“I thought the same thing while I was trying to get the rope loose from the rock it caught on. I was standing downstream in case you got caught—”

  She laid her fingers against his mouth to silence his rambling, so unusual for Hawke. “I’m okay.”

  “God answered my prayer.”

  “You prayed?”

  “Short and to the point.”

  “That’s wonderful.”

  Hawke drew back. “I’d prefer not to experience that again.”

  Although she couldn’t really see his features well because his flashlight lay on the ground behind him, the rough huskiness of his voice emphasized his concern even more. It dwarfed the sound of the churning river behind her. He cared enough about her to talk to the Lord again. That realization warmed her as nothing else could. Later when she was back in Albuquerque, a relationship between them might not be possible, even friendship, but at least she’d shown him what the Lord could do.

  “Gus, stay there. You aren’t much taller than Kit, and the current is too strong. If we don’t come back, you can go for help.”

  “Fine, boy, but you’ll need her light. I’ll toss it to you.” When the old man threw it, he practically placed it in his nephew’s grasp.

  “Hopefully we won’t be long. Give us an hour before you go for help.”

  “No. That might not be long enough,” Kit said, the reality of the situation at hand pushing any thoughts of her personal life to the background.

  “It’ll have to do. It can’t be more than sixty, sixty-five degrees, and we both are soaking wet. I don’t want hypothermia to set in.”

  “I’m tough. I can go longer.”

  “We should go back now, but after what you went through to get here, I can’t do that to you.” His large hands framed her face, his expression tender. “But remember the deal we made. You have to do what I say.”

  “What if we don’t find it by then, and we still have more to explore?”

  “As I said this morning, we’ll come back with a safer way across this river and any other equipment we might need.”

  “But that means leaving the canyon.”

  “Yep.” All softness gone, Hawke disengaged, snatched up his flashlight and directed its beam toward the back wall. “I’m prepared for some things but not a prolonged exploration of a large cave system.” He started toward the area illuminated. “Since we’re here, let’s see if it’s worth coming back or if this is a dead end.”

  Kit wanted to say she wasn’t leaving without knowing for sure, but she really didn’t have any choice. She had given Hawke her word. But if he thought she would give up if they ran into a dead end, he didn’t know her well. She would come back to the canyon at a later time with or without his assistance. She’d come too far just to drop it without a resolution.

  The closer she neared the rock facade Hawke was interested in, the more puzzled she became. “There isn’t any opening or even a slit in this.”

  “No—” he swung his lamp toward the ceiling “—but there’s one up there.”

  A narrow gap taunted her with its inaccessibility. “How do you suggest we get up there?”

  “We’re going to climb.”

  Hawke threw his rope up, snagged a stone jutting out, then tested his line to make sure it was secured before starting his ascent. When he reached the ledge, he dropped the rope for her to use. She carefully picked her way up the wall, following his route and using the same indentations and crevices in the rocky surface. At the top he assisted her onto the small landing by the dark, narrow tunnel.

  “This may not lead anywhere, but I think it’s worth checking out.” Hawke lay flat on the small recess. “I’ll go first.”

  When all she saw were the soles of his hiking boots, she squeezed herself into the area that was about four feet wide and two feet tall. With her arms raised over her head as Hawke had done, she held her flashlight in one hand while with the other pushing herself forward inch by inch. Scooting her body across the damp, cool rocks, she glanced back at the entrance and total darkness greeted her in that direction although it was probably only a few yards to the beginning of the opening.

  She’d never been afraid of the dark or tight spaces, but the farther she went, the harder it was to keep herself composed and calm. The black void behind her played with her mind. Her vivid imagination began to conjure up all kinds of bad things that could go wrong. What if they got stuck and couldn’t get out? What if…

  Before she hyperventilated, she called out, “Hawke, are you near the end?”

  “No, and it’s getting smaller.”

