No Holds Barred Read online

  “A little more to the left,” Duncan called.

  Her shoe found the opening, then slid out. The sudden shift in her weight had her fingers gripping the rocks and her heart leaping up to lodge in her throat.

  “You’ve almost got it,” Duncan called.

  What was the matter with her? This wasn’t any different from climbing to the ground from her balcony. Except there weren’t any vines and it wasn’t soft ground that she would land on if she slipped.

  “Don’t worry. The ledge is directly below you now. If you slip, you won’t fall far.”

  Good to know. If he was telling the truth. She glanced up at how far she’d come and realized that it would take as much effort to go back up as continue.

  And wasn’t that exactly what Macbeth had realized during his famous dagger speech?

  “Shakespeare always comes back to haunt you,” she muttered.

  “What?” Duncan called up.

  “Nothing.” This had actually been easier when she was eight. And with that depressing realization came a surge of determination.

  Muscles straining, she jabbed her toe into the crevice and lowered herself another foot.

  “Directly below you, there’s a flat rock you can step on,” Duncan called.

  The instant her foot connected with the narrow ledge, she heard a rumble above her. Pebbles and small rocks clattered down. The first one hit her knuckles so sharply that she nearly lost her grip. Another bounced off her shoulder, and as she glanced up, a third grazed the side of her head. She had to blink dust out of her eyes, but for a moment, she thought she saw a figure on the cliff above. By the time she blinked again, Duncan was at her side, his arm around her waist, his voice murmuring. “On three, we’re going to jump. The ledge is just below us. Ready?”

  She managed a nod as more dust and stones rained on them.

  “One…two…three.”

  The drop was short, the landing hard. Then he pushed her into the low-ceilinged cave, using his body to block the debris still rattling down.

  “You all right?” he asked as the noise subsided. His arms were wrapped tightly around her and her back was against stones. For a moment, she simply held on. She’d move as soon as her heart stopped pounding. Just one more minute.

  She made herself breathe. In. Out. “I’m fine.” Other than feeling like Chicken Little, she was. Still, she clung for one more moment, trying not to think of what might have happened if he hadn’t climbed up to get her. “I have to admit that white knights come in handy.”

  But it would be very dangerous to depend on one too much. She met his eyes. “I’m pretty sure I saw someone on the top of the cliff.”

  “Me, too.” Then he put a hand over her mouth and for a moment they both listened hard. The shower of rocks and pebbles had stopped. All she could hear in the silence was the call of a gull.

  Duncan whispered, “Stay here.”

  Then he rose and moved to the mouth of the cave. The moment he stepped out onto the ledge, she rose to her feet, but he stepped back in before she could reach him.

  “There’s no one up there now, but if we go out on that ledge or try to climb up, we could be sitting ducks. I figured we’d have more time before someone tracked us here.” He pulled out his cell, and then swore under his breath. “No signal.”

  “Well, as I see it, we have two alternatives. We can take our chances surviving more rock slides and climb down to the beach. Not my favorite plan. Or we can go ahead with our original idea,” she said. “We did come here to search the cave and look for Eleanor’s dowry. And since we risked life and limb to get this far, I say we forge ahead.”

  Duncan gave it some thought. The woman had guts and she was giving voice to his own instincts were telling him. “Whoever we saw up on the top of the cliff may decide to follow us.”

  “And run the risk of revealing himself or even getting caught?”

  “Point taken.” He pulled a flashlight out of his backpack and handed it to her. “You lead the way.”

  “This may be a tight squeeze for you. We’re both bigger than we used to be.”

  “I’ll manage.”

  Piper switched on the light and swept it over the walls. The area they stood in was roughly five feet deep, perhaps seven wide. The tunnel they entered offered even less space, and while she could walk upright, Duncan had to hunch over.

  “Just a warning,” she said. “If I see anything that moves, I’m screaming.”

  Duncan chuckled. “But you won’t be running away.”

  “Correct.” She stopped dead in her tracks when the tunnel widened into the second cave. “This is different.”

