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that the walls of the cave had been carved out by the surging waters of the great lake itself. Yet I was equally aware I had just emerged from an area that was mostly hacked out of dirt and limestone. All of this was going a long way toward proving my theory that the network of caves, caverns and tunnels was, in all likelihood, a reality. |
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It also stood to reason that we were now in enemy territory. This had to be the bivouac of the creatures, and the caves were their underground highway, the very thing that enabled them to move so handily from one region to another. |
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Gregory searched along the walls of the cave until he found a crack big enough to accommodate a stainless steel anchor pin. He inserted an O ring, connected his own nylon line, laced it through and inched his way sideways into the narrower cave. Within a matter of seconds he had disappeared into the shadows. |
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The other tunnel shot straight ahead, then began to slope down again. It was big enough to accommodate all three of us, walking straight in single file. It also served as a darkened universe of spiders, crayfish and a host of other scurrying creatures that shared a world devoid of light. |
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"Come on, Researcher," Jake grunted, "we've got work to do. You ready?" |
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