Page 83 of Into The Rabbit Hole

“Open the door, Ben,” shedemanded.

“The kids made it out with Brian. If you take that cart over there, you’ll make it tothem.”

The tears came again, running down hercheeks.

The Ben she didn’t recognize was standing before her in the elevator shaft, ready to sacrificehimself.

“Open the door, Ben. We can throw the bomb into the chasm and it will beokay.”

“We don’t know that. I need to take it as deep down as I can get. Make sure it gets a far away as possible. It’s a bomb,Regina.”

That made sense. It did, but she was still searching her mind for anotherway.

“Ben.” She said his namesoftly.

“The time is going, please go. I’m sorry you had such a terrible life with me. I was an awful husband, and I should have allowed you to leave me and be with Brian. It was selfish. Forgiveme.”

“Yes, now please come out of there. There has to be another way. You can’t die on mywatch.”

“No, this is on my watch. Go, Regina. For heaven’s sake, don’t let me do this in vain.” He pulled the bomb out and took a quick glance at it and frowned. “Eight minutes. Go!” he yelled and, before she could protest, he pressed the down button and down he went. Away fromher.

She stood there for a second and panic crippled her, and then she straightened as her mind took herbody.

She thought of her family, and her love for Brian. She thought of Ben and what he was doing, and that made her move to thecart.

She jumped into it and started it up. It looked old but workedfine.

It came to life and started moving along the track. Within minutes she came out into the fresh night air and saw lights beaming ahead ofher.

She saw Brian first. Then Wade, Chloe, Taylor, and Wes. They were all looking on as the cart pulledup.

When it stopped, she jumped straight into Brian’s arms and he held her close to his heart, where she feltsafe.

But they weren’t safe just yet. The bomb had yet to gooff.

“We need to get back. Far from here,” she cried. Detective Fray and two officers approached them. “There’s a bomb. Ben has it. It’s set to go off anyminute.”

“Mom, what do you mean?” Wade asked. “Where’sDad?”

“He and Aaron had a fight and Aaron died. The bomb he carried must have gotten damaged and we couldn’t switch it off. If there are any officers in the cave, you need to call them back now. They have about two minutes before the place blows.” She was talking so fast her mouth couldn’t keep up with the words that were flowing from hermind.

Detective Fray got on his phone immediately and sent a message to the squads that surrounded thearea.

“Everyone jump into a vehicle and drive as far north as youcan.”

No one hesitated. They moved in an instant. Wade took Chloe on his bike and Regina and Brian went with Wes and Taylor. Regina’s car was on the opposite entrance to the mountain and would most likely bedestroyed.

About a minute later, a sound shattered through the night, piercing the sound barrier as the explosion went off and the earth started to shake. Wes could barely drive against theimpact.

He sped up and blew down the road, past the shaking, catching up with Wade and Chloe, who were ahead and in line with the policevehicles.

Regina looked back at the mountain and saw parts of it crumbling in the dark. It looked like a massive shadow moving around in an angrycloud.

“Ben,” shewhispered.

Brian looked on as well, and then to her with sad eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I reallyam.”

She closed her eyes and lowered back to the warmth of his embrace, trying to absorb the strength of their love as she brokedown.