Firebomb (The Jewel Project #2)

23.2|| Into the Void

Before Sam could do more than take the deep breath, Kyle grabbed him and tossed him in the water. He dived in too, grabbed on to Sam's hand and swam towards the opening as fast as he could. His entire body screamed in protest at being resubmerged into what felt very much like ice, but he pushed on, trying to ignore it, focusing on the opening, on Sam's hand clasped in his own.

The moment their heads broke the surface of the water, Kyle turned to Sam. His little brother gasped, his eyes wide with shock and fear.

"Let's get out, let's get out," he panted and Kyle swam towards the bank and crawled out. He only let go of Sam's hand once he was safely on the bank.

Teeth clattering, they both looked around. The cave they had ended up in was very small. The only potential hiding place for the diamond was a small hole in the rock wall which looked like the beginning of a tunnel.

"I'm glad I took you with me." Kyle got to his feet and started pacing as much as thee bank allowed him. "I wouldn't have fitted through that rat hole."

"Yeah, I might have some trouble, too," Sam answered, rubbing his arms, but his entire body was shaking.

Shrugging, he got on his hands and knees and scurried through the opening. Kyle expected him to come back out, not to fit in there entirely and apparently keep going.

"Sam?" he asked cautiously.

"I left without a flashlight," Sam mumbled from inside the wall.

Kyle took the headlamp off, got to his knees and squeezed through the opening. His shoulders barely fit, but he could soon see Sam who was to the right. The tunnel seemed to be really long.

"Here," Kyle said throwing it to him and hitting him in the head with it.

"Ow!" Sam moaned.

"Quit complaining and find that blasted thing," Kyle snapped. "Before we both freeze to death."

"You know, reminding me that we have to go back into the water makes me totally reconsider the perks of living here," Sam said, but his fading voice showed he was on the move again.

Kyle pulled out of the hole and started pacing again, rubbing his arms and sides as fast as he could. Sam had a point. Getting back inside the water was the last thing he wanted to do, but he had no choice. He only hoped it would be over soon and that the others had managed to light a fire. Though the chances were slim. They had no wood and they didn't even have blankets because their camp had probably burned to the ground. Great, now he was thinking longingly about the burning labs outside.

"Kyle, I'm stuck," Sam called out all of a sudden.

Kyle stopped pacing and threw himself on his knees at the opening. "What do you mean you're stuck?"

"I mean I can't get out," Sam said, annoyed. He sounded pretty close to the hole.

"What part of you is stuck?" Kyle asked pushing through the opening.

"Oh, God, you won't believe this," Sam moaned in embarrassment.

"I'm trying to get through. Are you at least in a comfortable position?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

It took Kyle a whole of ten seconds the get stuck too, but he tried to maneuver his shoulders and managed to move another inch. It was not comfortable at all. How could Sam be in a comfortable position? Unless... "What's too big and wouldn't come out?

"My butt, that's what's too big," Sam moaned. "I can't believe it!"

Kyle froze for a second, then he couldn't help it. He started laughing hysterically, because this was just the type of thing that would happen to Sam. Get his ass stuck somewhere. The poor kid. But he couldn't help himself from laughing because her was tired, hungry, cold, extremely uncomfortable and Sam just got his ass stuck in a wall. With inhuman effort, he managed to sober up.