Unlawful Chase by C.J. Schnier (new books to read .TXT) 📗

of the raging gasps my body demanded. I had enough experience to know all the dangers; I had to be careful. There was nobody to save me down here. A few breaths later, I had myself under control and worked at taking in my situation.

The walls of the sinkhole were sheer, completely vertical with parts worn smooth from aeons of erosion. There were no plants sprouting from the rock this far down, and as I followed the walls of the sinkhole, I could just make out the opening of the cave where I had fallen from. I had half expected to see Jaye Mercury looking down at me, but there was nothing but a break in the rock. I'm going to kill her if I ever get out of this mess.

I swam over to the rock walls of the sinkhole and tested them for handholds. It took a moment of studying the cliff face, but I finally located what looked to be a series of small, but usable outcroppings leading upwards. Seeing no other way out of my watery prison, I grabbed the first one with a dripping hand and attempted to haul myself upwards.

The rock held and my feet worked across the stone below the water before they too found purchase on the rock. I reached out for the next handhold and pushed up with my legs. I then searched for another place to put my feet and found one easily enough. Pushing up, I finally pulled myself completely out of the water.

I repeated the process again, moving my hands to new handholds, testing them, and then following with my legs. Progress was slow, but steady. My exhausted body, however, was struggling. I ignored my shaking arms holding me close to the wall and the throbbing of my raw fingers clinging to the rock.

I dug down deep and pushed on, but as I climbed, the route became harder and more technical. The next handhold required a leaping lunge up and to my left, to a rock protruding from the wall, roughly the size and shape of a rugby ball. I collected my thoughts and focused, knowing I only had one chance at this. Coiling my muscles, I exploded up and to the left.

My hands grasped the large rock and clasped around it. My legs swung under me from the momentum, but my grip held. Then the rock shifted and let loose entirely from the wall. Air rushed past me as I fell. I pushed the rock away from me just before I landed back in the shimmering clear pool.

The water drowned my frustrated scream, and a stream of bubbles trailed me back to the surface. I looked up to where the rock had been on the wall and was dismayed to find what looked like a slanted and smooth hole. Even from thirty feet away I could tell it wouldn't provide a good handhold, especially considering I would have to jump to reach it.

I studied the wall, but could find no other route. You're going to die down here, Chase. No! I had to live. It's what Kelly would have wanted. I redoubled my efforts, searching, but could come up with no options.

A quick glance overhead told me it wouldn't be long before the sun set. Another hour, two at most. The thought of spending the night floating alone in the dark, waiting for death, did not appeal to me. Think Chase, there must be something you're missing, I thought to myself. But what? What was I missing?

A few leaves floated by underwater, grabbing my attention as I pondered my situation. I watched, fascinated but unsure why, until I saw the leaves approach the wall and disappear into a crease in the rock. A current! If there was a current, the water had to go somewhere.

Desperate, I swam over to the wall, calmed myself and dove straight down. Immediately, I wished for my face mask. The light was dim enough now I had to rely more on feel than sight as I explored the wall. I progressed slowly, sinking deeper and deeper as I felt my way down the rock. Where is it? I know it's here somewhere. There! The wall unexpectedly opened up into a wide hole. I checked my dive watch; I was forty-three feet below the surface. Even with my blurred underwater vision, I could see there was a faint light illuminating the far end.

The tunnel was over a thousand feet long. It would be a dangerously long swim. If I had my diving gear, I would have thought nothing of it. But here, with baggy clothes causing excessive drag, and a pair of shoes that did more to hinder me than help, I wasn't sure it was a doable distance. I checked the roof of the cave and found what I was looking for a couple hundred feet in.

The unmistakable shimmer of the water's surface gave me hope. There was an air pocket trapped at the top of the tunnel. I had a rest stop, which meant I could explore at least a little farther. There was no guarantee that I would find a way out by following the current, though. It was just as likely to turn into an underground river as it was to lead me to safety. But I didn't have a choice. If I stayed here, I would die for sure.

I swam back up and caught my breath. While recuperating, I removed my shoes and tied them to one of my belt loops to keep from losing them. I concentrated on my breathing, taking slow and steady breaths. Some people tried hyperventilating before a long dive, but I knew that was foolish and dangerous. Through months of practice, I had worked out the proper routine for my body to allow maximum time underwater. A couple of minutes later, just as the last rays of sun climbed out of the sinkhole, I dove under the surface in one last desperate swim for