The Travelers, part 9

As Rita and Falcon escorted them down the passageway, they whispered to one another, and eyed Thoren and Taylor suspiciously. Thoren nudged Taylor.
"Just stay calm," He whispered. "Rita and Falcon may have us trapped now, but they're not as smart as they might seem, and they're very fickle."
"Meaning?..." Taylor replied, wincing as the rope around her wrists chaffed her skin.
"Meaning, I might be able to convince them to help us." Thoren said.
"But if they're that fickle, how do we know to trust them?"
"I think their real sympathy lies with me. They think that the Squad will reward them for betraying me, but they won't get rewarded. All we have to do is wait. I believe soon the time will come that Falcon and Rita will find out that they've been tricked."
"You two, be quiet!" Rita snapped.
"Only if you untie our wrists," Thoren replied.
"You're trying to make a deal with me?" Rita said.
"If that's the way you want to think of it," Thoren said, "Look, Rita, you've known me for a long time. So have you, Falcon. Do you really think I'd run away from you?"
"What about her?" Falcon asked suspiciously.
"Taylor won't run away." Thoren said. "I trust her."
"All right, fine." Rita said. "But make any false moves, and you'll both be dead."
She and Falcon untied their wrists, and Falcon stuffed the rope in his coat pocket.
"Now, move." Rita commanded.
Taylor rubbed her wrists. When she took away her hand from her left wrist, which had been more tightly bound, there was blood on her hand. Remembering that no talking was the deal they had made in order to have their wrists untied, she kept quiet about it and pressed her wrist to her side.

As they descended even further towards the center of the caves, there were increasingly more and more torches on the walls. They gleamed off the wet rock. Twice Taylor slipped and nearly fell on the damp cave floor, but both times Thoren was there to steady her. Finally they stopped, and Rita tapped three times on the wall, and to Taylor's surprise a heavy stone door swung open. Taylor found herself being pushed forward into the opening, and into a blinding light.
The Travelers, Copyright 2012, by Katy Allie. All rights reserved.