Catalyst Read online

  Catalyst

  Ross Richdale

  © 2011 Ross Richdale

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  *

  There is an a cave-in at Misty Depths Catacombs, Wyoming and Renee Bonnet finds herself stranded with a broken ankle and two strangers, Lem, a business man and a runaway teenager, Courtney. The cave is the catalyst but the events depend on the new catalyst, Renee, who finds herself drawn into the lives of her companions

  Catalyst is a gripping action story of three people trapped in a cave together. They learn to trust and depend on each other not knowing whether they will survive the ordeal or not. It is a romantic drama that combines the sheer force of nature with the frailty of human emotions, greed, jealousy, passion, companionship and love.

  This is a rescue story that does not stop when the victims are rescued but continues, as real life does, to mould new lives for the lonely characters.

  Chapter 1

  Renee Bonnett was scared, really scared. Her heart raced as another cloud of fine dust clouded her safety glasses but she did not dare move her sweaty hands from the wall to wipe them clean.

  Take slow deep breaths and relax, she advised herself. Yes, that was easy to say in the security of the small reception room of the national park service building. Why did she insist on avoiding the commercialized cave of Wyoming Bighorn Caverns for the unexplored Misty Depths Catacombs nearer the Montana border? Was she trying to prove something to herself again or had the name attracted her?

  She swallowed, shook a strand of auburn hair aside, and turned her head. The light from the helmet's flashlight moved with her to cast an eerie beam along the wall. Half a dozen paces ahead, Sam, their Native American guide, turned and grinned. .

  "How's it going?" he asked.

  "Fine," she lied and attempted deep breathing.

  "The roof gets lower but this is as narrow as it goes," Sam continued.

  That was all she needed.

  The cave was barely six feet wide at this point, but one redeeming factor was the ceiling that towered into darkness above them and gave some feeling of space to relieve the claustrophobia. After an hour of narrow, twisting passages, Renee was ready to return to the main cavern but the other three plodded relentlessly on.

  "It gets to you a bit." A second male voice said from behind.

  Renee turned, her flashlight picked up the speaker and she smiled. This quiet guy, Lem she remembered his name was, had spoken little during their expedition, but when he did his voice sounded reassuring. It was as if he knew she was anxious. He was third in line with a teenage girl whose name she'd forgotten, came up in the rear.

  "Yes," she replied. "I love the huge caverns with the stalactites and stalagmites, but these narrow passages…" Her voice trailed off.

  "You're lucky," Lem said. "I'm so wide I reckon I'll be wedged like a cork in a bottle if it gets any narrower, while you'll stroll along as if it was High Street."

  "Doubt it," she replied and had to chuckle. His bulky jacket, one with zip pockets everywhere, did make him look rotund.

  His chatter helped her gain confidence as she concentrated on the next section. The cave twisted so much that her companions were often out of sight with only their flashlight beams dancing along the walls beside her. Their heavy breathing and the crunch of footfalls provided the security she needed as she bowed her head to avoid hitting the limestone above.

  "A short section on all fours is coming up." Sam's voice floated back and Renee had to smile at Lem's audible sigh.

  All fours!

  Hell, it was slithering forward on one's stomach and worse, far worse, than anything yet encountered. She used elbows and knees to propel her body forward so she shut her eyes and tried to imagine a blue sky above.

  "This is the bit where it's so much easier for you," Lem panted from behind. "I think I'd better take my jacket off."

  His flashlight dropped back. Renee swallowed and wriggled on until the walls parted, the ceiling disappeared into darkness, and they could stand again. She accepted a fruit bar distributed by Sam and wiped her safety glasses.

  "How are you, now?" Lem asked

  "Not too bad, thanks," she replied with forced lightness. "That last bit was claustrophobic, though."

  "I'm hot," Sam confessed and removed the backpack he was carrying. "The main cavern makes it all worthwhile. We can take a different route back. It's longer, but isn't such a squeeze."

  "Now he tells us," Lem said with a chuckle.

