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"I'm hungry too," a third man announces. "Let's get those granola bars."
The two starved men trot across the cavern to where we'd left our backpacks.
"Mine is the one with the star logo on the front," I tell them. "The granola bars are in the smaller zipper pocket on the front."
One man rips open the zipper pocket and grabs a handful of foil-wrapped bars. "Chocolate chip. Oh, yeah, this'll do."
The two men start chowing down, paying no attention to me, Munro, or their comrades. The guard in the passageway has moved just past the big slab, and only his shadow tells me he's still there. The two guys left in here with us, the ones who aren't stuffing their faces, watch their comrades instead of us. That makes me wonder… Since Frisk had taken one of his men with him and Errol, and he ordered a second man to guard the passageway, leaving four men here in the entrance cavern with me and Munro…could we effect some kind of escape? Not to leave without Errol. Just to get away from these men. They don't know the layout of the underground cavern network.
Since the thugs have congregated on the opposite side of the cavern, I decide to risk whispering to Munro. "Got any ideas? We need to overpower those men somehow. Don't trust Frisk not to kill us all once he gets what he wants."
"I agree. If we could get to Errol's bag of explosives, I think I saw some flash bangs in there. Those are grenades that don't explode. They create a blinding flash of light and a bang so loud it will disorient your enemy."
Yeah, I've heard of those. But could Munro and I pull that off? We need to try.
Because I don't trust Frisk not to kill Errol.
"I have an idea," I tell Munro. "Just follow my lead, okay?"
He eyes me sideways, then sighs and nods.
I stand up and cross my legs. "Um, guys, I have a small problem."
The two creeps who are standing up rotate toward me, while their buddies remain hunched over my backpack. One of the upright creeps rakes his gaze over me. "What is it, babe? Did you get tired of Scottish losers and want to try some red-blooded American fun?"
"I need to pee. Like, really bad. If I wet my pants, you guys will have to smell it until your boss comes back."
The man curls his lip. Then he glances at his buddy. "What do you think, Unger? Should we take her outside to, ya know, relieve herself?"
"No, Milliken. You're such an idiot. Dump the girl in the pool. She can do it there."
"What if she drowns? Boss won't be happy."
Unger makes an irritated noise. "Fine. But if you lose her, Frisk will have your head."
One of the men kneeling beside my pack pauses in wolfing down a granola bar. "Boss told us never to leave one of these jerks alone. Two escorts, at least."
"Fine," Unger snarls. "I'll schlep out into the hot sun to make sure one measly little girl doesn't overpower poor Milliken."
Unger and Milliken march over to me, each seizing one of my arms, and half drag me out the doorway into the sunlight.
A scuffle erupts inside the cavern. Men shout. The whump of a powerful gut punch echoes in the space.
"What the fuck?" Unger says.
Then a gunshot detonates.
Chapter Thirty-One
Errol
"What the bloody hell was that?" I whirl around, but I can't see the entrance cavern. We've traveled too far into the network of chambers. But I know that was a gunshot, and every cell in my body has turned to ice. "We need to get back there and—"
"No, Errol. My men have shot your cousin, I imagine. He seems like exactly the type who would try something stupid." Frisk jams his gun into my back. "Keep moving."
Like hell I will. We've just reached the hinged slab that had concealed the mummy chamber. That means I have one chance to get this bastard off my back. He made me hold the lantern, so I shut it off.
Then I spin around and punch Frisk in the gut. He grunts. Shuffling sounds follow. I switch the light on again to see thebod ceanndoubled over, struggling to catch his breath. He won't get the chance. I punch him in the jaw and kick him in the shin. Frisk shouts and stumbles sideways. The gun pops out of his grasp, and I snatch it up.