  Over her shoulder, Duncan saw the large boulder and the rocks of various sizes that now partially filled the space. Beyond the pile up of debris was an opening that appeared to be another tunnel.

  “Look.” She stepped to the side and ran her flashlight over everything so that Duncan could see. “That big boulder was blocking the tunnel to the third cave the last time I was in here.”

  “It’s been almost two decades,” Duncan said. “Plenty of time for things to shift around. You still game to lead the way?”

  “Absolutely.” She placed a hand against the wall to brace herself as she negotiated the fallen rocks toward the other tunnel.

  Duncan had to hunch down when the ceiling abruptly lowered, and before long, the tunnel began to slope upward. In his mind, he tried to picture where they were headed in terms of the land above them. Just when he’d decided they were walking roughly in the direction of the castle, the tunnel took a sharp turn to the left, then widened abruptly into a larger room that allowed him to fully stand for the first time.

  “Here’s the third cave,” she announced as she moved the flashlight slowly around the space.

  He spotted the small pile of rocks at the same instant that she froze the beam of light on it. The pile lay near a good-size boulder that had shifted and evidently tumbled loose from the arch of yet another tunnel directly across from the one they’d stepped out of.

  “I never saw that tunnel before,” she said. “It must have been completely blocked.”

  “Alba found the leather pouch containing the earring in a pile of rocks that had tumbled loose when lightning struck the stone arch,” Duncan said, urging her forward. They both dropped to their knees and began sorting through the pile near the side of the boulder. Then they began to work on the stones that were loose at the sides of the newly opened tunnel. Each one they dislodged seemed to loosen more.

  “Got something,” Piper said. The sound of her voice echoed in the space. When she pulled it out, Duncan recognized the leather pouch immediately.

  “It matches the one that your aunt Vi and Adair found the first earring in,” he murmured.

  Piper set it between them on the stone floor and then met his eyes. “Your theory. Maybe you should do the honors.”

  “No. You’re the one who found it.” Another part of Eleanor’s dowry would be inside, he was certain. But he still held his breath as she folded back the flap of leather and reached in. Even in the dim light, the gold of the earring glistened and the sapphire glowed. She lifted it out and offered it to him. When he clasped his hands around hers, the stone flashed even brighter, and Duncan felt that same, strong, sure connection to Piper that he’d first experienced on his mother’s wedding day. Time seemed to stand still.

  Then they heard a clatter of rocks.

  “Shhh,” Duncan breathed in answer to the question in Piper’s eyes. Only time would tell if the noise had been caused by some of the rocks they’d loosened on their journey or by someone who’d followed them.

  Seconds passed—five, ten, fifteen. Just as he was about to breathe again, there was a second scrape and clatter of stones. He leaned closer to whisper, “Someone’s in the tunnel we just came through.”

  If he’d been alone, he would have doused the light and waited at the side of the opening they’d just stepped through. But he wasn’t alone, and he
wanted a better tactical advantage and more data before he initiated a confrontation.

  He took the earring out of her hand and secured it in the leather pouch. Then he slipped it beneath his T-shirt and tucked it into his back pocket. Finally, he picked up the flashlight and rose to check out the tunnel the stones and boulder had tumbled from. It was smaller than either of the ones they’d walked through. But for now, it would offer some cover.

  “We’ll have to be quiet. C’mon.” He spoke the words lower than a whisper, but she rose and gripped his outstretched hand. Ducking his head, he led the way into the cramped space. Being quiet was easier said than done. But he let out the breath he’d been holding when he noted the rocks that had tumbled loose near the entrance gave way to smoother stones in a matter of a few yards. The bad news was that he couldn’t see a curve in the tunnel yet, and he had no idea where it would take them.

  But he could swear he felt the warmth of the sapphire through the thickness of the leather that enclosed it. Pausing, he glanced back. They’d come far enough that he could no longer see the room they’d left. But there was another clatter of rocks. He moved on, and within a few steps, the beam of the light illuminated the curve he was hoping for.

