The Collectors - Book Four: Diamonds and Sand (The Collectors Series 4) (19 page)

             
“Stand still and the dust will drop,” said Petros. “Akeem, where did we put the torches?”

             
“On top of a box. Wait, let me get my bearings and I’ll find them.” He cursed and swore as he inched his way. “Found them.”

             
The wide beam of light cut through the murk, the descending dust resembled London smog. Hair, faces and clothing were powdered with black.

“At least we can breath,” said Amadou.

“But for how long?” said Bear. “
Akeem, give me a torch, I’m going to check on the damage.”

Their eyes followed the beam of light as it
disappeared round the corner into the gloom. Moments passed before it reappeared.

“The entrance tunnel
no longer exists. Give us a week and we might be able to dig ourselves out.”

“Wh
y are we waiting? Let’s start,” said Akeem.

“Hold on, I said might.”

“So we curl up and die?” said Amadou.

“No
way,” said Petros. “We search for the way out. People lived here and I bet they had more than one entrance. Our job is to find where, without getting lost. Bear, you Akeem and ZZ check out the cavern to the left. Amadou and I will go right. Did I see hammers in one of those crates?”

“There are
enough tools in here to run a garage.” Akeem rummaged in the crate retrieving four claw hammers. “One, two for you.”

The thought of dying
underground spurred them on as the two teams separated.

Petros
scratched the right hand side of the wall of the first passage and began to make his way. Amadou followed a metre behind hammering marks as he went. Forty paces later, they entered another cavern.

“Which way?” said Amadou.

“Straight ahead takes us deeper into the mountain. I suggest we take the tunnel to the right.”

“You lead and I’ll mark the walls. It gives me a great deal of satisfaction every time
I smash the stone.”

“
This is better than doing nothing.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

This time the tunnel came to a dead end and disappointed they retraced their steps.

“
Bear may have found something.”

“Petros
, are you always this positive?”

“Amadou, there’s a solution to every problem my old maths teacher used to say. The difficulty is finding it.”

Back in the first cavern, they waited until a beam of light announced Bear’s return.

“Find
something?” asked Petros.

“More chambers.
One has a hole in the roof which I assume acted as a chimney,”

“We found
more chambers. What do you think is the height of the roof?”

“High
.”

Petros let the beam of his torch wand
er across the many wooden crates which littered the floor. “How tall a pile do you reckon that lot will make?”

“Fuck know
s,” said Bear, “but there’s one way to find out. Count them.”

ZZ sc
urried from box to box counting until he reached thirty-two. We have plenty, Mr Petros.”

“Steady
, ZZ. If they are stacked one on top of the other they might reach the roof. One wrong move and they tumble and we end up in a snotty heap. I’d prefer to get out of here in one piece and we still have to find a way back to Waw al Kibir. Right now, a cup of your wonderful tea would hit the spot.”

ZZ busied himself, lit the primus
stove, and served the tea.

“How much food do we have, ZZ?”

“Eat well, one day. Eat poor, three days. There are the old tins of food.”

Petros grinned. “I hope to be out of here tomorrow. Food and water are not the problem. Light is. We have three torches and
the spare batteries are in the Toyotas.”

“Why not light a fire?” said Akeem.
“There’s enough scrap wood scattered over the ground to give us heat and light.”

“You must be reading my mind. Let’s collect and burn.”

In his search to find wood, Petros discovered a heap of damaged crates in a passage. Tinder dry, it was not long before a fire illuminated the cavern and gave encouraging warmth.

“
We have work to do.” He pointed. “Those crates have to be emptied and taken through to the cavern where Bear discovered the hole in the roof.”

With passion each crate was emptied and its contents searched for anything useful. Most contained motor spares or ammunition.
Those with tinned food were more than half full.

Bear m
ade it his duty to test a few samples. “Corned beef, sausages, strawberry jam, beef stew and dry biscuits. PK, we could live on this lot for a couple of weeks. When we’re finished with the crates I’ll do a fry up if I can find something to use as a pan.”

“Sounds wonderful,” said Amadou, “Hope there’s no pig in any of that stuff. Come
, give me a hand carrying these crates.”

“How are we
going to fix this lot together?” said Akeem.

“Haven’t a clue,
” said Amadou.

L
ate in the evening they finished. Bear rummaged and retrieved an old shovel with half a handle, washed it and cooked three tins of sausages. “Great grub this. Haven’t had square sausages since I was in the army. You’re in luck, Amadou, these are beef.”

Petros
gazed at him but said nothing.

“
Fried corned dog next,” said Bear.

“I don’t eat dog,” said Amadou.

“Army slang for tinned beef,” said Akeem.

“Why didn’t he say that?”

“He has a weird sense of humour.”

In the glow of the fire and with full stomachs they sipped tea.

“Could be worse,” said Amadou.

“Not much,” said Akeem.

Petros checked the time. “Midnight’s come and gone and I’m going to try and sleep. I suggest you do the same.”

          
ZZ placed more wood on the fire. “Will we get out of here, Mr Petros?”

Petros shrugged.

Bear, with his eyes closed, appeared to be asleep. “I guarantee it. Now shut up.”

