Author's note: all usual disclaimers apply.


"The skeleton was found just down here Inspector Lynley but it was..." The shift foreman paused as if listening to something. Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers could hear a low growl and then a popping sound. "Get down!" the man roared.

Barbara hesitated then the line of lights on the wall went out. "Sir!"

"I'm here Barbara, I'm here," Tommy answered. Two strong arms enveloped her. Her face was pressed firmly against the chest of the man she loved as he pushed her to the ground, covering her with his body. She could smell the fresh citrus of his shirt and the deeper, richer scent of Tommy that reminded her of flaming plum puddings and leather. Dust and water rained down on them. She struggled to breathe. The air in her lungs felt viscous and she could taste the gritty bitterness of burnt coal as it coated her throat. Chunks of coal rained down on them, pelting Lynley's body. She was almost crushed by his weight but felt safe.

A searing pain tore into her leg. She screamed and then began to choke. Tommy was stroking her hair and trying to calm her but the pain got worse as the dust began to clear. "It's okay Barbara, we'll be fine."

"My leg..."

Tommy shifted his weight. "Stay with me Barbara," he shouted over the noise of the falling coal. Barbara's eyes rolled back exposing too much white. He lightly hit her face to keep her from lapsing into unconsciousness. His palms were clammy and a cold dread slowly strangled his heart. The rumblings stopped and all he could hear was their ragged breath and the eerie quiet of settling dust.

"Tired...cold," she murmured.

Her words stabbed Tommy's heart as effectively as a stiletto. "No! Don't sleep! Talk to me Barbara."

She groaned and went still. In the total dark, Tommy quickly used his hands to run over her body searching for injuries. She seemed perfect until he reached her right foot. It was trapped beneath a block of heavy coal. "Mr. Jones? My partner is hurt. Are you there?"

"Yeah," a vague voice came from his left.

"Are you hurt?"

The man coughed. "No, no I don't think so."

In the dark the sounds seemed magnified. Tommy heard every tiny scrape as the man that had been leading them through the old coal mine crawled towards him. "Her leg is trapped."

Together the men felt the block. They worked frantically to clear the rubble around it. "I'll lift it back as far as I can," Jones instructed, "then you drag her free. On my count. One...two...three!"

The rocks groaned loudly as Jones pushed his shoulder against the rockfall. Tommy had his hands around Barbara's knee and he pulled as hard as he could. Both men strained until, with a loud shriek from Havers, her leg came free.

Her shoe was missing and Tommy could feel that her foot lay at an unnatural angle. Jones and Tommy both felt around the wound. "The skin's not broken, that's a good thing," Jones reassured the frantic detective, "she'll be fine. It's just shock."

"I can't lose her."

Tommy felt Jones' hand on his shoulder. "You won't, son. We just need to keep her warm."

Tommy did not have to be asked. He was already cradling her in his arms. "Is there another way out?"

"Yes but your Sergeant will never make it; not with that leg. We can move her down about fifty yards. There's a gang room there that is safer and should still have some water in it. I'll head out and bring help. It will take me about eight hours to get out and the gang probably six to get back to you after I round them up. It might be twenty hours before I'm back. Men have gone mad in less time when they're trapped. But I don't have an alternative son except leaving her here but then..."

"No," Tommy said firmly before the man said aloud what they both knew. Tommy tried not to sound angry. He understood that Jones meant well offering him a chance to get out.

Jones pointed it out bluntly. "If she stays alone she'll die but if you stay you might die too. You have a better chance with me. Think about it."

"I'm not leaving her."

"I thought not."

"I can't."

"I understand. I'd do the same son but with you being peerage and all..."

"Let's just get her to this room."

"Give me a minute to see if I can find my headlamp."

It took thirty minutes of stumbling and lifting over the pile of fallen coal for them to reach the room that was dug into the side of the tunnel. It was reinforced by a wire cage and timbers and in the dull narrow beam of Jones' light, Tommy could see it was their best option. Although dusty it was clear of debris. They had been fortunate to be at the edge of the rockfall and here it appeared as if nothing had happened. There was a small table with a bench seat and along one side a wider bench with a thin mattress covered by a thick, coarse blanket. They lowered Barbara carefully onto it and wrapped the blanket around her. She groaned incoherently.

"Keep her warm and let her sleep. It's only shock," Jones said. "Her leg will be sore but it won't kill her."

Jones pulled open the rusted metal cabinet that stood in the far corner. He pulled a wooden box free and put it on the table. Using a foot long piece of flat-bar that was also in the cupboard, he prised off the lid. "Twelve candles, a box of matches, four litres of water and four blocks of safety chocolate. Enough for four men for forty-eight hours. So you have enough for four days. That should be plenty of time but be disciplined. Use the rations sparingly and douse the candle when you sleep just to make sure it doesn't fall and cause a fire. And don't explore the tunnel with it. Coal dust and an open flame will ignite in the right ratio. You'll be safe in here. The chocolate is treated to stop you shitting and getting too horny. There's a pale with a lid in that corner and some loo paper but don't use water for washing. Stay put and don't panic."

