Story 24 - Part 3 - Courage

His uncle was back in three minutes. Carmine stood in front of everyone with a slight look of amusement. It was obvious that the news was not entirely good. From what Tech had heard, an old rope had snapped and blocked off their exit.

“So we have a few options,” Carmine finally said. “By the looks of it, it would probably take me a couple of hours to fix what happened, and I don’t actually know if the rope I have with me is long enough.”

“So we’re trapped?” Mrs. Agent Salazar squeaked out.

“Options are that you wait here for several hours, or that we go out another way.”

“There’s another way?” Ruke asked.

“It’s…not as user friendly as the other way,” Uncle Car explained. “Unfortunately, it is the option I suggest because I don’t think I’d be able to fix things before dark.”

Tech nodded in agreement. He had never been in the place after dark, but his uncle was very adamant about that rule. Tech had to admit that this place, as cool as it was, started to give him goose bumps the closer it got to dark, and it was not just because of the temperature.

“Define not user friendly,” Agent Wilson demanded.

“It takes about an hour and a half to get through,” Carmine explained. “And it involves things like crossing a chasm of doom and a few other traps.”

--Why have you never showed me this way?-- Tech asked.

“For those reasons I just stated,” his uncle answered. “It’s a way out that I would prefer you never use because it also involves going through a crypt and tombs.”

“What?!” Mrs. Salazar cried out. “Is this a joke?”

“No,” Carmine stated. “I’m really sorry. I should have checked that before we entered. This situation is entirely my fault.”

Tech had to admit that his uncle did look a little embarrassed. It did not seem like Carmine to forget something that should have been important, but the more Tech had thought about it the more he realized that his uncle had not actually been out here climbing in several months. Just like Tech always had to alert Uncle Car to his exploration, Carmine always let Tech know when he was going.

“An hour and a half through a crypt?” Agent Moto asked.

“I refuse,” Mrs. Salazar said. “I absolutely refuse. How did I get talked into coming here? If Driver knew about this I am going to make him regret it.”

“I sincerely doubt he did,” Mr. Salazar assured his wife. “And I think you can do it. It’s not like you’ll be going through alone.”

“I can take on hostage situations, gangsters, and submarines, but I draw the line at ghosts.”

“There are no ghosts,” Uncle Car sighed. “There is nothing of that nature that you need to be afraid of at this time in the afternoon. The scariest thing is probably going to be crossing the chasm of doom.”

--Is that seriously what it’s called?-- Tech asked.

“No,” Carmine admitted. “I just call it that because it’s a really big pit.”

“Now I know you can cross a canyon that has nothing but a railing-less rope bridge,” Mr. Salazar told his wife. So let’s get going and see a part of this cave we probably never could have.”

“I cannot believe I’m doing this,” Mrs. Salazar muttered. “Let’s hurry and go now before I change my mind.”

“All right then,” Carmine said. “Let’s pack everything up and then everyone follow me. If you do exactly what I tell you we can probably get through in an hour.”

“You scared?” Don asked Ruke and Tech.

“Honestly, yes and no,” Ruke said thoughtfully. “You know I do undercover work and have a warped sense of personal safety. Still, I will admit that sometimes, as cool as this place is, it sometimes feels like going through a haunted house. You know something should be coming but you don’t know what or when.”

--My uncle will get us out,-- Tech signed.