  ****

  Renee was in the next narrow section when a distant rumble became a roar. The walls gyrated. Before her mind could comprehend what was happening the ceiling split open and a deluge of gray earth dropped in front of her eyes.

  It was sheer terror. Flashlight beams twisted around and disappeared. In complete darkness, she felt gritty sludge grip her body. It was as if some giant was rubbing sandpaper down her body. The air filled with choking dust, stung her eyes, and she couldn't breathe.

  Seconds later, another sensation pierced her petrified mind… she was falling.

  A hollow rasping scream that ricocheted from a dozen places was her own, for she was not a narrow passage but a massive open space. The darkness spun, her head hit something hard and her helmet banged. The sensation of vertigo filled her mind, her stomach lurched and she felt dizzy and disoriented. Her limbs stung from gravel burns. She heard a sort of clunk and excruciating pain shot through her right foot. Something was wrong!

  After an eternity it seemed, she landed on something soft, heard a gasp, and realized there was a person beneath her.

  More sensations.

  The falling motion stopped, but she still slid on a pile of debris. Her flashlight and helmet had gone. Choking chalk dust filled her mouth. A guttural cough cleared this, but the particles continued to tickle her throat. Lem slipped by in a pile of rubble with his flashlight lighting up a million dust particles. Beyond him, another flashlight jerked haphazardly.

  At least she wasn't alone. Her leg hit something and she shrieked. It was too painful; her mind could not cope and she slumped unconscious onto a cavern floor.

  ****

  "Hi Renee," said the soft voice. "Can you hear me?"

  Renee felt an arm around her shoulders and a cold moist object pressed to her lips. God, her mouth was like chalk. She sipped. Water shot into her mouth to send her into a spasm of coughing as she opened her eyes.

  "Take it slowly, now," Lem said and held the plastic mug to her mouth again.

  "What happened?" Renee gasped and attempted to sit up. A spasm of pain shot up her right side.

  "You twisted or broke your ankle, I'm afraid," Lem said. "Otherwise, I think you're fine. It's good to have someone to talk to."

  Renee pushed her hands back, and with Lem's help, managed to pull herself up into a sitting position. She glanced around and saw millions of tiny blue pinpoints of light far above. Could they be outside in the darkness? It was warm and still with Lem's helmet flashlight the only source of illumination.

  "Where are we?" She gasped.

  "A cavern. Those are glowworms above us."

  "But how?"

  "I'm not sure. When we were walking along the passage I heard a rumble and glanced up to see the ceiling coming down. I fell and just kept going. The floor wasn't there any longer."

  "That's rig
ht. I remember seeing the ceiling collapse."

  "Yeah." The man grinned and held out the mug of water. "We dropped twenty feet and slid a couple hundred more. Your ankle was probably caught between some rocks. When we reached the bottom I saw it was twisted. Both of you were out cold."

  "Both of us? Who else is here?"

  "Courtney, the youngster who was behind me. She was knocked out in the fall."

  Renee muttered, "What about the guide?"

  "Sam's nowhere around, so chances are he wasn't caught in the landslide. Our backpacks came with us and I found a coil of rope. Sam probably tossed it down for us to use and has gone back to get help. It'll be three hours at least before anybody can get back to us. We're a fair way down." Lem shrugged. "My biggest casualty is my jacket. I can't find it anywhere. Remember, I'd just taken it off. It's a pity. I had bits and pieces in my pockets."

  Renee studied her companion for the first time when he stood and walked a few paces to examine the girl. Lem would be a few years older than her. He was clean-shaven with a five o'clock shadow across his tanned face. His dark hair receded, but like his weight, did not detract from his muscular appearance.

  Lem glanced up. "It's the bump I'm worried about," he said in a soft voice as he unfastened the girl's helmet and placed it on the ground. "She got a real wallop on the head. The helmet absorbed most of the blow, but a bruise is appearing."

  He held the long blonde hair up to show an egg-shaped bruise behind the left ear.