  Drawing her around it, he spoke in a hurried whisper. “I’m going to have to turn off the flashlight, but first, get the gun out of my backpack.”

  She didn’t hesitate a beat, but handled the task with the same ease and efficiency that she might have exerted if he’d asked for his water bottle. When he held out his hand, she placed the gun in it. “Now, switch places with me.”

  Once she had, he turned off the light, pitching them into total darkness. And waited. While they did, Duncan put himself into the mind of the person or persons who’d followed them into the cave. Whoever it was had to know that Piper wasn’t alone. If it was the person who was sending the flowers and the death threats, why would he or she make this move? Setting that minor avalanche of stones off the cliff—that he could see. But following them in here seemed reckless. Desperate.

  For now, he and Piper had a slight advantage. They weren’t moving. And there was a very good chance that their pursuer still was.

  At first the silence was so total that Duncan was sure he could hear the beat of his own heart. Then he heard what he’d been waiting for—the sound of more rocks being dislodged.

  But which ones?

  In his mind, he pictured the route they’d taken—the first pile of stones had been in the second of the caves he and his brother had played in as kids. So that’s where their pursuer must have been earlier. That meant he had to be in the cave they’d just left, the one that Piper had discovered, where they’d found the earring.

  Close, Duncan thought. He listened hard.

  Nothing. No more rocks shifted. And there was no conversation, not even a whisper sounded. Then the darkness in front of him lightened fractionally. Whoever it was had seen the tunnel and was shining a light into it. Beside him, Piper placed a hand on his back to indicate she’d seen it, too, but she remained perfectly still. Perfectly silent.

  A lone pursuer, Duncan guessed, who was weighing options. And listening for a sound—just as he and Piper were. To go forward or retreat? Pursuing them any farther was risky. Especially if your quarry knew you were coming. And in the silence, he had to at least suspect they did.

  Rocks tumbled again. Behind him, he heard Piper suck in a quiet breath. But the darkness was total once more. The next sound of stones came from farther away. Still, Duncan didn’t move and neither did she.

  He’d counted to twenty when Piper breathed. “He left.”

  “That’s the good news.”

  “What’s the bad?”

  “We can’t go out the way we came in. Whoever it is could be waiting. And that’s not the worst scenario.”

  “It can get worse?”

  “He could suspect we’re listening, and he could have retreated just to throw us off. Even now, he could be doubling back. That’s what I’d do.” He took her arm and urged her in front of him. “I’ll bring up the rear just in case.”

  8

  WITH ONE HAND PRESSED against the wall of the tunnel and the other out in front of her, Piper concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, testing each step as she went. Just think about that, she told herself. Worry later about who might have followed them into the cave and why.

  The stones beneath her palm were cool to the touch, some smoother than others. She couldn’t see a thing. And this tunnel could dead-end in front of them in a Hollywood minute.

  Don’t think about that. Instead, she pictured what the two of them must look like. With one hand clamped to her shoulder, Duncan was totally relying on her to lead the way. The perfect image of the blind leading the blind. Much better to think about that than to worry about the fact that his other hand was probably gripping that very large gun she’d found in his backpack.

  Seconds ticked into minutes, and she felt as if they were moving at a snail’s pace. But Duncan said nothing, and he didn’t have a problem with telling her what to do. She heard a whack, then Duncan’s quick intake of breath.

  “Hit my head,” he breathed. “Need a minute.”

  She used the time to reach up. The rocks overhead were only inches away, which meant that Duncan had to be practically crab-walking. In the short silence that stretched between them, she heard only the sound of their breathing.

  Then came the faint sound of rocks hitting other rocks.

  “He’s in the cave we just left,” Duncan whispered. “When I see a light behind us, I’ll let you know.”

  Oh, good, Piper thought. One more thing to be nervous about. What would they do then? Run?

  No, she wasn’t going to go there. In her mind, she corked up all the worries and started forward again. She was just going to pretend she was on her morning run—which she hadn’t had a chance to get in yet.