  Oh, good, just what she wanted to hear to reassure her that light, air and open spaces were near at hand.

  “Wait. This may…”

  Nothing. He went silent until she heard a grunt coming from him. “Are you okay?”

  Several pounding heartbeats later, he answered, “Yes, this last section is tight, but I’m out. You won’t have as much trouble since you’re smaller.”

  How comforting! Not. More sweat than before poured off her. Over and over she tried to inhale a decent breath, but nothing seemed to fill her lungs, as if the tight tunnel was compressing her chest, squashing the air from her.

  In the narrower part Kit turned her head to the side to keep from seeing how close the ceiling was to her nose. Slithering like a snake, she hit the area Hawke described. It was at least half a foot less than at the start. Kit felt the shimmies spread up her body, goose bumps following.

  Just keep going. Don’t stop.

  Father, I need You.

  She glanced toward the ceiling. A big mistake. Its rocky surface only an inch or two from her frightened her more than watching the river earlier. The sense of a stone coffin enveloping her drove a bolt of sheer terror through her. The scent of fear laced the air.

  She came to a grinding halt as if she were nailed to the floor. Then a calm peace descended, spurring her forward again. Hands gripped hers and gently tugged her free from the granite enclosure.

  A medium-size chamber, the ceiling dripping with stalactites, appeared to be a dead end until Hawke caught a glimpse of something on the far wall.

  “I think I found something.” He grabbed her hand and strode toward it, weaving in and out of the stalagmites that littered the floor, forming a maze. Running his hand across small waterworn ledges, he smiled. “We’ve got ourselves a staircase.”

  “Staircase? To where?” With her lamp Kit highlighted the ceiling right above them. Nothing. Then she sidled to the left and examined the area closer. Another opening?

  Hawke’s beam joined hers, and he even climbed up several feet to get nearer. “This staircase is man-made, which in itself is odd.”

  “Look.” Her light zeroed in on another series of petroglyphs near the opening. “The warning again.”

  “We have just enough time to check where that leads. I’ll go first.” He ascended to the next step. Taking the coiled rope slung over his shoulder, he tossed one end down to Kit. “Fix a harness. It’ll be your safety line. These stairs are slippery and not much is left of them.”

  As Kit executed his instructions, she asked, “What about you? Where’s your safety line?”

  He ignored her comment, which didn’t surprise her. This whole trip he’d looked out for her as if he was truly her bodyguard. At one time that would have upset her, but now she found it sweet. That thought took her by surprise! Hawke sweet? A laugh bubbled from her.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Oh, nothing.” She swung her gaze to his, and her breath caught in her throat, swelling it with tender feelings she didn’t want to have.

  He grinned. “Somehow I feel that I’m the butt of a joke.”

  “Never!” Their eyes connected, an appreciative gleam sparkled in his brown depths, and her stomach flip-flopped. “But if you don’t pay attention to what you’re doing, I’ll have to carry you out of here. And let me tell you, we wouldn’t get too far. You’ve got to weigh a good eighty pounds more than me.”

  His chuckle floated down to her as he turned back toward the wall and continued his ascent. Two steps up, his right boot slipped off, bits of stone pelting down around her. Kit gasped as he hung from the ledge above until he found his footing.

  “See,” she teased while she slowed her palpitating heart. “You’ve got to listen to me. I know what I’m talking about.”

  He mumbled something she couldn’t hear and proceeded to the top. When he reached the opening and positioned himself with the other end of the rope secured around him, he shouted down, “Okay, it’s your turn, and watch that area where I slipped. The step is almost gone now. I wouldn’t use it if you can reach the one above.”

  Kit started her slow climb, stretching to avoid the place he mentioned. When she arrived at the small landing and plopped down beside Hawke, she wanted to shout her triumph to the world. In the past few weeks she’d pushed herself beyond what she thought she was capable of.

  “Ready?”

  She smiled at Hawke. “Lead the way.”

