stone and dirt.

Heavy earthmoving equipment stood ready for action, but until more preliminary work was done, stood idle as men using hands and bodies worked through the night.

* * *

Within the cave, Brandon and Meredith pushed themselves onward, stopping only to drink from the pools of collected water within the cavern. Brandon led, holding her hand, somehow seeing when she could not. Near Brandon the air seemed to glow and she could make him out, but little beyond. Her stomach began to rumble, wanting food, but she saw nothing resembling food.

Exhausted, they lay down next to each other and slept. Brandon woke before Meredith. She opened her eyes, and he quickly glanced away. She touched his face.

"Time to push on," he said.

"Yes," she murmured struggling to her feet. "Is there water here?"

"No."

Meredith sighed.

"This way." He held out his hand and she took it. Evidently, Brandon wasn't in a talking mood.

As the larger chamber petered out, he led her into a narrow chasm. She felt her hands brush each side as she moved. It seemed they walked within the thin space for hours, heading where, they knew not. The earth jolted and they fell to the floor of the cave tunnel. Aftershocks were worse in the narrow, suffocating space. Murky darkness, sinister and punishing, engulfed her. She could not see Brandon. What if he was hurt? "Brandon?"

"Are you all right?" Brandon asked.

"Yes."

"You are brave and strong."

"I used to think so."

"We'll walk on."

"Brandon, I'm sorry if I'm a burden."

"A burden? No, you are magnificent."

"You've been so quiet."

"I have been thinking. Considering the right thing to do."

She laughed. "Well, if you find the right thing, be sure to share it. In here, who knows the right thing?"

"Yes, just so," he answered enigmatically.

"Maybe we ought to sing to keep our spirits up?"

"I don't know how to sing."

"But you must, you have such a nice baritone voice." Meredith began to hum. He did not join her. "All right, I'll sing alone. Perhaps, if someone else is anywhere near, they'll hear me." She began singing songs she'd learned as a Campfire Girl years ago.

"That is singing. Nice. I like it," Brandon said.

Meredith shook her head and laughed. Sometimes, he said the funniest things.

* * *

The narrow passage opened up into a larger one. Brandon told her to sit when he walked around checking for an exit.

Normally a brave woman, fear rose up within her. If Brandon got too far, total blackness descended until he neared her again. What shadows she saw, took on weird forms, and spaces were too narrow or too large. Brandon continued to do everything he could to protect her, to make her feel safe, to speak to buoy her sagging spirits. Meredith felt that any second the walls would crush her. When they did not, she rejoiced. With each passing minute life seemed more precious. Except for holding her hand, Brandon had not touched her since that first day. He was less talkative, but he determined to find a way out and he gave her strength when she needed to be strengthened.

Brandon returned and led her across the small grotto.

Silently now, he took her hand and again led the way through narrow passageways. At the end of a narrow tunnel, he said, "Wait here, I'll just see where this leads." Before she could protest, he left her to climb upward and then disappeared from sight.

Meredith shivered as she waited, wondering if Brandon had left her for good. He must feel burdened with her, an anchor, not able to keep up with his large strides. Alone, she knew he could do better. All the gazing into microscopes she did for a living meant nothing when trapped in an underground vault, a vault that might well become her tomb. With Brandon gone again, the dark was total.

Suddenly, she felt eyes peering at her and turned her head quickly to see if someone could be there. Surely, Brandon would not come back and just stare at her. His touch, their kiss seemed so long ago. Did it really happen? Mostly, he acted aloof, but had not neglected her. He was polite, considerate, but cool. He held her body to his and tried to shield her during earth tremors and whispered words of encouragement until she was calm.

In apprehension, she glanced around again. Perhaps she and Brandon were not alone. She heard no one, but others might be near. "Hello?" There was no answer to her query. Her scalp tingled at the thought of being watched. If someone else was trapped, why did they not let their presence be known? Nervously, she glanced from side to side, seeing nothing, only inky blackness.

"Is anyone there?" she called tremulously, but there was no reply. "Hello?" Time dragged by. Alone in the dark, time was incomprehensible. Did she wait for five minutes or an hour? There was no way of telling. Her dainty silver watch was still around her wrist, and she raised it to her eyes. She saw nothing, not even her wrist. Could anyone believe darkness could be so vividly black? A void where one could not even see their hands before their face? She remembered moonless nights in the country as dark; pitch black people said, but nothing, nothing compared with this ebony stillness.

Something. She heard something. A flap of a wing? Just a stirring, something nearby. Perhaps a bat. She sighed. At least something else lived here in the earth's innards.