  "Are you a doctor?" Renee asked.

  "No such luck," Lem replied and chuckled. "I've done a couple first aid courses. That's about the limit of my medical knowledge."

  He placed his backpack under Courtney's head, rubbed her hands, and gave her a gentle shake. Apart from a slight moan, there was no reaction, so he covered her with a jacket and turned back to Renee.

  "At least it's warm in here," she said.

  "These deep caves usually are," Lem commented. "It could be a hundred degrees outside or freezing below, but in here it stays about seventy all year round."

  Their eyes linked and they both smiled.

  Renee coughed, grimaced in pain, and looked past her companions. Three stalagmites stood like Roman columns a few feet away. Beyond was darkness with no sign whatsoever of the hole they'd fallen through. In the opposite direction, the glowworms seemed a hundred miles away. She pushed her good leg through loose white dust and wriggled her bottom into a more comfortable position.

  "Well, I'd rather be here than in that narrow tunnel," Lem said. He frowned at Renee's dysfunctional leg. "I'll get us something to eat. I'm sure it's about time we got stuck into those prepackaged lunches we were given."

  "No thanks," Renee answered. "I doubt if my stomach could handle anything at the moment, but I wouldn't mind more to drink."

  "Sure," Lem replied. "Hot or cold? There's a thermos bottle of coffee."

  "Coffee please, but what about yourself? Did you get hurt during your fall?"

  "Abrasions and bruises. Nothing worse. I guess I was lucky." He stood up. "I'll get the coffee."

  ****

  Two hours turned into three and then into four, but Lem's constant prattle kept Renee optimistic. Their younger companion woke to a semi delirious state and was violently ill. Though open, the girl's eyes rolled into her head and she did not respond to Renee or Lem's voices. After jerking in a spasm she lapsed back into unconsciousness.

  "Concussion," Lem muttered as he felt the girl's pulse. "I think she's over the worst, though."

  Renee nodded. "Poor kid. I hope Sam arrives back soon."

  Though she didn't want to burden Lem by complaining she didn't feel good. Her body ached and her head thumped in a terrible headache.

  Lem glanced at her and frowned. "I'll get you more painkillers," he whispered.

  "More?"

  Lem reddened in the glare of the flashlight. "I added a dose to that water I gave you," he admitted. "Some object to pills, but you weren't in a better state than Courtney is now so I..." He gave a shrug.

  "I don't have any hang-ups," Renee said. "Well, no health ones. If it helps to relieve the pain, I'm all for it."

  She appreciated this considerate man and was curious about him. In the hours they were together he'd said nothing about his personal life. They'd talked about caves, tourism, a bit on current events, but nothing personal.

  "Do you mind if I turn the light out?" Lem's voice interrupted her thoughts. "It might pay to conserve power."

  "Sure, go ahead."

  Nothing else was said, but Lem's voice gave her the impression he was concerned about the time that had gone by. Blackness soon became gray with the closer cave walls visible. Overhead, the number of tiny pins of blue glowworm lights multiplied by the minute, like a gigantic cathedral. Accompanying the view was complete silence, seldom noticed on the surface with the usual wind, insects, birds and noises of human habitation.

  "It's beautiful," she murmured. "I never realized there were so many glowworms."

  "It is," came the reply. "They respond to noise, you know. Make a loud sound and they switch off. They're one of the few sources of cold light in our world."

  ****

  When Renee forced her eyes open her headache had gone and her damaged leg felt numb rather than painful. The sound of sighing reached her ears. She listened and heard gentle snores and silence before the noise began again. Lem was a lump in the darkness a few feet away, while elsewhere only the familiar glowworms and the faint outline of the cave wall could be seen.

  "Oh, damn," muttered a female voice.

  Renee forced herself into a sitting position and strained her eyes. "Courtney?"

  The teenager leapt around in fright and two blue eyes focused on her. She was a blonde girl of average build who wore a loose-fitting sweater and jeans.

