Chapter 9: Sunday Sunday, Can't Trust That Day

The good professor showed about 8AM, went to the artifacts tent and was figuratively speechless. Professors are seldom literally bereft of vocal cords. He donned Nitrile gloves and scrutinized each blank extensively. He held each to the sun and commented about the clarity of the obsidian. Gil was taking notes in Gregg as fast as she could. Impossible terms like no inclusions, perfectly matched percussion flaking, inability to decide on a reverse side fell like raindrops in a hurricane.

Eventually he recovered his objectivity and cornered Simone. "Are you willing to return to the cave today? I know it's Sunday and we're supposed to be off but this is important. I can get a couple of the students to help..." Simone held up her hand. Doc ground to a halt. "Yes?" he asked.

"I'll only work with Hairy and that's for the remainder of the dig. Otherwise ... No.

"In the first place, Hairy discovered the tunnel, he found the first blanks. AND he did it on his day off. If he hadn't been in the right place at the right time we wouldn't have the blanks. He should get the credit for the recovery.

"In the second place, it's not a cave. There's no rock. It's all hard packed sand and its flaky.

"In the third place it's perfectly straight. It's like an entrance hall and we've rung the doorbell. I have no idea how far it goes, but if it's more than 50 meters it's going to be chancy.

"If we had interlocking plastic pipe without exterior flanges I might feel better about going in there alone, but we don't and we're pressed for time. That tunnel won't last a week. It's drying out and it IS going to collapse eventually.

"It's Hairy or I won't go. If I'm taking chances with my life I'll die with him."

"What about John?"

"What about him? I am so over John. I'm rejoicing in the fact I got out in time. Did you know he kills kittens? For fun?" She reached for my hand. "This man set me free from a monster. I only was with him because I'm genetically driven to produce smart babies. Did you know Hairy's daughter has a 202 IQ. That's smart babies. And he's great in bed. I know, because I've had bad."

"So, if Hairy is in, so am I. If he's not, I'll call my uncle and close this site down. You're not sending anyone else in that deathtrap." She looked at the professor, "do we have a deal?"

"Deal" Doc agreed, "let's get on it before we lose the day."

I remembered, finally. "Doc, all our equipment is still there. We got distracted. I need is a couple of things you were supposed to bring. Did you?"

Doc slid his hand in his pocket and pulled out my silenced CZ 70, two loaded mags and a box of 50 low velocity target rounds. "You will be careful?"

"Careful is why I want it. There could be snakes by now and I don't want to be in the bed next to John. He might be mad at me.

"A silenced .32 won't bring the walls down on top of us. We need three more things. The 100 meter tape and a recorder to write down the distance of any other finds. And a radio monitor. The recorder can do both jobs. I have a couple of nifty Secret Service radio ears and throat mikes. And the receiver for the recorder ... AH AH AH, don't ask. You really don't want to know. If you're done with her here, we'll take Gil ... and Barb in the edge of the woods with my Remington 308."

"Why Barb? ... What 308?"