Tommy was somewhat aghast at the matter-of-fact instructions. His relationship with Barbara did not extend to helping her toilet but with a bad leg, he might not have a choice. He grimaced at the thought. She will not be happy. He shook Jones' hand. "Thank you. Shouldn't you take some water and chocolate?"

"No, I'll have a swig to clear the dust from my throat but I can get out okay. It might take at least twenty-four hours to get anyone back you. It may take longer depending on what is happening on the other side of that rockfall, so don't worry."

"Just come back before we are like that skeleton."

"I will." Jones lit a candle and pushed it into a metal candleholder and left it in the centre of the table. He took a mouthful of water and swished it around before shivering as he swallowed. He took another sip then screwed the lid back on the plastic bottle. "Okay, take care Inspector. I'm sorry about this. The mine was declared safe so I am not sure what happened."

"I suspect sabotage but we need to get out first to prove it."

Jones hesitated and looked as if he was going to tell Lynley something vital. Instead, he looked away. "Keep a litre of water spare. I normally would argue against this but if no one is back here by the fourth day then use this map and follow the green line this way." Jones traced the path on the map. "Just in case mind. You'll have to leave her, you know that."

Tommy nodded. If it came to that it might be their only choice. "Take care Jones and God's speed."

Tommy stood at the edge of the cage and watched Jones' bobbling light bounce off the walls of the tunnel. As it slowly faded into nothingness he returned to his sergeant.

"Sir?"

"Barbara!" He moved over and took her hand. "It's okay Barbara, you're safe."

"The mine? It exploded?" She tried to sit up.

"Lie down Barbara. There was a cave-in. We're trapped but Jones is going for help. Your foot is badly broken but we'll have you sitting up in hospital in a few hours and everything will be fine." Tommy tried to sound cheery and unfazed by their predicament.

"You've always been a bad liar, Sir," she said faintly, "but I appreciate the thought."

Tommy squeezed her hand almost painfully. "Okay a few hours is an exaggeration but by tomorrow, we should be fine. We have water and chocolate for four or five days and plenty of candles. We have a bed for you and a table for me. We're as right as rain."

"Snug as two bugs in a rug," she said weakly.

"Here, have a few sips of water to get the dust out of your mouth." Tommy held the bottle to her lips as she had a few slurpy sips. "Better?"

"Yeah. Ta. Do they have any painkillers? My foot is killing me."

"No sorry."

"There's some in my handbag if you pass it up."

"I think it was lost, Barbara."

"Can you have a look, Sir? It also has my notebook and pen so we can write our last messages."

"Havers!"

"We're not likely to get outta this one Sir. Where's Jones?"

Tommy had just told her and was worried that she might be concussed. "He's gone to get help,' he said gently, "there is another shaft at the rear of the mine."

"Why didn't you go?" she demanded angrily.

"I wasn't going to leave you, Barbara. He'll be faster without me. He'll bring help back by tomorrow."

"Do you really believe that?"

Tommy was not sure if she was telling him she did not believe it or whether she was seeking reassurance. "Barbara, you have to believe. You can't even think about giving up. We'll survive and in years to come laugh about this."

"No, even if we live, I will not laugh about it. My leg is killing me. Are you sure you can't find my bag?"

"I'll have a quick look for it. You stay right here."

"I thought I'd go and audition for Dancing with the Stars! Where the hell do you think I'd go?"

Tommy smiled. At least she was as sarcastic as ever. "Yes, all right smarty pants. I'll be back soon."

He lit a second candle and stepped cautiously into the tunnel. The light only illuminated a circle about six feet in front of him. He walked warily towards the rockfall. Jones' warning was still in his mind. At the point it became dusty, he stopped and propped the candle against the wall. He searched just beyond the light. He was just about to give up when he tripped and fell. His head struck the ground forcefully. He felt vaguely nauseous. He sat up and felt his face. It was sticky with blood.

"What a wonderful day," he muttered. As he knelt up to stand a glint caught his eye. He reached over and found the strap of her bag. He smiled wryly as he pulled it free.

"What happened to you?" Barbara asked when he returned. "Oh, you found it! Thank you, Sir!"

"The pleasure was all mine." Tommy tossed it to her then wet his handkerchief and dabbed it on his cut.

Barbara pulled a large packet of painkillers from the bag and accepted the water from him. "Want some for your headache?"

"Are you addicted?"

She laughed. "No, why?"

"That's the largest packet of painkillers I've ever seen."

"It's cheaper to buy a pack of ninety-six than twenty-four. I picked them up from Boots this morning."

"Fortuitous. Anything else useful in there?"

She fossicked around for a minute. "Keys, notebook, pen, small torch, capsicum spray, a whistle, a penknife, a lipstick that I never use, um...spare underpants, women's needs and a pack of playing cards."

By the time she got to the underpants Tommy's light chuckle had become a full belly laugh. "You carry spare underpants? No cutlery?"

She arched her eyebrows at him. "What about the penknife? I always keep a knife in my underwear."

"I'll keep that information for future reference in case I ever have an urge to rummage your underwear."

Barbara started to laugh. Tommy realised the implication of what he had said. He gave her a huge, embarrassed grin and shrugged. "So, do you play bridge?"

"No, only Solitaire."

"Well let's see if we can change that shall we?"