  "I need to get to the toilet, but with Lem here?"

  "There's a trowel with our gear. Go and dig a hole. A toilet roll is in my backpack."

  "Thanks," the teenager replied with a tone that sounded anything but thankful. She stood, found the necessary commodities and disappeared into the darkness.

  Renee grinned but her expression changed to a frown after she glanced at her watch. It was almost midnight. The accident had happened nine hours before. Why hadn't a rescue team arrived? She forced herself into a standing position to relieve cramps and was about to look for something to munch when the girl returned with a sheepish expression.

  "I'm sorry I growled, Renee," she said. "You were asleep earlier when Lem explained what had happen. God, I was sick as a dog but he just chatted away." She looked at Renee's ankle. "Look, relax. I'll help. What do you want?"

  "No, it's okay," Renee replied. "I need to restore my circulation, that's all."

  Courtney opened the backpacks and found two apples, a fruit bar and a couple boxes of raisins. She smiled, handed half the food to Renee, sat down and bit into the apple. "Damn mess we're in, isn't it?"

  "The rescuers will be here soon."

  "You hope. I reckon if they were going to come they'd be here now."

  "They'll come. Even if Sam didn't get to the surface, our names are registered at the park headquarters."

  "Pity," the girl whispered.

  Renee stared at the newcomer with concern. "What do you mean?"

  "Oh nothing. It came out wrong. For Lem and your sakes, I hope they find us." She turned to glance at the sleeping man. "For someone his age, he's a great guy, isn't he?"

  Courtney's cynical remarks did not go unnoticed but Renee decided not to press for an explanation. "Yes, Lem couldn't have been more helpful," she replied. "I like him too but tell me, how are you?"

  "Better now, thanks. That's if I don't count the woozy stomach, sore throat and thumping head." The teenager studied Renee. "Are you a teacher? You sound like one."

  "No." Renee said with a laugh. "A lawyer, actually."

  "Young for that caper, aren't you? The only young lawyers I know are on TV programs. In real life
they're all old farts."

  "Well, I just graduated two years ago and I'm a junior assistant with a law firm in a town north of Seattle."

  "Never been out there," Courtney continued. "This is as far west as I've ever been."

  "So where's your hometown?"

  "Nowhere," the girl retorted. "I was in Florida before I decided to try it here. I was told smaller places are better for jobs."

  "I see," Renee replied. "And have you got one?"

  "Yeah, at a local motel." She shrugged. "The pay's lousy but at least I'm treated like a person here and get a cabin to live in. When I'm not working I like to get out into the wilderness." She gave a slight grin. "This is my first time in a cave."

  Renee frowned. Courtney was no more than eighteen and in spite of her efforts to cover it, had an educated quality to her voice. Why wasn't she graduating from high school and moving onto college instead of doing low paid manual labor?

  "You disapprove?" Courtney said with a glare.

  "No. Curious, that's all. I'm sorry to sound presumptuous but I wonder why you seem alone and doing a manual job. All your mannerisms point to a well-educated young lady."

  "That obvious, is it?"

  Renee nodded

  "And what do you damn know about life?" The girl's voice rose an octave.

  Renee sighed. "As I said, I'm sorry Courtney. What you're doing is none of my business."

  "Yeah," Courtney turned away. "That's the trouble in this country."

  "What's that?"

  "Nobody cares about anything. If I'd been killed today, I'd rank half an inch on page thirty-two of the local paper. However, if I shot a couple tourists in the process, I'd be a headline across the world. Only the nuts are noticed today."

  "Possibly but does it matter what others think? It's what you are that's important."

  "To whom?"

  "Yourself, your friends and family."

  "They don't care," the girl whispered.

  "So you had trouble at home?" Renee replied.

  "Yeah, you could say that." She turned and walked off into the gloom.

  Renee stared into the darkness and cursed the broken leg.

  'Don't worry." Lem's voice interrupted her thoughts. "She sounds like a typical strung out teenager."