***

The aroma of sausages cooking woke everyone. “Biscuits with jam. Sausages if you want. Tea’s made. Help yourselves. The beef stew we can try tonight or before we leave.”

“You’ll make someone a good husband,” said Amadou.

Bear grinned. “That part of my life is complete. I can read the menu these days but can’t order.

“Why not
build the platform until we run out of wood,” said Akeem. “If it doesn’t reach, then worry.”

“I suggest we u
se the old winch wires as stays,” said Amadou. “The last thing we want is to clamber up and the whole kit and caboodle tumble.”

“ZZ,” said Petros. “Will you take charge of the fire and light another one in the far cavern. I’d rather we saved the
batteries in our torches.”

“Ten minutes, Mr Petros.”

              “Time to work,” said Bear. He stood, picked up a burnt sausage and ate it. While whistling the tune from Snow-White he strolled towards the cavern.

             
“Wait, Bear, we might as well use one torch. You lead. We’ll follow,” said Petros.

             
In the cavern, the daylight entering the vent barely lit the floor.

              “The higher level will be dodgy,” said Bear.

             
“We’ll manage that when the time comes,” said Petros. “Bear, you’re in charge. The rest of us will do as we’re told.”

             
“Cheers, bastard. So if it goes tits-up it’s my fault.”

             
“You’d better believe it. You can take the weight with your broad shoulders.”

             
Bear stared at the hole in the roof and dragged four crates into position. “Akeem, you remove nails from the unused wood, hammer them as straight as possible. PK and Amadou, use what you can find to fix this lot rigid.”

             
ZZ lit a fire increasing the illumination three fold.

             
With large boulders used as anchors the rusted wire stabilised the rickety stack.

“It’s one on one now or we won’t make it,” said Bear.

“We still have a way to go,” said Petros. “I’ve an idea. If we try to clamber up the sides, it will topple. If we remove two or three slats from the base and top, we can climb through the centre.”

B
ear nodded. “Increases the odds.”

             
Five more crates completed the tower.

             
“Doesn’t make it,” said Bear.

Petros stared
at the rickety wooden construction in front of him. “How far are we off?”

Akeem shouted, “Two
metres, maybe three.”

Petros turned to where ZZ stoked the fire. “ZZ
, do you trust me?”

“Yes
, Mr Petros. What is it I must do?”

He
glanced up and back at ZZ. “Balance on my shoulders while I stand at the top of our wooden mountain.”

“What if I can’t reach the top?
”

“You will.”

ZZ looked at him quizzically.

“Bear,”
said Petros, “when we emptied the crates did you come across something we can use as a beam and a length of rope?”

“
I’ll go and have a gander.”

Petros
pondered the feasibility of his idea. Heights made him dizzy.

“Will this do?” Bear
held a shaft of metal two metres long in his right hand. “Couldn’t find rope that wasn’t rotten. These electrical cables will have to do. Akeem, grab hold and pull.” He tossed one end and both men tugged. “It has two chances.”

“R
eady, ZZ? Amadou, you carry the metal bar and wire to first level. Bear, Akeem, this lot might start to sway. Make sure those wires stay in place.”

Petros
, followed by ZZ and Amadou, ascended to the first level.

“
Amadou, I’m going to tie the wire round my waist and scale the inside to the top. Once there I’ll lower one end for you to secure the metal rod.”

“I’ll be ready.”

“ZZ, you stay here. Okay, here goes,” Petros murmured.

Crate by crate he twisted and climbed until he reached the top. He glanced at the hole a metre from his fingertips.
“I’m pulling the wire. ZZ, your turn and watch yourself.”

With the cable
tied to his waist, Petros dropped the free end and waited.

“S
ecured,” shouted Amadou.

To
be sure Petros heaved with outstretched arms until the bar rested in his hands.

“
Mr Petros.”

He lowered his gaze as ZZ crawled between his legs and stood close.

“Bear, Akeem, keep your eyes on those wires or ZZ, followed by me, will be attempting to fly.”

Impatient
, Bear commented, “PK, stop pissing around, get on with it. Remember to close your eyes.”

Petros widened his stance
and stiffened his back. His pulse raced as his heart beat increased. “Ready, ZZ?” Without answering, ZZ slithered over his frame and sat on his shoulders.

“Keep going,” said Petros
, his eyes closed.

“Mr Petros, I can touch the rock with my fingers.”

Smoke from the fire stung their eyes. Petros breathed through his nose so as not to drag in the fumes. “Good. Stand on my shoulders.”

With agile movements
, ZZ stood. “Mr Petros, my hands feel the wind.”

“Great. S
tay as you are and I’ll pass this bar to you. Place it outside the hole. Pull the wire to make sure it’s safe for you to climb.”

With
legs shaking, the bar found a niche. ZZ tugged on the wire ensuring it held before hauling himself out into the open.

“What can you see
?” said Petros.

“
Our camp two hundred metres to my right and four men are sat by a fire.”

“Shit.
”

“I
see a desert storm.”

“Okay
, ZZ. Come back.”

“Why, Mr Petros?
”

“Because I don’t want you shot.”

ZZ’s feet brushed Petros’ face as he descended.

“Keep going. I won’t be far behind you.” With a few turns
, he secured the wire to the wooden slats and descended.