A/n: Hmm I seem to be hang problems here. guess you can only have 15 documents in the manager at any one time.. so I must be doing something wrong when it comes to adding chapters...
Chapter 2
It was some time later before Frank grew aware of his surroundings. Groaning at the movement, he gingerly felt the back of his head and winced when he saw the blood on his fingertips. He was just inside the entrance to the mine and could see the setting sun so he realized quickly that he had been out cold for quite a while. Scrambling as quickly to his feet as his concussion would allow, he faced the now completely blocked tunnel that his younger brother had gone down. "Joe!" he shouted as loud as he could and then immediately regretted it. The pain behind his eyes exploded and he grew dizzy, staggering against the rotting timber that had once been used to shore up the rock. He also realized he was having a hard time breathing and surmised he had cracked a rib or two. Ever the pragmatic brother, Frank soon accepted the fact that he was in no shape to affect a rescue by himself and headed out into the open where he knew the phone signal would not be blocked.
He had no sooner gotten his hands on his cell phone when it rang shrilly in his hand, startling him. "Dad! It caved the minute I walked in there. Joe and the kid are still in the mine!" he spoke breathlessly, not even giving his father a chance to speak. Fenton's voice cut through the haze beginning to surround the elder son as he sharply asked if Frank had been injured.
"Think I busted a rib and I am pretty sure I have a concussion. I must have been unconscious for hours. We have to get Joe out of there!" Frank's voice was strident as he began to panic over the possible fate of his brother. Again, Fenton's voice, firm yet colored with concern, provided an anchor and Frank strove to calm himself and listen to his father's instructions. "Son I want you to go back to the SUV and stay put. We already have rescue crews on the way. Frisk and I will be there in less than an hour. When we hadn't heard from you right away we decided to meet you there. Leave the headlights on so the rescue team can find you in the dark." Fenton paused, waiting for Frank to acknowledge the orders.
Frank did so, but not before protesting he could at least begin to clear away the rocks. Fenton immediately refused, saying that if he moved the wrong rock he'd start another cave in. It was best to let the experts handle it. Frank reluctantly conceded the wisdom of that but was still unhappy at the thought of not being able to help find his brother and a terrified young boy.
By the time he made it back to the SUV the sun had completely set. Frank rummaged around the emergency kit but found only some emergency flares. He would have liked to have found another flashlight but was grateful that Joe at least had a means of illumination. He did find some aspirin in the first aid kit and a small bottle of water so he eagerly swallowed them, hoping they would mitigate his pounding headache. In the distance he though the heard sirens, so he lit one of the flares and tossed it into the air, hoping it would be seen by the approaching emergency crews. His bet paid off and within minutes there were several vehicles pulling up beside him.
One of the rescue workers was a certified EMT so Frank soon found himself being examined and questioned simultaneously. It didn't take long to tell the man in charge, a grizzled gentleman with iron grey hair and a commanding presence named Philips, what little he knew. He was still perched on the back of the ambulance by the time his father and Frisk showed up.
Fenton took about 15 seconds to assure himself that Frank was not seriously injured before concentrating on getting his other son as well as Danny out of the mine. Frisk Senior had brought along a copy of the mine's schematics which noted all the secondary shafts and alternate entrances. Philips, Frisk and Fenton huddled over the schematics, but without knowing exactly where the missing were holed up, there was no way to determine which alternate access point was the most logical one to use.
Frank was starting to panic between the shock of his injuries, as well as the fact that he thought they were taking way too long to do something. Everyone was standing around casually; not a single one had any sense of urgency at all. This incensed Frank and he angrily threw off the EMT's attempt to retrain him and stalked over to the three older men and demanded to know why they hadn;'t started digging yet.
Philips did not look pleased at the interruption as he growled a reply "Don't be stupid. We go barging in there like a crash of rhinos and the rest of the mine will collapse killing everyone inside!" Fenton tried to calm his agitated son and led him away from the strategy session. " Frank, you have to calm down. These people are experts and they are well aware of the dangers Joe and Danny may be in. And only they know the best, fastest and safest way to get to them. Let them do their jobs, okay?"
Frank wasn't buying it. "Son" Fenton sighed. "Joe is a big boy now. He can take care of himself. Trust that he will come out of this in one piece." Even after all this time Frank still had a hard time letting go of the image of the scatterbrained kid brother who always needed saving. He also had a hard time sitting by the sidelines. Truth be told, Fenton wasn't exactly zen-like himself. He wanted nothing more than to be in the thick of it helping to move boulders out of the way and get his son out ASAP. But he conceded the wisdom of allowing the experts to set the pace and rules.
Joe was still trying to convince Danny he was a good guy and not his kidnapper. He squatted down where he was, bringing his face to eye level with the boy. He spoke in a low, friendly tone of voice as he talked about how Danny's father was worried sick about him and really wanted him to come home right away. "You wouldn't want to keep your dad waiting, would you?" Danny almost, but not quite, shook his head no at the question. Eh, it was a start as far as Joe was concerned. He took that near movement as a sign it was safe to get closer. He stood up and walked very slowly over to the boy, who cringed, but didn't try and get away this time. Joe leaned his back against the rough stone of the shaft's wall and slid down, ending up with his knees bent almost to his chest. He sat there, not moving towards the child at all, still making small talk. "I met your older sister. She's freaked out too. Bit of a Drama Queen, though, always bursting into tears. Just like a girl, huh?"
AhHAH.. that was the merest twitch of a smile if ever Joe saw one. "I don't have a big sister, just a big brother. But he's a pain, too. Always bossing me around and stuff. Don't you hate it when they act like that?"
Definite nod this time. Joe decided that he could up the ante. "So, Danny, I have this key in my pocket. What say we try and figure out what it belongs to, huh? Wanna get rid of this nasty old thing?" Joe lightly grasped the chain and rattled it. In response, Danny moved his leg so that the lock could clearly be seen. Joe wasted no time at all unlocking it and Danny immediately took the cuff and threw it as hard as his little 9 year old body could. It made a satisfying clank against the far wall.
"Feel better?" Joe asked sympathetically. He knew what it was like being chained up. Wasn't pleasant. "What say you and I get out of here. It's a long drive back to your dad and I could really use a burger and fries." Joe thought he might have heard a small 'uh huh' so he stood up and reached down to offer his hand to Danny.
As the two walked hand in hand towards the opening that Joe had so recently come down, he noticed a distinct increase in the rattling of unstable pebbles and rocks down the side walls. He was just about to grab Danny into his arms and make a run for it, just in case, when the whole ceiling came down around them. Joe immediately flung himself on top of the boy and protected the youngster from the falling debris. It seemed an eternity before the noise stopped, and it was even longer before the dust settled.
There was total silence in the cavern.
A/n: Hows that for a cliffhanger?
