Lost Contact (The Bridge Sequence Book One), Nathan Hystad [primary phonics books .TXT] 📗

aerial tour of Fuji and the surrounding area. This was big business, and another copter checking out the sites wasn’t conspicuous in the least. My head was foggy from the late-night beers, but mostly from the stress of our revelation at the bar.

It was a clear morning, a contradiction to the crisp evening with light snowfall the night before. The sky was a brilliant blue, and I did my best to spot a single cloud, but failed. Mount Fuji stood straight ahead, a giant and picturesque reminder of how insignificant we were as humans.

Veronica took us on the normal path, heading around the city and toward Fuji. Below, lines of tour buses and private cars drove for the summit, and I spotted hikers moving for the base of the mountain as we veered off, heading west.

Veronica lowered, and I heard her voice through the headset. “Always wanted to see the Shiraito Falls.”

They were spectacular, dozens of waterfalls dropping like silk into a crystal lake.

“If we’re done ogling the sites, do you think we could move on to the target?” Tripp asked, making Veronica crane her neck to frown at the man behind Hunter.

“Smell the roses, Tripp.”

We continued on, the journey taking a short time. The ground was snow-covered the farther north we traveled, and I stared out the window, seeing Fuji in the east, the presence of the mountain a constant in this region.

“I’ve rented the entire facility for the day,” Hunter told us.

His money was good for a lot of things, including feigning private functions at places like the ice caves. Veronica found a safe spot to land, just on the outer edge of the empty parking lot. The entire complex was surrounded by thick forest, and I saw a single car in the lot near the entrance to the tunnels.

A woman ran toward us, her hair flying wildly in the wind. Veronica powered off the helicopter, and we exited, Hunter walking to the frenzied lady. She waved her arms around, obviously not thrilled with our choice of transportation. I couldn’t hear their conversation, but eventually, she nodded before leaving in her car.

The blades slowed, and soon we were surrounded by a crisp silence. “Lava tubes? Dirk had some imagination,” Tripp said.

“You’re certain we’re alone?” I asked Hunter.

“You’d be surprised how difficult it was to convince them to shut this down on such short notice.” He smiled despite his complaints. “But it’s done. Come. Destiny awaits.”

The entrance was marked at the edge of the forest, dipping below a yard of earth. Tree roots broke through the ceiling, and I glanced up as we descended a handful of steps, gripping bamboo railing to steady myself. Veronica was hurrying, and Marcus chased after her.

I took a moment before entering to double check the GPS and saw the indicator close by. The coordinates were specific, but we’d still have some work to do to locate the Token once inside.

“Are you coming?” Hunter asked, and I looked around, realizing the others were long gone.

“Sure.”

“Is there something on your mind?” he asked. It was strange seeing Hunter in jeans and an orange puffy jacket. He wore earmuffs, his hands adorned with thin leather gloves.

“There’s a lot on my mind, but we’ll have time to discuss that after we secure this Token.” I patted him on the back and walked inside, careful on the wooden planks. It was quiet in the ice tube’s entrance, eerily so, and Tripp was distributing hard hats. He was the only one of us to carry a pack, and I could guess what was inside it.

“Everyone stay safe. The ceilings are short, and it’ll get chilly inside,” Tripp said. “We don’t have far to walk. These old lava tubes were created by Fuji a long time ago.”

“This seems too busy a tourist location to leave one of the Tokens,” Veronica said.

I didn’t have the heart to mention where we were off to next. She probably wouldn’t believe me. Hunter took the lead, ducking under a low-lying cavern opening, and we started down the manmade walkways. It was musty, and Marcus sneezed a couple of times. The sound was muted in the dense cavern. Metal railing lined the center of the passageway as we rounded a bend, and my helmet struck the rock.

Marcus laughed, but the distraction caused him to do the same, which made him laugh even louder.

“I’m glad this is amusing to you,” Hunter said. “We’re on the precipice of finding the second Token, and yet you’re able to express your mirth.”

For a second, I thought he was reprimanding Marcus, but his smile was genuine. He looked younger today and appeared happy to be part of the team as we explored the lava tubes. We continued on, and the air grew colder with each passing minute.

“The ice,” Veronica said, pointing to the right, and I saw it. Thick frozen walls rose along the cavern stone, and the facility had placed fences around it, running the entire length of this passageway to prevent patrons from touching it. Lights shone from the ground every few yards, guiding the path.

We kept moving, but I stopped as I glanced at the GPS. We’d been inside for only a few minutes, but I noticed we were already heading in the wrong direction. “Guys. It’s the other way.”

“There is no other way, Rex.” Tripp leaned over me, trying to see the device. “See?” He tapped the screen and then jabbed a finger at the wall behind us. “There’s no route through.”

Marcus had a flashlight and exited the trail, climbing past the fence. “Careful,” I warned him, but he was already heading away from our group. With a sigh, I followed him.

“Just what I thought. There’s an opening,” he called from around a corner.

“Stay where you are. We’re coming.” Water dripped from above, down my helmet and in front of my face. The ice was thicker, with long icicles stretching from floor to rocky ceiling, making them eight feet high as we arrived at Marcus’ side.