***
Jill finished her last minute packing, and noticed her hands shaking ever so slightly. I need to calm down. I don’t want Jack to think I’m nervous.
She lifted her heavy pack and slipped the shoulder straps over her arms. She walked to the starting line with Jack and waited for their turn to start. The teams were instructed that they would be released at fifteen-minute intervals, and would have to run to a specific location that was designated on a map. The map would be handed to them sixty seconds before they started, and they would be told that upon arriving at the shooting location they’d have five minutes to shoot three targets. Their score would be the sum of all three targets. In case of a tie, the fastest time would be the winner.
Jill and Jack were the first to go. Jill, while waiting for the official to give them the map, noticed Jack was standing next to her with his eyes closed.
“What’s the matter, Savage? Do you have a headache?”
“No, ma’am. I am concentrating on relaxing because I needed to control my nerves. I want just enough adrenalin to keep my mind sharp, but not enough that would push me to the point of making mistakes.”
“Umm.” Jill’s mind drifted toward her relationship with Jack. She wished that he wanted her, not in a sexual way—well, at least not now—but in a military way. She wanted him to know that their sniper team had two persons on it for a reason. She didn’t know much about Jack, other than what his file said. This competition was important because it could develop respect between them. What is Jack’s weak spot? What does he want from the Army that he doesn’t already have?
The soldier with the stopwatch and clock walked toward them. He pulled out the map, handed it to them, and said, “In sixty seconds you can go.” He clicked his stopwatch as their hands simultaneously grabbed for the map.
“I’ve got it,” Jack spoke firmly.
Jill looked over his shoulder. I am willing to let you take the lead occasionally, but I still have rank over you, and if I have to, I’ll speak my mind and let you know who’s really in charge.
Jack turned the map so it pointed in the direction they needed to go. “Rats, we either cross the mountain, or swim the swamp.”
“Not much of a choice, is it?” Jill concurred.
They both paused and studied the map in silence. They had another forty-five seconds before they would begin their venture.
Jill was the first to speak. “What is that?” She pointed to some faint dotted lines on the map that crossed through the middle of the mountain.
“It could be an old mine of some kind. It might work, or it might be a big mess. It could also be a trap; the Army might want us to try that.” Jack pondered the options.
“If we go to the entrance of the mine, we could either go through the mine, or over the mountain. A quick evaluation at the entrance to the mine might give us enough info to make an intelligent decision.” Jill was thinking as fast as she could. They were almost out of time.
“Jill, I like that idea.”
The timer saw his stopwatch approaching sixty seconds and he yelled, “Ready. Set. Go!”
Jill followed Jack as he began running as for the base of the mountain. It was hard for her to keep up with Jack. He was running full speed. Jill watched him as he ran with the 50-cal in his right hand. Sure enough, he soon changed it to his left hand. Then soon after that he switched it back to his right hand.
Jill was huffing and puffing after a short distance. She knew this was going to be tough. She was a girl, medium frame, but at least she was in good shape. She ran two miles every morning. Her runs always included some sprinting to help her when she needed it in times like this. Her mind focused on running like a deer. She used smooth but fast movements that did not jostle her pack. That conserved her energy, and then she wouldn’t need as many rest breaks.
Jack glanced back at Jill and yelled, “You were right about running with this 50-cal. It is unbalanced.”
Jill almost stopped in her tracks. Savage actually admitted that I was right. Wow. I’m making progress.
Jill changed her speed slightly to find a comfortable pace while she was getting used to the weight and rhythm of her pack. She worried about finding the mine entrance. It might be hard to find. Would it be covered with brush, or hidden by trees? Would there be any roads or trails going to it that would be visible?
After the first mile, Jill slowed and yelled, “Jack, how about some water?”
Jack slowed, turned and nodded. He was out of breath and wasn’t able to speak for his heavy breathing. Jill pulled her water bottle out, unscrewed the cap and handed it to Jack. He took two large swallows. Jill also took two large gulps. She swallowed the first and held the second in her mouth to quench her thirst. Then she screwed the lid back on and they began running again. The brief pause hydrated her dry mouth and refreshed her sore muscles.
The mountain grew nearer, and Jill looked for any roads or trails that could lead them to the mine. She glanced up at the mountain. It was two thousand feet high, a mile across, and covered with rocks, trees, and thick vegetation. She didn’t say anything to Jack, but she silently hoped that they did not have to climb it.
They were close to the mine, and she looked left and right for any signs of the entrance. Jack spotted an old trail. It was barely visible. They followed it in the direction of the mountain. The trail was often covered with brush or broken tree branches and that would cause them to lose the trail. Then, they would have to stop and walk in ever increasing circles until they found the trail again. This worked three times, but the fourth time they lost the trail, they couldn’t find it again. They were lost. They stood silently and stared at the dirt as they pondered their plight.
“Savage, what would happen if we went past the entrance to the mine?”
Jack paused while he thought about her comment. “We wouldn’t be able to find the trail, because there would be no trail.”