"Is someone here?" Again she received no answer. Still, the prickly feeling of being watched persisted. "Brandon, hurry," she whispered. She believed an hour, perhaps two, had passed since he left.

* * *

Suddenly, Brandon was there beside her, his hand on her shoulder, and his lips captured hers in a crushing, demanding kiss. She drew in her breath as excitement filled her and her arms reached up to pull his head more firmly against hers.

"I was afraid you decided to leave me behind," she whispered when their mouths parted.

"I will never leave you, Meredith."

She loved the way he pronounced her name, making the sound of it so beautiful. "Truly? I seem such a burden, but really, I'm strong. If we need to climb, I can climb. Swim, I can swim. I'm small, I know, but I'm strong."

His smile was radiant as he bent her head upward. "I should not have kissed you, I know. I probably frightened you more than the enclosed cave."

"It's all right. We're drawn together because of the situation. Touching, kissing, somehow gives some comfort." She ran her fingers over his lips. "You probably have someone waiting for you on the outside."

"No."

Meredith sighed. "I haven't either."

"There must be men who admires you." When she did not answer, he said, "I admire you. You are very brave, strong for a female."

Meredith laughed, her voice echoing in the cavern. "Ever a male qualifying strong with a reflect on my gender. I'm strong, period, Mr. Battlesworth."

"I have offended you?"

"You get me out of here, I'll forgive you. If you take off and leave me, I'll find a way out myself." She softened then. "But it's nicer with company, Brandon."

"I have discovered another grotto. We have only to climb up to that opening." He pointed it out to her and her eyes, now adjusted to the dark with him so near, saw the slit above.

"Yes, I see it. When you are near, I somehow see."

"After you crawl through, there is a long, low, narrow passage. Keep crawling as it veers downward. I will be directly behind."

"Brandon, I don't think we're alone. All the while you were gone, I felt eyes looking at me. I'd turn but not see anything, but I'm sure we're not alone."

Chuckling, he squeezed her shoulder. "Hodags."

"Hodags? An animal? A cave-dweller?"

"Not quite. Let's sit for a moment." He drew her down with him. "Hodags feed on fear." He placed his arm lightly around her shoulders. "Do not show fear and they will not hurt you, but if you panic, hodags surround you, suffocating you."

Meredith's mouth arced in a small smile. "Oh, they're not real then."

"To some, they are very real. I do not fear them or the cave so I never see them, but I have heard people cry out in fear, and to them a hodag is very real. They are a myth, but do not myths sometimes come from reality? I'll bet you have heard a lot of stories about such things, and sometimes, truth stranger than fiction. Isn't that what people say?"

"Yes, that's what people say." Meredith leaned her head on his shoulder. "When you are near me, I'm not afraid. When you are with me, I can see in the dark, but when you leave, I'm alone in a dark void, seeing nothing."

"I only leave you when it is necessary. I promise, I will always return. Truly, I have seen no one here. There is only us."

"I've never had to depend on anyone before. I plotted my own path. Oh, I felt lost for a few weeks after my folks died in a senseless automobile accident. My friend, Tom and his family, were supportive, helped me through, but mostly, I coped on my own. I hold an important job in a world of men, competing with them on equal terms." She was proud she had always been independent, and she admitted, it was hard for her to accept her fear and Brandon's leadership. She never completely relied on anyone, not even her parents. "But down here I'm entirely out of my element." She clasped his hand. "I'm so glad you're here to lead me."

"And it is time for me to do so." He stood and pulled her to her feet.

Brandon boosted Meredith so she could get a handhold and climb to the opening, then shinnied through it, following his directions. The going was incredibly hard, and many times, Meredith doubted she would be able to squeeze her body through the narrow space. Brandon's earlier exploration and return did not take half the time, and she wondered how it was possible. He was larger than she, yet he seemed to have no trouble keeping up with her, always just behind her even in the smallest of places. When they reached the end of the tunnel, she planned to ask him, but at the moment, she doubted she could crawl another foot.

Breathing hard, she stopped and lay still.

"Keep moving, Meredith," Brandon ordered.

Meredith wanted to retort that he sounded like a drill sergeant, but she did not have the energy. Her body was sweaty and dirty, her hands sore and her nails were broken. Her mind began playing tricks on her, telling her that she was crawling to nowhere, reminding her of the minuscule space she was in, even doubting Brandon was behind her. All she heard was the scraping her own body was making. In spite of herself, she sobbed, and let her fear run rampant.

"Do not cry. We are almost there."

Brandon's voice was soft and sounded near to her ear. A trick of sound in the tunnel, she decided, but welcomed the thought of his closeness. With one last effort she pushed forward, and felt the tunnel widening. She crawled on.

