CHAPTER FIFTEEN

"I still think this is a bad idea," Frankie said.

Shawna flipped her hair over her shoulder in that frustratingly devil-may-care attitude of hers and said, "You think everything is a bad idea."

"Not everything," Frankie replied. "I was pretty partial to the idea of staying home and eating pizza while watching a scary movie and cuddling on the couch."

Shawna chuckled. "You always want to cuddle."

"Well, gee, I'm sorry I like you so much."

Shawna laughed again and kissed Frankie on the nose. "Help me with this video, babe, and I'll give you all the cuddling you can handle."

She wiggled her hips a little as she said that, and Frankie wished for the hundredth time that she was more strong-willed.

She wasn't, though, and the allure of cuddling and other associated activities was too much to resist. "All right," she said, "but we go in only as far as the line allows, okay?"

The year before, Frankie and Shawna had gotten lost in the catacombs in France and spent a terrifying evening certain they were going to die underground before daylight brought a search team to rescue them. After that, they had each bought two thousand yards of high-strength fishing line to ensure they could find their way back to the surface if they were ever underground again.

"Of course," Shawna said, "I'm not an idiot."

Frankie had her doubts about that, but she had no doubts about the effectiveness of Shawna's hips, so she didn't protest further. "I swear to God, you're gonna get me killed," she muttered under her breath.

"You'll love every second of it," Shawna promised. "Now help me with the microphone."

Frankie helped setup the microphone and then followed suit with her videocamera. "Okay," she said, "we're recording in three, two, one—" she clicked record and made a fist.

Shawna flashed the stunning smile that had won Frankie's heart six years earlier as a college freshman and said, "Good evening, ghouls and goblins. Welcome to another haunted exploration with the Ghost girls. I'm Shawna, and behind the camera is my lovely girlfriend, Frankie."

Frankie dutifully turned the camera toward her own face and smiled. "Hi guys."

She turned the camera back to Shawna, who continued, "We're here exploring the Granger Copper Mine. The Granger Copper Mine was founded in nineteen-fifty-six when a vein of ore was discovered in—"

As Shawna gave a brief overview of the mine, Frankie glanced beyond at the gaping maw of the entrance. Yellow tape cordoned it off, the yellow tape that Tyler Stone had ignored before going into the mines to die. The yellow tape that they were about to ignore themselves. She shivered and wondered for the thousandth time since meeting Shawna if this would be the last night they spent together.

She would soon regret that thought.

This mine has recently come into the local headlines due to two factors, the first being its recent accidental reopening when construction workers unearthed this entrance as part of the excavation for the coming Norwesco distribution center."

She narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice conspiratorially. "The second is for the recent disappearances of Tyler Stone and Clara Montpelier, local residents who were last seen entering the mine. Clara has yet to be seen again, but Tyler was recently found dead and mutilated inside the natural cave network that adjoins the mine. The locals believe that the ghosts of the miners who died trapped in this cave twenty-two years ago punished Tyler for entering the mine, as they will to anyone who defiles the sanctity of their resting place." She paused for dramatic effect and said, "Tonight, Frankie and I will explore these caverns and find out once and for all if this abandoned copper mine really is haunted. Okay, cut there."

Frankie cut the recording and Shawna said, "We'll put the theme there and then reopen with the two of us inside the mine. You have the line?"

Frankie set the camera down and tied the fishing line around each of their waists. They anchored the line to their vehicle, an old pickup that Frankie's uncle had sold to her when she started the podcast with Shawna.

"Okay," Shawna said, "last one in's a rotten egg."

She started forward, and Frankie caught her shoulder. "Wait," she said, "What if we just use the drone this time?"

They had bought a drone for their investigation of a haunted cathedral last year. The cathedral was condemned and deemed unsafe, so instead of exploring it themselves, they sent a drone inside. This seemed as good a time as any to use the drone again.

Shawna sighed in longsuffering irritation. "Frankie, we have the line, we have flashlights, we have experience in caves, we'll be fine. We're not going that deep anyway. We just need some good footage, then we'll be out and back home in no time."

"I know, but…" Frankie's voice trailed off. Shawna didn't believe a single word of what she said on the podcast. To her, this show was a fun game that she and Frankie played and were lucky enough to earn money playing. Frankie wasn't so sure. It didn't seem outrageous to her to think that the spirits of the miners might linger in the living world, deprived of anything but the horror of death. Plenty of cultures had legends where the spirits of those who died violently preyed on the living who trespassed their graves.

Shawna sighed and cast her an exasperated look. "Come on, Frankie. Tyler and Clara fucked up, got lost and either fell or got eaten by a bear. You have bear spray, right?"

Frankie nodded. "I do, but—"

"And you have the gun, right?"

Frankie had insisted over Shawna's objections that the pair carry a handgun to protect themselves. She felt the weight of the pistol in her jacket pocket, but it didn't comfort her this time. A handgun wasn't going to stop a ghost.

Shawna didn't wait for her to answer. "Then we're fine. We're not going to die in here, I promise." Seeing Frankie's unconvinced expression, she put on another smile, the one she wore when she asked Frankie if she wanted to spend the night in Shawna's dorm room after their second date. "Hey, baby," she said softly, approaching her reluctant girlfriend. She kissed Frankie just as softly, pressing her lips to hers and whispering, "I'll keep you safe. Okay?"

Frankie was three inches taller and a good twenty pounds heavier than the petite Shawna. She also carried the bear spray and the gun, so if anyone was keeping them safe, it was Frankie.

But dammit, she couldn't resist that kiss.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. But you owe me tonight."

Shawna brightened and kissed Frankie again. "I will more than make it up to you, my love. Trust me, you'll be very satisfied with your reward."

Frankie rolled her eyes again but smiled. "All right, well, hurry up before I change my mind."

Shawna kissed her a third time, a quick peck on the cheek, then started for the entrance to the cave. Frankie picked up her camera and followed the beam of Shawna's flashlight as the two of them started into the mine.