“Shh.” Dar helped her stand up. “One thing at a time.” She stumbled over to where one collapsed wall revealed a storage closet, its contents spilling out. “There’s some sheets here. If I can find a knife…or…maybe I can rip them. I can make a sling for you.” She plucked at the linen. “Or maybe I can use a pillowcase…that’s smaller—”

“Dar,” Kerry supported her injured arm with her good one and made her way slowly over the debris, “why don’t you just use one of those?”

She indicated a canvas item dangling from a box, its straps hanging limply.

“Oh.” Dar retrieved the sling and climbed down. “Sorry.” She helped Kerry get it over her head and adjusted the buckles. “I’m not really thinking straight.”

Relieved by the support, Kerry tucked her fingers into Dar’s and led her back over to the one possible exit, a plate glass window now half crushed, its panes darkened. They both jerked as the ceiling settled and chunks of plaster rained down. “Okay.” Kerry’s voice wavered. “Now what?”

Dar faced the thick glass. “Guess we find out if all those years of martial arts were worth a damn.”

“Dar, you can’t—” Too late. Kerry felt the air move as her lover took a step back, then launched herself forward, turning and slamming the glass with a picture perfect kick. The surface buckled and with a surprising groan toppled outward, sending debris raining everywhere. “Wow.”

Outside the skewed sill the corridor wall had collapsed, leaving a tiny, triangular space near the floor, full of plaster chunks, that led into a further darkness.

“Guess we crawl.” Kerry sighed. “C’mon.” She sensed no motion behind her, so she turned. “Dar?”

Her lover was very still, one hand resting on the now empty frame, her eyes fixed on the tiny space left open to them.

“You okay?” Kerry came closer, peering up at her in the very dim light. “C’mon. Let’s get this over with. I want to see where everyone is.”

Dar’s jaw muscles twitched. “I can’t.” Her voice was hoarse.

“Wh—?” Kerry turned and looked at the opening, then back at her partner, seeing the sweat rolling down Dar’s face. “Oh my god. You’re claustrophobic?” The confirmation was clear by the expression. “Dar, it’s 370 Melissa Good the only way out.”

A visible shiver shook the taller woman.

Kerry fought the panic that nibbled at her. “Dar.” She took her lover’s hand, which was icy cold. “I’ll go first…okay? And you just come with me.”

“You go.” Dar’s voice cracked. “Get out of here.”

Kerry lifted a hand and touched her cheek, gaining eye contact.

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m not going without you. We both get out of here, or neither of us will.”

She had no choice. “I’ll try.” Dar allowed Kerry to very gently guide her to the window and paused. “Wait.”

The dimly seen pale eyes turned her way in question.

“Let me go first.”

She stepped over the sill and into a personal little Hell.

It would be belly crawling. Dar slowly got down on her knees and peered into the dark tunnel. I can’t do this. Already her hands were shaking and her stomach was in knots. Just the thought of going forward made her want to get up and run in the other direction.

She felt Kerry’s hand close on her calf. “Ready when you are,” the blonde woman’s steady voice prodded her and she reluctantly dropped down onto her hands, somehow forcing herself to move closer to that tiny, narrowing tunnel.

She couldn’t.

But she had to, for Kerry’s sake.

Just think about that, Dar. That’s what matters. Close your damn eyes, and just do it for her.

Kerry tensed her lips and watched Dar lower herself to the ground and start to crawl forward. She edged along after her, using an elbow and both knees, keeping her injured hand resting on Dar’s leg. She had no idea what it felt like to be claustrophobic, but she did know she’d never seen her lover so obviously coming apart. “Take it slow, okay? I’m short a paw.”

Dar had to smile a tiny bit at that. She kept her eyes firmly shut and kept moving, the first bit of the tunnel wide enough to admit her shoulders without touching. Okay. She could hear the rumble as the building settled again and a bit of rock fell on her back. It also felt warmer. She move a hand forward and sensed something close to her head, but opening her eyes only found shadows. She moved aside anyway. “Watch your head up here.”

“Okay.” Kerry’s muffled voice came back at her. “You doing all right?”

“Yeah.”

Her voice didn’t sound all right. Kerry inched forward, then yelped, as she put her hand on a nail.

“What?” Dar tried to turn around and realized she couldn’t. Her whole body shivered.

“It’s okay. Just a nail.” Kerry winced. “Go on.” The dust got in her Eye of the Storm 371

nose and she stifled a sneeze.