Soon Brandon was beside her. He gently touched her tear-stained face; then softly kissed her lips. "Just a bit farther. We are almost there, then we can rest before deciding where to go from here."

"I don't think I can go on. I'm exhausted and hungry. All I can think of is a big juicy hamburger and French fries."

"After we reach the next cave, I will forage for food. Possibly some mushrooms are hiding in some corner. Do you suppose so?"

"I'd rather have a hamburger."

Brandon laughed. "Perhaps you would even sup on a swarm of mosquitoes," he said softly, then added before she had a chance to retort, "I have noticed most of the cave visitors usually eat hamburgers. If I were a magician, I would pull a rabbit out of my hat for you, but that still would not get you a hamburger."

"You've seen magicians?"

"Some. I observe much."

Meredith felt better with Brandon crawling beside her, and soon, the tunnel opened wider into a large cave. Gratefully, she got to her feet. She stretched catlike, easing her cramped muscles.

"There is water here." Brandon led her to the pond. Both got down to drink the cold water, putting their mouths into the pool like thirsty animals.

"Oh, that tasted good." Meredith wearily lay back. "I've never been so thirsty. I didn't even worry if the water was clean or contaminated, I just lapped like a dog." She became serious and wanted to know her companion's assessment of their situation. She rattled off questions. "Brandon, do you really think we'll make it out of here? Truly? How long have we been here? A day? Two days? Several hours? Time has no meaning in the dark."

Beside her, he put his arm around her shoulder. "I believe we will find a way out. At this very moment, people are trying to rescue us. You must know that. Truthfully, it would have been better for you if you had not fallen from the Big Room. From what I could detect, we are sealed off. I could find no way to get you back up there, and I have never been in this area before now. But we will keep searching. We will find a way."

"Or die trying," Meredith murmured softly.

"Yes, or die trying. We must make the effort." He kissed her lips. "There is not anyone else I'd rather be trapped with in a cave."

Sighing, Meredith whispered, "Me, too." For the moment she felt content as she lay beside him, as he spoke softly and gently to her, and soon she slept.

* * *

When she awoke, she was alone. Adjusting more and more to the dark, she saw the empty space beside her, made out the outline of the pool of water, and the walls of the cave. So this is what it is like to be sealed in a tomb. Brandon spoke bravely of finding a way out, of rescue parties, of food, but how long could Brandon and she exist? Was there air enough? If they were entombed then no fresh air could seep in and surely they would die of affixation or starvation. So far Brandon always returned, but what if he should fall? Accidents happen all the time, even to those who are careful. He was only human like she. And she had fallen into a tomb through no fault of her own.

Lazily, she dragged her fingers through the cool water. Meredith brought her fingers to her mouth and licked the water from them. It would be so refreshing to bathe. Perhaps a bath or a swim would renew her energy and send morbid thoughts from her mind. The temperature did not seem so cold anymore, and a swim might cleanse her soul as well has her body. She wondered how deep the pool was but she was a good swimmer and did not fear deep water. The water was calm, probably captured in its basin, so there would be no fear of an undertow.

The idea was too inviting to refuse. She pealed off her clothes and slipped into the pool, at first holding onto the edge but then swam all the way to the other side.

* * *

While Meredith swam, Brandon returned. He set a small handful of fungi down and stood watching, seeing her white skin surface and descend, in and out of the water, a slim leg, a hip, an arm, and her breasts, large and round, as she floated on her back, unaware he could see her so well. He watched with growing passion. She returned to the edge of the pool and saw him standing there, watching her.

"I brought some food," he said.

His voice sounded gruff to her ears. She supposed she had broken a rule of his by swimming. She had contaminated the water so they could no longer drink it. She laughed to herself. What nonsense! What did it matter? What did anything matter? Why should they worry about right or wrong? Today or tomorrow might be their last. Time, here in the darkness, was nonexistent. Meredith was certain they had been sealed off for several days. Though Brandon talked of finding a way out, she was certain now they would not. She, who usually had little appetite, had been ravenously hungry now for a long time. Why pretend? Both she and Brandon had only a few days left, a pittance of time. Perhaps it would be best to have one final fling. Enjoy what life they had left to the fullest. Brandon was virile, handsome, why not? Why not find some gratification before the end? For herself, she planned to make the most of the time she had left. Knowing the male species, if she was willing, he certainly should be.

"The water's wonderful," she drawled seductively. "There's nothing like a swim to give one new energy. Do you swim, Brandon? Why don't you join me? Or would you rather I got out?" Not waiting for him to answer, she pulled herself halfway out of the water, braced her feet against the pool, and asked, "Will you help me out, Brandon?"

