In The Beginning by Gail Daley (top 100 books of all time checklist .TXT) 📕

A shot rang out and a bullet clipped the door knocking it open. Carlos dived at Iris, tumbling her to the floor.

"Madonna, I know you're in there," Franks called. "Come out and face me. Bring that liar you married out with you. She and I have unfinished business."

"I'm not an idiot, Franks," Carlos answered. "Why should I come out for you to shoot me down?"

"If you don't, we'll fill the cabin with gunfire and burn it," Franks warned him. "You have five minutes to decide. Did she tell you what a good time we had in Junction City, Madonna? I'm going to enjoy doing her again."

Seeing Carlos's face darken, Iris gripped his arm. "You can't go out there!" she exclaimed. "You know he's lying! He just wants to make you angry."

"I know that," Carlos said softly, "but Franks and I will have a reckoning later." He put his finger to his lips and motioned for Iris to crawl toward the back of the cabin. "Check to see if anyone is out back."

His voice had been gentle, but Iris shivered. Nodding, she crawled back into the other room. In Hennessey's bedroom, she found an old hat, and leaning against the wall, a long thin rod with a hook on the end. Putting the hat on the end of the rod, she lifted it just above the windowsill. Immediately a shot rang out.

Dropping the hat and hugging the floor, she found herself looking curiously at the rod, and wondering what it was used for. Of course! she thought recalling Gran's house in Copper City had a trapdoor in the floor leading to an escape tunnel, and it had been opened with a hook like this one. The wars between factions for control of the City States had encouraged many homes to be built with such escape routes. From her position on the floor, she could see the dim interior of the closet. The dimness made it hard to see well, but there was a scoop shaped shadow near the front. Crawling forward, Iris ran her fingers over the spot and found the indentation. She slid her fingers into the small ridge and the floor moved. Unfortunately, she wasn't strong enough to lift the trapdoor from her prone position.

"Carlos!" she called, keeping her voice soft so the men outside couldn't hear. "Come in here! I think I found a way out!"

He had been exchanging insults with Franks, but he crawled to join her.

"What did you find?"

"I think it's a trap door," she whispered, "but I'm not strong enough to open it."

"Move back."

Iris slid back on the rough floor, and Carlos lifted the trap door. Gingerly, he peered down into the hole.

"I think it's a tunnel," he said. He swung his legs over the hole in the floor and let himself down with his hands. "We can stand up. Swing yourself over and I'll catch you when you drop. It's too bad we can't close it after us."

"Oh, but we can," Iris said, slipping the hooked end of the rod into the ring she could plainly see now the trapdoor was open. Letting the rod dangle down into the hole, she copied Carlos's movements, and he caught her as she dropped. Grabbing the end of the rod, he pulled the trapdoor shut, and they were plunged into darkness.

"We should have brought a light," Iris said ruefully. "I can't see a thing, can you?"

"My night vision is no better than yours, I'm afraid. We'll have to use our noses. It smells a little fresher over here," he said. "Let's try this way."

Gripping her hand, Carlos ran his other hand along the wall, feeling for an opening.

Overhead they could hear the men rush the house. Boots stomped on the wooden floor overhead, and Franks cursed a blue streak. Iris wondered if the men above them could hear her and Carlos moving around, and prayed it wasn't so. They had gone what seemed a long way down the tunnel when Carlos bumped into something. He hit it a second time when she ran into him.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"It feels like a door," her husband said, feeling around for a latch.

"Got it!" he exclaimed, cautiously he opened the door far enough to look out.

With the door open, the men in the house could be heard more clearly, but it was obvious they were some distance away. The tunnel opened behind a grove of the Ironwood trees separating Hennessy's cabin from their own.

Pulling Iris with him, Carlos ran to their cabin where he picked up his rifle and a box of shells. He pointed out the window of his office which overlooked the mining operation. "Do you see the small building over to the left?"

Iris nodded.

"That's the shift supervisor's office. Go and tell him what's happened, have him issue weapons to the men and send them over to Hennessey's cabin. When you've told him, I want you stay with the other women."

"What are you going to do?" she demanded.

Her husband patted her cheek. "Franks is now the one trapped in the cabin. I intend to see he stays there. Go on Darling. I'm depending on you."

Iris bit her lip and nodded. Before she left the cabin, she grabbed her shoulder bag. Gran had given them each a bag and told them to always carry it unless they were inside the house. The bags had built-in holsters for a gun and a sheath for a knife, as well as pouches for some noxious compounds which could be used for defense. Iris had decorated hers with lace and embroidery.

Her heart pounding in her throat, she ran to the supervisor's office and burst in the door. The man inside looked up, startled.

"Quick!" she cried. "Carlos needs your help. Franks and some of his men attacked us. They're in Hennessey's cabin. Carlos took his rifle to hold them there, but he's only one man. If they get out the back, they