Now the walls were getting closer. Dar could feel the brushing against her arms and the top of her head and she ducked in reflex, becoming more and more uncomfortable.

A few more feet and she banged her head against a piece of debris and halted, now really feeling the tunnel pressing in on her. Cautiously, she felt ahead of her position, finding the space moving to the left, and getting lower and tighter. She also couldn’t feel any air coming down the tunnel and she hesitated, considering telling Kerry to just back up, that they couldn’t go any further.

Then she let her head drop and laid down on her belly, drawing in a breath full of concrete dust and fear. “Gets close up here,” she muttered hoarsely, preparing to crawl. Kerry’s presence suddenly came closer and she felt a hug around her leg, then a gentle pressure that sounded suspiciously like a kiss. “What was that?”

“Me saying thank you.”

“Uh huh.”

“C’mon, Dar. You’re always inviting people to kiss your ass. Who else but me would have the guts to actually do it?”

Dar bit her lip as her frame shook with an unexpected laugh. Then she faced the tunnel and crept forward, squirming through the tiny space, trying not to think of anything but the moment she’d be out of the damn place.

It got tighter and tighter and Dar had to force herself forward each small bit, battling her own mind as much as the uncomfortable space. She crawled determinedly around a crooked bend then halted, as her head banged into a piece of collapsed wallboard and the collision caused a heavy board to drop down over her shoulders and pin her in place.

She couldn’t move. Her hands pushed against the ground ineffectively and the board settled lower, shoving her face into the sharp rocks.

“Dar?” Kerry’s concerned tone floated forward.

Dar felt panic rising and she was almost helpless to stop it. She struggled, her breathing coming in short sharp gasps as she tried to dislodge the board.

“Hey…hey…take it easy. Let me…” Kerry’s hands moved up her.

“Oh…god. Okay, I can…damn it, this piece of… Dar, stop fighting it. Let me try to help.”

It was almost impossible to do. All her instincts were urging her to move. Twitching, she managed to hold herself still as Kerry worked at the obstacle, hampered by her injured arm.

“I think I can.” Kerry’s voice was strained. “Ow…oh, wait, I think I’ve got it.” She tensed her muscles and pulled backwards, feeling the wooden plank shift. “Ah. Hold on a minute there, Dar. I’ve almost—” The motion surprised her, and she jerked, then felt the walls around her start to move. “Oh…sh—” She managed to throw her body forward over Dar’s just as the tunnel collapsed around them, pinning them together and blocking any chance at retreat.


372 Melissa Good It was her worst nightmare come true and Dar found herself frozen, unable to move as her mind recognized what had just happened. They were trapped, with only a tiny bit of air.

They were going to die.

She could feel Kerry’s warm breath on her back, where the blonde woman was pinned as they lay in a momentary, numb silence.

Dar swallowed, already aware of the stuffiness of the air around her.

Her panic surprisingly receded and she turned her head to one side.

“Ker?”

“Mmm?”

“Doesn’t look good.”

“I know. I’m sorry, Dar. I thought I was helping.” Kerry pressed her face against Dar’s back, breathing in her familiar scent. “Are we out of options?”

“I think so.”

They were quiet for a few breaths. “I’m glad we’re together,” Kerry finally whispered.

Dar blinked in the darkness. “Me too.”

“I always thought I’d be scared…” Kerry fell silent as they listened to a soft rattle of debris falling and shifting, far away. “I guess this is where we’re supposed to say all sorts of profound things to each other.”

“I guess,” Dar replied. Thirty years. She reviewed them in silence.

And only the last one meant a damn thing. “I’m sorry we never got to go to Key West.”

Kerry felt sleepy. “Maybe in our next life,” she murmured, “we’ve had such a short time in this one.”

It’s always too short. Dar felt a tide of frustration well up inside her.

“Yeah.”

“I love you, Dar.” Kerry pressed her lips against the warm back.

She couldn’t answer for a minute, around the lump in her throat. “I love you, too,” she finally rasped. “You know you’ve been the best thing in my life, right?”

A sniffle. “Ditto.” Kerry sighed. “I wasn’t ready for this to happen,”

she murmured softly. “I just found what I wanted, Dar. I don’t want to give it up yet.”

“Me either.” Dar felt a deep sense of anger rising. She tensed her muscles and tried to straighten her body out as her feet gained a purchase on the fallen debris behind them. She could feel the heavy pressure of the wood over her shoulders and her spirit rebelled against its captivity. “I know it’s pointless, but…” She coiled her legs up and set her back against the wood.