The Uncharted Tales

Chapter 22

"And, Sully?"

"Yea?"

"Once they're gone, meet me in the mausoleum, but come through the catacombs. It's safer that way."

For a moment, he let himself wonder when the kid had gotten so cautious.

Probably since he thought he lost you, idiot, some vicious part of him whispered. He also suspected that, perhaps, the girl might be playing a part in his sudden restraint. Sully shook his head ever so slightly. He wasn't about to complain if it meant Nate started to use his head some more.

"Gotcha."

The second he holstered the radio, Elena grabbed his arm with both hands, giving the limb a squeeze. "I've got an idea."

He blinked at her retreating back as she strode back to the passageway to the main library. "Uh, what're you doing?" He questioned.

"I saw a cart outside when Nate and I came to rescue you," She called back over her shoulder.

His curiosity piqued, Sully followed after her. "What've you got in mind?"

Upon reaching the library, Elena stooped down and snatched grenades off the bodies of fallen mercenaries. "I'm thinking we give them a real show," She replied.

Together, they slipped out of the library and out into the plaza, taking care to stay low and close to cover, as they rounded to the backside of the monastery, and just as Elena had promised, a cart awaited them. It was piled high with explosives, mostly dynamite, curtesy of Roman.

"Here's what I'm thinking," Elena said. "We rig this thing up, and we push it right down to them. By the time it detonates and gets their attention, we'll be gone." Sully followed her pointing finger with his gaze down the other end of the avenue. He spotted the mausoleum some ways off, with Navarro's men gathered at the base of the slope. "That'll get them out of the way for Nate, too."

Sully stared at her. What kind of reporter was she? "How'd you come up with that?" He asked dubiously.

She grinned. "Gotta learn to think quick on your feet to keep up with you two."

Sully let out a hearty laugh. "Well, I like the way you think, Miss Fisher."

Elena nudged him. "C'mon, give me a hand with this."

With their combined effort, they stacked any left-over explosives into the cart, ensuring everything inside the cart was mostly secure, and together they pushed the wagon into the center of the avenue. The next step was a little trickier. When the cart started to trundle down the street, Sully took over the task of throwing a grenade into the middle of the pile, unclipping it and aiming with a trained hand.

The second the explosives started setting off, Sully and Elena burst back into the library, and he could hear the explosives whizzing and sparking growing ever more distant. "Yea," Sully said breathlessly as they sprinted down into the secret passage, "that oughta do it." Elena flashed him a bright smile.

They eased through the secret entrance Nate had gone through earlier, and once the doorway sealed shut behind them, Sully settled back against the cavern wall. Elena bent over in front of him, letting out an incredulous laugh.

"Y'know," Elena panted, "there's a lot more near-death experiences than I was expecting. Is it always this hairy with you two?"

Sully grinned at her. "It's pretty much in the small print."

She shook her head in amazement. "How you two are still alive... I don't get it."

Sully winked conspiratorially at the girl. "Sheer dumb luck, my dear."