Dsiclaimer: All characters belong to HiT Entertainment.

Chapter 10

It was already pouring with rain by the time I arrived at the railway station. I parked Mercury inside the engine shed, where I knew she would be safe from the storm. After I'd grabbed my potholing helmet out of Mercury's box, I ran over to Bessie's shed.

Bessie started up easily, and so once I was out on the main line, I accelerated her to her top speed, which, admittedly, wasn't all that fast. The hurricane was getting worse by the minute, so I hoped that Elvis and the others would be able to get the townsfolk to safety.

By the time I arrived at the end of the line, I could see that the caves were already starting to flood. Grabbing my potholing helmet, I ran inside. Thunder and lightning crashed through the sky behind me as I fastened my helmet. Time is of the essence now. I have to find them and get them to safety before this storm gets any worse. I turned on the helmet's light. But I mustn't let the kids panic. Stay calm, Sam. Stay calm. Taking a deep breath, I walked deeper inside the caves.

Once I was clear of the old miners' railway tracks, I started to jog. Soon, I came to a fork. I wasn't as familiar with the caves as Penny was, so I decided to call out to her, hoping she was close enough to hear me.

"Penny!"

My voice echoed several times, but hearing no reply from Penny, I decided to take the left tunnel, since it seemed to be used more than the right.

"Penny!" I shouted again as I ran. She can't be too much further ahead.

Rounding a corner, I saw Penny and the children gathered together in one of the cave's rooms. I continued running towards them.

"Fireman Sam!" the children exclaimed. Clearly, they were very surprised to see me. Penny stepped forwards, and I stopped in front of her.

"Sam? What are you doing here?"

"There's a hurricane heading for Pontypandy," I explained quietly, even though I knew the children could hear me clearly. "And I need to get you all to safety before the mines flood."

"Flood?" James exclaimed, shocked.

"No, don't panic, kids," I told the children quickly. "We'll all be fine. But we need to move quite quickly."

"Okay, everyone," Penny added as I turned around to lead the way. "We need to follow Fireman Sam. Let's go."

I led the way back the way I had come, while Penny brought up the rear. As we neared the entrance, I could hear that the rain was getting heavier, and the wind was starting to increase. It won't be long before we feel the hurricane's full force. We need to get the kids somewhere safe first, before Penny and I head back to Pontypandy.

"Look! We're nearly there!" Norman said, sounding very much relieved.

I turned to face the kids. "Now, it's going to be very stormy when we get out there. But once we get to the Mountain Activity Centre, we'll all be safe and sound."

However, just as I'd finished speaking, I heard a rumbling sound coming from overhead. Seeing some rocks falling ahead of us, I yelped. "Whoa! Stay back!"

Spinning back around, I pushed Norman back down the path to safety. Penny helped move the others away from the rockslide as well. When it had stopped, I stared at the solid wall of rocks that now blocked our path to safety.

Oh, great fires of London! Not again! Memories instantly came flooding back to mind of the last time I'd been trapped underground with Norman. He'd fallen down into an old coalmine full of poisonous methane gas. When Elvis and I had gone down to rescue him, the roof had caved in, leaving us with only five minutes of oxygen left, and no way out. Or so I'd thought. It had been the only time in my whole career that I'd actually panicked during a rescue. Luckily, Bella's old cat, Rosa, had found us, and she managed to lead us to safety, but not before I'd run out of oxygen. Elvis had done his best to help me, but he'd almost had to carry me out of that awful mine because I'd been slipping in and out of consciousness. I don't remember much of what happened after that, but apparently Elvis had radioed Station Officer Steele to have him send for an ambulance. I'd awoken in the back of an ambulance, with a medical oxygen mask over my face, and an I.V. in my arm. I was taken to the Newtown Hospital for a check-up, but luckily I managed to recover quickly, and so they'd released me just a few hours later. Norman was, quite naturally, full of remorse, but I assured him that none of what had happened had been his fault. However, from that moment on, I'd always been very wary of caves and mines.