  “If we don’t find anything, we’ll have to turn around even if there is another passage.” He wiggled his larger body through the narrow opening.

  Lord, You are with me at all times. I can do this.

  Kit mirrored Hawke’s movement, preparing herself for an even tighter squeeze than the one before.

  Three feet into the tunnel, Hawke called back, “I’ve reached the end.” A long pause, then, “Kit, I think this is it.”

  The awe and wonder in his voice prodded her to go faster. She ignored the wet, cold surface, the chill invading her body and the closed-in feeling threatening her. They’d discovered the City of Gold!

  When she emerged from the hole, Hawke stood to the side and helped her to her feet, then shone his flashlight on the area surrounding them. A burnished gold covered the wall. She stepped closer and ran her hand along a pictograph of a deerlike animal, an Indian with feathers and a spear, and a large lizard hammered into the sheets of gold that blanketed the rock.

  “A mural in gold. This is beautiful,” Kit whispered, pointing her lamp farther along the side of the chamber. “What workmanship.”

  “I hate to say this, but we need to head back. Our time has run out.” His arm brushed up against hers.

  “I need more time. Can’t I stay while you go tell Gus what we found?”

  “By yourself?” His eyebrows shot up.

  “I’m a big girl, Hawke. I can take care of myself and, believe me, there are no bad guys down here. No one has been here for hundreds of years.” The staleness of the air and the eerie quiet accentuated that statement.

  “All you’ll have is your flashlight.”

  “Is there anything we can do to get more light into the cavern?”

  “Let me see what I can rig up. But first, I need to let Gus know we’re all right.” He took a step toward the opening, then halted and peered back. “Be careful.”

  “All I’m going to do is examine the drawings depicted in the gold walls.”

  He sighed and continued forward.

  When the darkness swallowed his beam, Kit scanned the ebony mantle about her. What if her flashlight died before he got back? The extra batteries were in his knapsack. The thought almost sent her after Hawke. Then she caught sight of the wall next to the opening and knew she couldn’t leave yet. Risk was part of life and with the Lord by her side she was never alone.

  Carefully making her way, she started for the area near the entrance and began exploring the perimeter. Fifteen minutes into her examination a noise across the cavern arrested her.

  Hawke back already? No, not enough time. Then, what— A chill sheathed her as she swung in the direction of the sound.

  * * *

  As Hawke neared the chamber, the pitch-blackness ahead honed his senses to a razor-sharp edge. Had Kit’s flashlight gone out? Or was it something else? He shouldn’t have left her alone. He should have known better.

  Crawling to the opening, he pushed several pieces of wood through the gap, followed by his backpack, hearing them drop on the stone floor. As he scrambled from the hole, Kit’s small voice off to the side wafted to him.

  “Hawke, I’m over here.”

  “What happened?” He moved toward her, sweeping his beam over the area. He found her sitting behind a stalagmite, her legs pressing against her chest while she hugged them to her. Her eyes huge, she stared at him, silent. Slowly relief washed over her features but not through him. “Kit, what’s wrong?”

  “I’m not as brave as I thought I was. I heard something and panicked for no reason.” She laughed, an almost hysterical sound. “I heard something over there.” Lifting her hand, she indicated the other side of the cave. “My vivid imagination came up with all kinds of things. I switched off my flashlight and crept over here to hide. I’ve been praying. What took you so long?”

  “This.” While she rose, Hawke strode back to the wood pieces, cloth wrapped around each one at the end. He removed a lighter and lit one, then handed it to Kit. “I thought these torches could give us an idea what the cavern held. Gus went above and found these, and I tore up a shirt to put around them. They won’t last long, but hopefully we’ll know what is here. There may even be another way into this chamber.”

  “Great. The torches make the wait worth it.”