Against his better judgment, he got to his knees before her, seeing her tantalizing breasts dripping with water, her soft, white shoulders, and slender waist. He put his hands at her waist and lifted her with ease and set her gently on her feet beside him. Her arms reached out for him and her hands touched his hair.

"Temptress," he whispered as his hands cupped her breasts.

She smiled, and nestled her head against his chest.

"Do you know how to rid yourself of temptation?" She asked pertly as she raised her head. "Yield to it."

His mouth covered her smiling lips with fierce, demanding kisses. Meredith was left breathless and weak as his mouth bruised hers, unleashing pent-up desire, filling her mouth with his tongue while his hands held her breasts captive, teasing her nipples with his thumbs until she screamed for joy, but her screams were smothered by his mouth and drowned in it. His intense passion frightened her but she had ignited a fire she could not now put out. She tried to pull back but could not. With his mouth still united with hers, he pulled her down on the ground. He pulled her against him, rubbing her breasts against his chest, moaning with savage pleasure, savoring the feel of them as they brushed the hair of his broad torso.

Meredith was in a frenzy of emotion, exhilaration, joy, passion, with no thoughts, only sensations: burning, shaking, feverish, hot, cold, yielding, and happy. She kissed, massaged, and cherished the feel of his body as she ran her hands over his chest, stomach and buttocks, and she savored each pull that his lips gave her breasts, each caress of his hands.

She reached down to brush his groin and shank with her hands. He caressed her buttocks as his mouth kissed her eyes, nose, and lips, and her arms encircled his neck. She writhed in his arms, brushing her swollen breasts against his chest, wanting his mouth on them, teasing them with his tongue until she squealed with pleasure. This feeling was new, sublime, worth any price, the sensation was so good it was almost unbearable.

Gently he pushed her back onto the ground. His hands traveled down and petted the soft skin of her inner thighs, then stroked between. That, along with his mouth on her breasts, was driving her crazy. "Oh, dear, oh dear! Brandon! Brandon, I think I'm going to burst!" She squealed and moaned in delight, animalistic, primeval sounds escaped her lips.

They rolled on the ground, caressing, kissing, playing.

"Oh!" Meredith gasped as they tumbled into the cold water.

Both came up sputtering.

"Saved by the bell," Brandon said with a laugh. The cold plunge had restored his sense of honor, of right and wrong.

Meredith swam up to him. With eyes still glazed with passion, she put her arms around his neck and her legs about his hips. She brought her lips to his. She began exploring his mouth with her tongue, stopping only when they had descended far below the water, clutched in her embrace. Her long hair floated upward as they plummeted downward entwined in embrace. Soon, both bobbed up gasping for breath, and laughing.

"Enough playtime," Brandon said. He put an arm around her under her armpits and dragged her to the side of the pool. "Now, it is time for you to eat." With a show of finesse, he delicately dangled a mushroom in front of her mouth, then fed her each individually, advising her to chew very slowly, to savor each bite, and fool her stomach into thinking she ate a banquet of delicacies. "I am feeding you the ambrosia of the gods," he said jokingly as they treaded water.

"Aren't you going too eat?"

"I did."

After Meredith swallowed the last bite, Brandon said, "No more games. We cannot afford to waste time."

"Waste time! Is that what you call it?" Her eyes sparkled with indignation.

Brandon laughed. "Even you have to admit, we do have more important things to do such as try to keep alive. We need strength for that." He pushed her out of the pool and then climbed out as well.

Meredith shivered. "I didn't feel cold swimming. Now my teeth are chattering."

He used his hands as a towel on her body, wiping the water with his hands, and squeezing her tresses of water as best he could. He gathered her clothes.

"Is anything missing?" he asked after finding her sweatshirt, jeans, panties, socks, and shoes. "Is there something else?"

With a giggle, Meredith said, "Only my brassiere."

"Do you need it? Should I look in the pool? I see nothing else here."

Meredith giggled harder. Brandon seemed in such a quandary. "It isn't a necessary item of apparel, dear. Are you so innocent of women's clothing? I thought most men preferred women au naturel, especially where breasts are concerned."

"I just want you to be comfortable."

Meredith slipped into her sweatshirt and jeans.

"Aren't you cold? We can take turns wearing my sweatshirt."

"It's okay. I am used to the cave temperature."

"Don't be silly. We can share mine. If you haven't noticed, my sweatshirt is extra large. It's the style to wear them large. If we take turns we can both benefit."

"I'm not cold, but thanks."