They both turned and began running back the way they came. Jill focused on the surroundings and noticed a tall pile of brush between two trees. Drawing close she could see the darkness of the mine entrance. Jack pulled the brush back, and Jill pulled her flashlight out of her backpack. She turned on her flashlight and said, “I hope you are not afraid of the dark.” I hope Savage knows I’m joking.
Entering the mine, Jack pulled the brush across the entrance behind them. “I don’t want it to be easy for the others to find the entrance.”
They walked slowly at first, letting their eyes adjust to the darkness as they examined the ceiling, walls and floor.
“Jill, I am going to keep an eye out for any rotted beams that could fail and cause a cave-in.”
“Good idea. I am going to keep a look-out for spiders and rats.” I’m not joking now, but I hope Savage thinks I am.
After four hundred feet, they noticed that the walls were changing color. They were now a distinctive black.
“Anthracite,” Jack said.
“Hmm, an old coal mine.”
“That means there won’t be any more timbers to rot, so we don’t have to worry about cave-ins,” Jack said.
“And no food for spiders, or rats.”
They began to pick up the pace. They came to a narrow section and Jill brushed against the wall. She looked at her sleeve. In the glow of her flashlight she could see dark coal dust clinging to her clothing.
The straps on Jill’s pack were cutting into her shoulders, and her thighs were burning as she jogged into the darkness of the tunnel. Nonetheless, Jill thought about how much harder it would have been to climb the mountain. If they had, they both would have been so tired it would have had a significant impact on their shooting ability.
The tunnel was straight, but there were large caverns on each side where anthracite had been removed by the miners. Old picks, shovels, and miner lanterns were strewn throughout the tunnel and caverns.
“I think we must be near the end of the tunnel,” Jill said.
“I hope so. I’m ready fo
r some fresh air and sunshine,” Jack replied.
“Mmm.”
After another six hundred feet, Jack said, “Why don’t we see any light at the end of tunnel?”
Jill shined the flashlight away from the floor and toward the end of the tunnel. Shining it down the long straight tunnel she said, “Jack, do you see what I see?”
Jack paused and squinted. “I hope I don’t see what I think you see.”
They both bolted full speed to cover the next six hundred feet. Jill’s flashlight jiggled as she ran so they were not able to see details very well. But as they got closer, it became obvious that they both saw the same thing—a cave in. They stopped at the base of the pile of coal that covered the mine from wall to wall and floor to ceiling. They stood in silence as they looked at the coal.
“We should have used my idea and gone over the mountain,” said Jack.
“You didn’t have any better ideas, and agreed to this. So either work with me like a teammate, or else.”
“Okay, so I didn’t have any other ideas. We got ourselves into a real mess. I don’t think we are going to win the competition after all.”
Jill and Jack both plopped down on the dusty black floor of the mine and a plume of the coal dust rose to cover their feet and legs. Jack pulled out his flashlight and they both began sweeping the pile of coal and walls of the cave with their beams of light, looking for a way out.
“It is okay to hope,” Jill murmured under her breath.
“What did you say?”
“Never mind.” Jill thought about her mother’s encouragement to Jill when she struggled to pass physics at the academy.
There was silence as they both continued scanning the pile of coal that separated them from the end of the tunnel.
“What’s that?” Jill’s flashlight traced long scratch marks on the walls and ceiling.
Jack’s beam joined hers as he traced the strange markings on the walls and ceiling. “It looks like someone was trying to dig with a pick. Maybe they were trying to dig their way out.”
“But why do that if they could just go out the way we came in?” Jill asked.
She pondered the marks and continued sweeping the beam of her flashlight across the walls and ceiling.
“Maybe instead of trying to get out they were trying to keep us from getting out,” Jack pondered.
“What do you mean?” Jill asked.
“I wonder if the Army purposely made this cave-in to discourage people like us. Maybe the end of the tunnel is right on the other side of this cave-in.”
Jill wished that she had thought of that, but nonetheless was glad one of them did. With that, Jill slipped out of her pack, and started pulling out the chunks of coal as fast as she could. She tossed them behind herself and was careful not to hit Jack. Jack set his 50-cal gently on the floor so he did not jar the scope, and began pulling out large pieces of coal. For three minutes they huffed and puffed as they tossed the chunks of coal behind themselves. Each piece gave up a small black plume as it landed on the floor of the mine. They both broke a heavy sweat, and wiped their faces periodically to keep the sweat out of their eyes. It was only a minute later that Jill spoke, “Light, I see light!”
“Ha, the Army can’t fool us.” Jack worked even faster.
Two minutes went by and the opening was large enough for both to go through. Jill went first. Then Jack gently pushed his 50-cal through the opening to Jill, followed by Jill’s backpack. Then he slithered through the opening.
In the bright sunlight, Jill quickly put on her pack and Jack picked up his rifle. Then they glanced at each other. Simultaneously, they both broke out in laughter.
“You look awful,” Jack said. Black coal dust covered Jill from head to toe except for two round skin colored holes centered on each eye.
“That is the nicest thing you have said to me all day!” Jill laughed as she looked at the thick layer of black coal dust covering Jack and his rifle.