All the bravado Chris had felt a moment ago vanished. He cleared his throat and forced himself to be congenial. “Name’s Chris Powell. I hear that Jeb and my daughter Maddy are friends. She’s missing. One of the other kids said she saw Jeb and Maddy playing near the mines this morning, so I thought your boy here might know where she is.”
The man looked down at the boy. “You know anything about this? ’Cause if you been playing near the mines, you’ll get a beating you’ll not soon forget.”
The kid shook his head. A little too fast. Something wasn’t right in the look of his eyes. Had he turned a touch paler? “Me and Maddy were looking for rocks this morning, but I haven’t seen her since.” He looked down and kicked the dirt with his shoe.
“Good.” The man turned back to Chris. “Seems like we can’t help ya. Sorry ’bout that.” He crouched back down and picked up the gold pans. “Hope ya find yer girl. We got chores to do.”
“Thanks for your help.” Chris watched them walk away. What was he supposed to do now? The kid had said they were looking for rocks . . . but where? The look on Jeb’s face had said it all. He knew something. Chris just had to get him away from his pa so he would talk.
Staring at the two as they walked farther away, Chris shoved his hands back in his pockets. There had to be some way he could talk to the boy. Maybe if he followed them. And then waited outside their house. It might be the only way.
Decision made, Chris started after them. But only a few steps later, he saw the kid headed back in his direction. Alone.
Chris darted behind a tree. Somehow he had to get Jeb to cough up what he knew without scaring him off. But how?
Light footsteps alerted him to the kid passing. Chris peeked around the tree and watched for several moments. Jeb was headed toward town, his head dipped low.
Following a safe distance behind, Chris worked on what he would say. Calm voice. Don’t scare him away. Maddy needed to be found.
When the kid went into the mercantile, Chris followed him. The perfect opportunity.
“I need some tobacco for my pa.” The kid plunked down a coin. After several moments, the kid had his purchase tucked under his arm and headed for the door. He looked up, and his eyes widened as he spotted Chris.
Chris held his hands out. “I’m not going to hurt you, and I won’t tell your pa. I promise. But I know you know something about where Maddy is. I need you to tell me the truth . . . please.”
The kid bit his lip.
“Look, I’m not mad at you, but there must be something wrong. Please. Just tell me.”
Jeb’s face crumbled and his shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, mister. I didn’t know what to do. My pa will beat me bad if he knows we were playing in the mine.” Tears streamed down his face.
Chris grabbed the boy’s shoulders and knelt down in front of him. “There’s hundreds of mines, which one? I promise I won’t say a word, but I have to find my daughter.”
“The Long Shot. But a rumblin’ started and the ceiling came down. I don’t know where she is.” The kid used his sleeve to wipe up his face, but it didn’t do any good. The tears came faster. “It was so scary. And so I ran.” He gulped and sobbed. “She’s probably dead.”
A surge of anger roiled inside his chest. He shook the kid. A little hard. “What do you mean? You just left her there?”
“I didn’t know what to do!” The kid’s sobs turned into wails.
“Is there a problem here?” Some nosy gentleman dressed in a spiffy suit eyed them. Along with other customers.
Chris released Jeb and straightened up. “Nope. No problem.” Best to leave before the kid’s pa heard about it. Didn’t matter anyway. He got what he needed. He turned on his heel and headed out the door toward the Long Shot. He’d need a pick and a lantern if what the kid said was true. Good thing he knew where Chuck kept extra mining supplies. He raced through town and grabbed what he needed. His Maddy couldn’t be gone. It couldn’t be true. The boy just blew the story up in his mind.
Chris reached the mine, stood for a moment trying to catch his breath. But he couldn’t wait any longer. His little girl was in there. As he entered the main shaft, the scent of freshly moved dirt filled his senses. Had there been a collapse? His heart plummeted and then beat even faster. The kid hadn’t been exaggerating. The pounding in Chris’s ears was deafening. What if Maddy was hurt? Or . . .
No!
He leaned over and put his hands on his knees, shaking his head against the negative thoughts. He drew in several deep breaths.
It was all his fault. He was a failure. At everything.
But he could find his daughter. He would.
He straightened. “Maddy! Can you hear me, honey?”
Dirt and rocks littered the shaft floor. This must be what Jeb was talking about. Chris held his lantern, watching every step for debris.
“Maddy!”
The minutes passed as he ventured deeper into the mine. Vast amounts of rubble now covered the shaft floor. Then he saw it. A wall of dirt and rocks in front of him.
“Maddy! Are you in there?” He set the lantern down and felt the wall in front of him. It was loose. That was a good thing. But what if she was buried? What if more came down?
“Maddy! Can you hear me?” He swung the pick at the obstruction in front of him, then pulled down. Maybe he could get it all to move enough so there would be a crack at the top. Or would it just continue to spill out?
He had to take the chance. His gut told him his little girl was behind the wall. “Maddy, I’m coming.”
For what seemed like an eternity, he chipped at dirt and rocks, all the while talking as if his daughter could hear him. She had to be there. She had to be.
She was alive. He couldn’t fail her. Couldn’t fail his family. He’d already done enough damage.
Sweat soaked his clothes even though the air was cool. Every muscle within his body screamed from the repeated motion of swinging and tugging, but he kept pulling at the pick with all he had. Could he even make a dent in the massive mountain of debris in front of him?
“Maddy, I’m coming. It’s your dad. I’m here.”
More dirt. More rocks. Another swing. Then another.
“Honey, just talk to me. It’s going to be okay.”
“Daddy?” The sound was muffled and weak, but it was her voice.
Chris climbed up the wall to where he’d made a small hole at the top. He forced his voice through the opening. “Maddy, are you all right?”
“It’s cold and I’m scared.”
“Don’t move, I’m coming. Just keep talking.” He lifted the pick and pushed his aching muscles to move as fast as they could. How long had she been there? In the dark and all alone. His heart wrenched and he grimaced. If he had been home rather than at the saloon . . .
Overwhelming thirst took over his mind. His tongue felt like cotton. If only he had a drink.
He closed his eyes against the demons in his mind and swung the pick.
Focus. He could get a drink later. After he rescued Maddy and got her home.
“I wanna go home.” His little girl’s voice sounded so sad.
“I know, honey. I’m coming. I am.” Another swing. The hole widened. If he could just go faster.