  But Hawke wasn’t so sure she totally believed that. There was still little color in her face and her hand trembled as she held up the wood. She would never let him know, however, how frightened she had been because she had a hard time acknowledging her vulnerability—like him. Something else they had in common. He wished he would quit discovering how alike they were. It was going to make it difficult to walk away from her when this was over.

  Before she began her search, he said, “Wait. I also brought a blanket in my backpack. It’ll help some with the cold, but we still can’t stay too long.” He took it out and draped it over her damp shoulders.

  “What about you?” She huddled beneath the warmth. “We can share.”

  Being that near her wasn’t a good idea. “I’ll be fine. Cold doesn’t bother me too much.”

  The smile she sent him right before she began her search left him feeling more vulnerable than he wished. He would be better off being a loner like Gus, not to be responsible for another.

  “Look, Hawke. I think I found the source of the noise I heard.”

  He cleared his thoughts of what the future held for them. As she examined the ground in front of her, he approached her and stuck a piece of wood in a pile of rocks before igniting it.

  “Doesn’t this look like it just fell?”

  He examined the stone by his boot. “Yes.” Then he swung his gaze upward. “It must have fallen from there.”

  “I wish I had known that an hour ago. It would have saved me a lot of grief.” She released a long breath, her tense shoulders sagging.

  “This is interesting. This wall isn’t covered in gold sheets. I wonder why.”

  “Someone took them, but for some reason couldn’t loot the rest of the place?”

  “Possibly. Zach needs to see this. He may be able to figure out what happened here.”

  “Or we may never get all the answers.”

  “True. Let’s see what else is here before we have to leave.”

  They began working their way around the circumference of the larger chamber. The torches brightened more of the black cave, but there were still pockets of darkness. Kit stepped around a crevice to inspect one of those places.

  Skeletons, side-by-side against the wall, brought her up short. She fell to her knees. For a few seconds she worked her mouth, but no words came forth. Gulping in the musty air, she leaned closer to the bones.

  “Hawke, I found something,” she finally squeaked out, her voice warbling.

  With his light the space glowed even more, revealing additional secrets and dozens of skeletons.

  He knelt next to her, pointing toward the irons. “They were chained together.” After he wedged one of his torches in a groove between two large stones, he crawled closer.

  “Be careful.”

  “I don’t think they’re gonna harm me.”

  “Indian or Spanish?”

  “Don’t know.” He lifted his other blazing piece of wood and inspected the back of the cranny. “I’m guessing Spanish. There’s armor back here in a pile.”

  “So this is what happened to the others in the lieutenant’s party.”

  “They wore out their welcome.”

  “Or they found the City of Gold and began looting it, forcing the Indians to attack them.”

  “If that’s the case, I wonder where the gold they took is. How did the lieutenant escape this?”

  “We may never know.” Kit rose, not wanting to leave but realizing she needed to turn the site over to someone who was an expert in finding the answers to those kinds of questions. Although the blanket had helped to ward off the damp coolness that leached her body heat, it wasn’t enough. A chill seeped into her bones. “Let’s finish our survey. Then we’d better leave. I don’t want to disturb anything any more than we already have.” She hated saying that, but it was for the best. She wasn’t an archaeologist.

  Three-fourths of the way around the chamber Hawke paused in front of a mound of rocks spilling out from the wall. After he investigated the area, he said, “This might have been the main entrance.”

  “Can we go out that way if we remove some of the stones?”

  “I have a feeling it was deliberately barricaded to keep others out and those guys from escaping. I think we came in the back door. Until you fell through the floor of the mission, that way had been blocked, too. The only reason you did is because the earth around here has shifted and eroded over the years, or that way might never had been found.”

  He quickly extinguished all the torches in the chamber, leaving only the glow from their lamps to light their way. “Let’s go.”

  As Kit scampered into the opening to return topside, she knew she should be elated. She’d discovered the whereabouts of the Lost City of Gold most likely, but that meant soon she would have to say goodbye to Hawke. That realization disturbed her more than she cared to acknowledge.