We were sharply outlined against the dark rock; it would only be a matter of seconds before they spotted us. There was no time for all of us to climb up the rope, maybe not even enough time for any of us. We would have to fight our way out unless…..
I glanced up at a slight projection from the high wall above, where a steel pole stuck out at an angle. It had some kind of communication display on top of it. Slightly further along the edge was one of the light display carts, which looked relatively heavy.
"Come on!" I called to Trent, as I rushed across the pit to the side that had the steel pole.
He followed at a run. Each of our packs and assorted gear were pushing 100 pounds and he was caring Deshavi too, but as it was he still beat me to the other side. I jammed the grapple gun down and took aim and shot it off. The grapple hook sailed up into the air and over the bent over steel pole to land, with a crash of broken glass, onto the light display cart.
I'd scored a direct hit!
I tugged on the rope, but it was secure. Adrenaline pumping through my veins I quickly secured Trent to the left over line of rope. He stared at me his face tight with anxiety for the woman he held safe within his arms. He gave me a look of surprise, as I unclipped the explosive round grenade gun from his pack. His eyes drifted upward.
"You're crazy!" He boomed out in exclamation.
Maybe so, but it was the best idea I could come up with at the time. I brought the short gun up and fired. The explosive shell crashed into the bank of the edge of the pit right beneath the light cart poised on the edge above. Dirt fell away from the edge, even as bullets began to whine and ricochet off the rocks all around us. I stood steady and still; however, as I picked my target spots on the bank above.
At the impact of my last explosive shell a good bit of dirt caved into the pit. One of the cart tires fell in to the dip I had created. For a moment nothing happened and then I saw the cart teeter slightly. I dropped the gun and lunged for the end of the grapple rope my hands quickly snapping a rock climbing carabineer attached to my waist belt to the loop at the end of the rope.
The light cart toppled over the edge toward the pit floor below. The extra slack was jerked out of the rope and we were abruptly hauled up the pit side, as the grapple rope sawed around the base of the bent over steel pole. It was a classic dumb waiter system gone terribly wrong.