"What happened?" Mandy asked, snapping me out of my bad memories.

"There's been a rockfall," Penny calmly explained.

"We can't get out!" James exclaimed fearfully.

"Now what are we going to do?" Sarah wondered.

I knew the kids were scared, and for once, I was frightened too. I could feel my heart racing in my chest. "Is there another way out, Penny?" I asked, but I doubted there would be. I can't be that lucky twice!

Penny unfolded her map of the caves. Water was now starting to pool around our feet, and I saw Mandy looking around nervously. "Er...yes!" Penny replied. "We can take the old miners' route." She looked down the right-hand path. "But we'll have to go down, before we can go up."

"Well, let's go then," I said, trying to keep my breathing under control. "Lead the way, Penny." I wanted to go at the back, so the kids wouldn't see just how afraid I really was. I can't pass my fears onto them. They can't see me panic, or they'll panic too. I need to remain strong, for their sakes.

After we'd followed the path for a few minutes, Penny looked at her map again. "So, we just keep following the path downwards, and... Oh, no!"

Ahead of us, the path ended, leaving nothing but a pool of water. My heart sank. We're trapped!

"There isn't a path!" James said, stating the obvious.

"It's flooded," I added quietly.

"Well, we can't go back," Mandy pointed out. "That way's blocked."

"But we can't go forward either," Sarah said.

Penny consulted her map. "It doesn't look far to the other side." She glanced up at me. "The path just dips down, and then comes up again."

Hmm... I suppose it wouldn't hurt to see what it's like. It's our only hope right now. I stepped over to the edge. "All of you stay here." I climbed into the water. "I'll go and check that the other side is clear."

"Be careful, Sam," Penny told me gently. I could see the concern in her eyes.

"Okay," I promised her. We locked eyes for a moment, but then I drew in the biggest breath of air my lungs could hold. Then, I pushed myself down under the water.

Turning, I used the light on my helmet to see the path. I pushed off from the wall behind me with my legs. Using breaststroke, I swam under the overhanging roof of the path. It wasn't easy, because I had to swim quite deeply to get under it without touching it, but I managed. Seconds later, I surfaced on the other side. I drew in a huge breath of air, before I examined the condition of the path. It looked fine. Smiling with relief, I drew in a smaller breath, knowing just how much air I would need to make it back. If I can get back safely on a child-sized breath of air, they'll be fine.

"Oh!" I gasped when I resurfaced. Then, I climbed out of the water. "Oh! Now, listen everybody. If we swim under here, we can get back on the path. It's not very far."

"Really?" James asked. He still sounded very worried.

I gave my nephew a reassuring smile. I was feeling a lot calmer now. "Really. Now, you're all good swimmers. You just have to take a big, deep breath, and follow Penny through."

Penny, Sarah, Mandy and Norman climbed into the water. "Now, deep breaths, everyone," Penny instructed. The kids did as they were told, before they disappeared under the water's surface.

"Come on, James," I encouraged, knowing just how nervous he could be. "We need to go."

James wrung his hands together. "But...I'm...too scared!"

I knelt down in front of him, so I could look him in the face, and I placed my hands on his shoulders. I breathed a small sigh before I spoke. "Don't worry, James. All you have to do is, hold onto me, and we can do it together."

"Uh, okay Uncle Sam," James agreed.

I helped him climb onto my back, and he wrapped his arms and legs tightly around me. "Urgh!" I exclaimed as I stood up. He's a lot heavier than he used to be! "Now, take a deep breath!" I held onto him as I entered the water. "And we'll be out in no time."

I drew in the deepest breath I could again, because I knew I'd have to swim even deeper this time, to avoid hitting James' head on the rocks. Once we were under the water, I pushed off from the wall again, swimming down, and then up again as quickly as I could.

When we surfaced, I saw Penny and the other children standing there, waiting for us. My lungs were burning now, but I knew I couldn't rest yet. We still had a long way to go.

