She did, closer to Sam.
Fisk turned on his light and stepped out of the tunnel, his gun aimed at Sam and Remi. Ivan and Jak flanked him. “Your flashlight,” he said to Remi. “Turn it off.”
She lowered the Stinger to the ground, aiming the beam of light at the Night Sights of her Sig in front of Sam, taking her time before switching it off.
“The cell phone light,” Fisk said, motioning with his gun. Alexandra picked up her phone, turned off the light, and shoved it into her pocket.
The only illumination now came from the flashlight that Fisk aimed at them. “Keep your han
ds up,” he said.
Suddenly, Alexandra glared at Fisk. “Aren’t you at all interested in the cipher wheel? Turns out, it wasn’t the Fargos who took it.”
Fisk looked at her. “What’re you talking about?”
She reached into her pocket and pulled it out. “The tour guide said it’s a map to the treasure. Go and get it.” She flung it like a Frisbee toward the farthest passage on their left.
Fisk followed it with the beam of light, his attention diverted as it landed with a clatter, then rolled off into the darkness. “Get it!”
Ivan ran toward the tunnel.
Sam dove, scooping both his hands across the ground, grabbing two of the guns. Remi’s Night Sights were still glowing. He zeroed in on Ivan and fired twice.
Fisk turned off his flashlight, plunging them into darkness. He shot once, the muzzle flash lighting his face.
Sam fired at the light, then rolled in the direction of Victor’s body, using it as cover.
Several sharp blasts came from his right, echoing across the chamber. He glimpsed Jak in the muzzle blast. Remi snapped off a couple of rounds from the upper tunnel, taking him down.
Fisk returned fire.
Sam aimed over Victor’s body and fired back.
Remi’s gun was empty. He dropped it and used his Smith & Wesson.
He heard Fisk down the tunnel in front of him. What he wouldn’t give for a light. As if Remi had read his mind, she rolled the Stinger toward him, the aluminum casing rattling as it bounced across the floor. He felt around until he found the flashlight, his fingers grasping the cold metal. If not for Victor’s body, any lucky ricocheted round off the ground would take Sam out. Not exactly the best cover, but it would do.
He took the flashlight, reaching as far to his left as he could, shoving it under Victor’s outstretched arm. He kept his finger on the button, waiting to turn it on at the right moment. Then, raising his gun just enough to clear Victor’s body, he aimed toward the tunnel where he’d heard Fisk.
A risky plan, but they were running out of ammo. He flashed the light on, then off.
Ivan fired at it.
Sam aimed at the muzzle blast and double-tapped. A thump, then silence. Not who he was looking for, but the next-best thing.
Where are you, Fisk?
How to draw him out? He felt around for Remi’s empty Sig, found it, calling out, “Remi! Get out of here. I’m out of ammo.” He threw the gun so that it clattered across the uneven ground.
A lengthy pause, then Remi saying, “So am I. I’m going for help.”
Someone ran up the tunnel as Sam kept his aim on the lower tunnel, listening for any sound of Fisk.
Just when he wondered if the man was ever coming up, a bluish light lit up on the right side of the cavern. Alexandra holding her cell phone as she walked along the circumference.
“Get out here, you coward,” she shouted. “I’m the one you need to deal with.”
Sam watched, stunned, as she approached the tunnel Fisk had disappeared in. He glanced toward it, the darkness absolute. But then, surprising him, Fisk stepped out, saying, “You think you can steal my cipher wheel and get away with it?”