Meredith stretched and yawned. "Aren't you the least tired? You don't have to be such a man of steel. I've had a couple of naps, but you've been awake all this time, haven't you?"

Brandon stifled a yawn. "I guess I could stand some sleep." He went to Meredith and sat beside her. He ran his hands through her damp, tangled hair, trying to comb it for her. "Use my shoulder for a pillow, Meredith, that way your hair won't get dirt in it."

Meredith was not worried about her hair, but thought having her head on his shoulder or chest sounded delicious. They lay back and Meredith snuggled against him. It seemed only natural to try to keep him warm. When she knew Brandon was asleep, she removed her shirt and covered him with it.

* * *

Brandon awoke and gazed at the woman. It would be heaven to spend the rest of his life with her. How long was that? Without food, they could not last long. Whatever poets said, it was impossible to live only on love. He must find a way. He had to. Meredith, his love, must not perish.

Meredith moved languorously, turning toward him in her sleep. Her breast pointed at his mouth irresistibly only inches from his lips. How could he not take it? He stroked her, teasing with his tongue.

The sensation sent chills through Meredith and she awoke. "Brandon." She sighed and stretched.

"I woke you." His voice was contrite.

"It's all right. Why sleep when you can make love?"

"Why, indeed." Brandon chuckled. He knew he should arise, make the effort to find a way out of the caverns, but love was new, and their odds of finding a way out almost nil. He knew that but would not allow Meredith to think so. There was only so much time left. He teased her with his tongue again. "I love you, Meredith. I want you to know that."

She put her arms around his body and pulled herself closer to him. "Brandon, make love to me. Now, please."

With love, he stroked the body that was surrendered up to him, honored beyond belief she had chosen him to know its sweetness, its succulent hidden places. Gently, tenderly, he caressed her.

His touch was tantalizingly soft, his lips barely pressing hers, his tongue light in her mouth, his hands gentle with her tender breasts. She felt feather-light, wispy as she floated in his cocoon of love, boneless, a quivering mass of protoplasm.

"No." He pulled away. "Precious one, I want you more than anything, but more than that I want you to live. Once that's achieved--"

"What if there's no way out?"

"We cannot think that."

* * *

Above them, earthmoving equipment was making progress. Engineers, rangers and construction workers continued to haul dirt, rock and rubble. Several medical teams stood alert, waiting for a signal that there were survivors for them to rescue.

A cheer went up when a small section was pulled away, making a small hole into the cavern. A connection was made, and on each side of the mass of rubble people rejoiced. Those in the Big Room would soon be freed. Newspaper, radio and television journalists scrambled to get the word out. There were survivors. Within hours the trapped victims would be united with friends and family. Helicopters flew over the scene, churning up wind, hindering work, but capturing the scene for posterity.

Upon word of the impending recovery, the governor of New Mexico hopped into his private plane and flew down to be present when the survivors of the disaster were freed.

* * *

Unaware of the activity above, Brandon and Meredith searched the cave for another passageway. They were dejected and about to resign themselves to entombment when Brandon came upon a narrow crevice. He breathed deeply weighing his choices. He knew they covered the cave well starting from one end of the pool to the other. Earlier he swam across and searched the wall there to no avail. This then was the choice unless they chose to end their days here. He knew there was no way out from the tunnel they entered.

He hugged Meredith to him, drawing courage from her warm body. "As I see it, this is our only chance. Except for water, there is nothing for us here. The mushrooms I found will not sustain us long, and I found nothing else resembling food. My plan is to forge ahead into the unknown. I will search this passage. You wait here."

"No. I'm going with," she said firmly. "If you get stuck in the crevice, I'll get stuck with you, Brandon. Besides, if it does lead somewhere, why waste the effort to come back and get me? We'll go together or not at all."

"You are a stubborn woman," he said, but smiled at her fondly as he said it.

"And determined."

"With that combination, how can we not succeed?"

They slithered through the narrow passageway, a mere slit in the limestone, darker even than most of the cavern due to the smallness of the area. Meredith saw nothing, not even Brandon's hand as he held hers, leading her into the unknown. As she followed she wondered if this passageway would end abruptly, taking them nowhere? Would the earth tremble again, crushing them between these stone walls? Is this the way, she and Brandon would end their lives? She grasped his hand even more tightly as the walls narrowed even more. The stone scrapped her body, pressing in on her, defying her to squeeze through its opening. If Brandon can squeeze through, so can I, she kept telling herself. Few words were spoken between them now as they slithered like snakes through openings not meant for man, each hoping against hope the labyrinth would not lead to a dead end.

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