“They’re saltwater, aren’t they?” Leonid asked.
“Technically, but they do seem to like coastal rivers and lakes, too.”
“That’s reassuring,” Lazlo muttered.
Sam grinned. “Relax, Lazlo. You only live once.”
“The problem is, rather more that you only die once, unless you’re a cat. Or a Fargo, apparently.”
They skirted the water and approached the waterfall, the roar increasing until it was practically deafening. Sam peered along the side of the solid white stream of water and nodded. “There could be something back there. Lazlo, care to do the honors?”
“I’d hoped you would, being a seasoned adventurer and all.”
“This is how you gain all that valuable experience, my friend.”
“Like pneumonia. Or hypothermia,” Remi added helpfully.
“Come on, Lazlo. Fame and fortune await,” Sam coaxed.
“Sometimes called crocodiles and snakes by the locals,” Leonid quipped.
Lazlo gave him a dark look and nodded. “Very well. Here goes nothing.”
He edged past Sam along the narrow strip of rock that framed the waterfall and moved toward the rushing white foam, the spray soaking him as he pressed himself flat against the rock face of the cliff and inched sideways until he was out of sight.
Remi checked her watch. “If he isn’t back in two days, we go in after him.”
“Unless something else comes up,” Sam agreed.
They didn’t have to wait long. Lazlo emerged, sopping but excited, from the waterfall’s edge.
“There’s a cave, all right. Come on, then,” he said.
“Any crates?” Remi asked.
“I didn’t do anything besides confirm that the cave’s there.”
Lazlo disappeared behind the waterfall and Remi followed him, glad her backpack was waterproof. Sam was next and Leonid last, a frown of distaste tugging the corners of his mouth as the water doused him.
They found themselves standing before a narrow gap five feet wide. The roar of the falls was amplified by the acoustics in the entry, making the sound almost unbearable. Remi unzipped her backpack and extracted two flashlights and Sam did the same, handing his to Leonid and Lazlo before taking one of Remi’s. “Lead on, Britannia!” he called out.
Lazlo turned to face the darkness and switched on his light, then took the first steps into the opening.
The narrow entry quickly widened and the floor sloped upward. Their flashlight beams played across the walls, and Lazlo was walking toward another gap at the far end when Sam grabbed his arm.
“Freeze.”
Lazlo did, and Sam pushed past him and crouched down, eyeing the floor. He directed his light at the wall, where there was a small cavity, and crept toward it while retrieving a Swiss Army knife from his back pocket.
“What is it?” Lazlo said.
“Booby trap. Probably no longer works, but no point in pushing our luck, right?”
“Can you disarm it?” Remi asked.
“Looks like a simple trip wire—so, yes. I just want to make sure there’s no spring that will detonate it if we cut the wire.” He paused, shining his light into the tight space, and then snipped the wire with a snap.
“Seems like we’re on the right track,” Leonid said.