"James!" Sarah exclaimed happily, as she ran over to hug her twin.

Mandy gasped. "The water's getting higher!"

"Right then," Penny said. "I know we're all wet, but we need to keep going."

And so, we kept walking. Before long, we came across the old mine tramway. It was rusted and broken in many places.

"The old miners' route goes this way," Penny explained as she led us along. A moment later, she kicked a stone, sending it flying over the edge of a cliff. A second later, we heard it splash into the river below. "Goodness!"

Looking ahead, I could see that our only way across the ravine ahead of us was via an old, rickety wooden bridge.

"Wow!" Norman exclaimed excitedly. "A bridge!"

I grabbed him as he started to run onto it. "Norman!" I placed him back on solid ground. "Don't do anything until we've checked that it's safe first!"

"Sorry, Fireman Sam." Then, under his breath, Norman added, "I thought I saw gold."

I rolled my eyes. Penny took a rope out of her backpack, and she handed it to me.

"I'll check it, Sam. I'm lighter than you."

I drew in a deep breath. She's right. It'll be best if I go last. That way if the bridge does give way, everyone else will be safe.

I uncoiled the rope, and I gave one end back to her. She tied it around her waist, while I looped the other end around my own waist. Then, Penny proceeded to walk across the bridge. It creaked a little under her weight, but she made it safely to the other side.

"I'm safe!"

Between us, we pulled the rope tight. "Right," I said to the kids. "One-by-one, hold onto the rope, and walk carefully over the bridge."

Sarah stepped forward, and she bravely took hold of the rope.

"And, try not to look down," I advised, knowing just how tempting it would be for the kids to do so. If I told them not to look down, they would do it anyway.

When Sarah was halfway across, some of the wood splintered, sending up a small cloud of dust.

"Keep going, Sarah," I told her, and she did. "That's it!"

Seconds later, Sarah made it safely to the other side.

"Now, come on, James!" Penny called. "You were brave before! Now, don't look down!"

James bravely took hold of the rope, and he started to make his way across. The bridge creaked and more dust flew up when he reached the middle. "Ahh! Oohh!" James whimpered fearfully.

"You can do it, James!" Sarah encouraged.

"Ah!" James yelped, before hurrying the rest of the way over. He and Sarah hugged each other tightly.

Then, it was Norman's turn to cross. He went a bit faster than I would've liked, but he made it safely across, so I didn't bother saying anything to him. I looked down at Mandy.

"It's your turn, Mandy," I told her.

"Okay, Sam." Mandy took hold of the rope, and she started to walk across the bridge.

"That's it!" I called. "Keep going."

Just as Mandy walked over the board that had sent up all the dust, it gave way. Hearing the board fall behind her, Mandy gasped with fear and she froze.

"Keep looking ahead, Mandy!" I told her.

"Okay, Fireman Sam," Mandy said as she continued her way over.

"Well done!"

Seconds later, Mandy also made it safely to the other side.

"Well done, Mandy," Penny praised.

"Come on, Fireman Sam!" Norman called, as I tied my end of the rope securely around my waist.

"I've got the rope, Sam," Penny said, and she pulled it tightly.

I cautiously stepped onto the bridge. It creaked ominously beneath my weight. My heart was pounding in my chest so loudly that I was sure everyone could hear it. I can do this...

A board gave way beneath me, and I felt the bridge supports starting to give way.

"He's too heavy!" Sarah gasped.

The supports slipped even further down, but then they stopped moving. I smiled slightly, hoping that they'd caught on a rock, or something. Just then, I heard the worst sound anyone wants to hear inside a cave. Rushing water!

Glancing back the way we'd just come, I saw floodwater coming straight towards me! The bridge won't hold! I need to move, fast!

I started to run, not caring about being careful anymore. But it was too late. There was a loud crash as the wood shattered, and then I felt myself falling down into the ravine...