Catalyst Read Online Free Page A

a
concrete wall. Skid marks gouged deep ruts across a grass strip and
steam rose from the engine.
    One other stretcher was beside her. It was Kathleen.
Their eyes met and the other girl burst into sobs and reached out.
Courtney found a cold limp hand to squeeze and wondered where the
other two were.
    ****
    "Sada and Brigitte were killed that day," Courtney
whispered. "A concrete support beam crushed their side of the car
and they never had a chance. Kathleen was hardly hurt but I was cut
up a bit."
    "I'm sorry." Renee's eyes were filled with
compassion. "Have you kept in touch with Kathleen?"
    "Yeah," Courtney replied and gave a little grimace.
"I wish I hadn't."
    "So what happened next?"
    "I was suspended for a week. Mom had a blazing row
with the principal, withdrew me from the school and I went to the
state school at home. It didn't work out though. Laura was a
freshman at the same school and caused trouble. Mom and I couldn't
get on, so one day I walked out." Courtney stared through the
darkness at her companion. "I thought that would solve my problems
but I was wrong. My God, was I wrong."
     
    ****
     

 
    Chapter 3
    Lem stopped, wiped a hand across his perspiring brow
and searched around. The flashlight beam showed an almost vertical
section of loose rock above him. He grunted. It would be impossible
to go higher. Far below, one tiny flashlight showed where the other
two were while overhead the blue glowworms sparkled across the
ceiling. A faint movement of cooler air tumbled from the tunnel
above and stirred particles of dust in the limestone. Lem coughed
and made one last inspection across the face before he decided to
return to the others.
    The slip on the far side was steeper and unstable. He
turned and was about to retrace his steps when his flashlight beam
caught something orange. It appeared to be clothing. Lem frowned
and made his way forward. When the area lit up his casual interest
focused.
    Lying with one arm and his head out of the rubble was
their guide. His head tilted back at a grotesque angle and open
eyes bulged from a ghostly face.
    "Sam." Lem gasped and scrambled through the loose
soil.
    He reached the body in seconds. Sam was dead and by
the look of the pallid, gray skin, had been since they'd slipped.
Lem sighed, pulled the jacket from the debris and laid it across
Sam's face.
    "Sorry, Sam," he whispered. "You did not deserve
this."
    He squeezed the stiff arm and made his way back.
    ****
    "It's bad news, I'm afraid," Lem said to the others.
"Our guide never made it."
    Courtney sucked on a bottom lip before turning and
reaching in the backpack. She took out three fruit bars and handed
them around. "So what're our chances, now?"
    "Probably no different. Sam's death explains the
longer wait, that's all. We'll be found, I guarantee it."
    "Did you find a way out?"
    "I'm afraid not. There's a sheer cliff and loose
stuff everywhere. If we try to reach the upper cave we could bring
the lot down on top of us."
    "So what will that rescue team do when they arrive?"
Courtney's voice sharpened.
    "They'll have equipment," Renee cut in. "There may be
a different way in. I'm sure there'll be experts who know what
they're doing."
    "Like Sam?" Courtney asked.
    Lem glanced at Renee and raised an eyebrow.
    "Courtney was telling me a little about herself,"
Renee said. "I'm keen to hear what happened, if you don't mind
listening."
    "Not at all," Lem replied. It was obvious she wanted
to get the girl's mind off their situation. "And what about
yourself?"
    "Yeah," the teenager said. "You've told us nothing.
Why are you here?"
    "I slipped down this whopping great hole," Renee
said.
    "I know that," Courtney retorted. "You know what I
mean."
    "Sure. I'll just bore you both, I'm afraid."
    "Try us," Lem replied.
    "Well, I'm a junior lawyer, glorified secretary,
chief bottle washer and pen pusher, really." She gave a little
laugh. "Well, key pusher in front of a computer monitor, it
is."
    "And I'm sure very talented," Lem