  In the next seemingly endless stretch of minutes, she imagined that she was passing the shoe store, the bookshop. All routine except she found that the floor of the tunnel was climbing upward more steeply. The walls had begun to press in, and they were suddenly not just cool to the touch, but damp.

  “The walls,” she whispered. “Touch them.”

  His hand left her shoulder for a moment. “Wet. But we’re not headed toward the lake.”

  “No.” This time she was the one who whacked her head hard. Stars spun in front of her eyes as she sank to her knees.

  “You all right?”

  “I think so.”

  Duncan’s arm was around her, and she felt his chest pressed hard against her back. Panic bubbled up. Whatever she’d rammed into had come up fast. Had they finally reached a dead end? She blinked once and then twice. It wasn’t just stars she was seeing. Ahead of her light penetrated the absolute darkness. And when she glanced down, she thought she could just make out her hands on the floor of the tunnel.

  In the silence, they could hear the scrape of something against stone. A shoe? A shoulder?

  But escape was in front of them. Piper was sure of it. “There’s got to be an opening up ahead,” she breathed. “It’ll be faster if we crawl.”

  Crawl they did. The incline was sharper now, but they were making better time. Rocks scraped against her hands. And she had to slow her pace twice to get the sweat out of her eyes. But the light ahead grew steadily stronger and suddenly she could hear the sound of water above the pounding of her heart.

  The area around them suddenly widened, and the shaft of light pouring in from above was blinding. She was still blinking against it when she heard Duncan grunting behind her. Turning, she saw he had his shoulder against a rock the size of a small boulder. In seconds he had it blocking the space they’d just crawled through. “Just in case,” he gasped.

  Then he gripped her waist and thrust her toward the opening above them. It wasn’t large, but the fresh air nearly made her giddy. She spotted the root of a pine. She clamped one hand over it and dug the
fingers of her other into the soil. Breathing hard, she pulled, twisted and muscled her way onto her belly. For one long moment, she was tempted to just lie there on the ground.

  But Duncan still had to get out. His push on her foot gave her the extra boost she needed to crawl all the way out. Rolling, she shoved to her feet in time to see the backpack appear in the opening. Then Duncan wiggled out. Good grief, she thought. Was he some kind of superhero? He gave her no chance to catch her breath. Instead, he said, “Help me with this one.”

  Together, they rolled the largest of the nearby rocks to cover the hole they’d crawled out of. “I don’t think they’ll get past the other blockade, but just in case.”

  Piper bent over, braced her hands on her knees and concentrated on taking deep breaths. She was on her second one when Duncan grabbed her hand. “Where are we?”

  She had to take a second to get her bearings. They’d climbed out of a wall of rocks that rose high to form a ledge. That, plus a glimpse of the pond beyond and the thundering noise of water falling, told her exactly where they were. “Tinker’s Falls.”

  Duncan gaze swept the small clearing. “The pond. That’s where we used to play water polo.”

  “It’s where you and your brothers used to play ‘Drown the MacPhersons,’” she said drily. “And imitate various superheroes by diving off the rock ledge.”

  “We were ten.”

  “You were jerks,” she said.

  As he reacquainted himself with the space, he’d already begun to get into the mind of the person who’d followed them. “How far away are the cliffs and the lake?”

  She was still dragging in air, fighting for oxygen as much as he was, but she knew exactly what he was thinking. Jerking her head toward the thick wall of tall pines to their left, she said, “Three minutes, tops. You think we can cut through the woods and beat him back there? Catch him?”

  “That’s the plan. Are you game?”

  Her answer was to tighten her grip on his hand and lead the way into the woods. The trees stretched high into the sky, blocking out any breeze and perfuming the air with their scent. In spite of the fact that there was no clearly delineated path, she set the pace at a jog, zigging and zagging between and around thick tree trunks. Twigs snapped underfoot, and brambles snatched at their clothes. Together they leaped over a fallen log that blocked their path.