When they arrived, they recognized the spot immediately, not only from Martha's description but also from the disruptive markings, apparently caused by Fitzgerald when he recovered the bones. They knelt on a patch of dried ground in the opening of the carved alcove and examined the site. Nothing remained, not even the cigarette pack Martha had mentioned. Dean was hoping to find it or at least telltale signs that a body had decomposed on this spot, but no such evidence was apparent. The ground was brushed clean. Someone had carefully cleared the area.
Cynthia spoke in a whisper as she poked around. "Nothing. I so wanted something we could toss back in Fitzgerald's face." Dean nodded in agreement.
The passageway continued beyond where Martha had ventured and the Deans continued another hundred yards but once more the passageway forked. Dean had no stomach for going any deeper than necessary and the water from the mine seepage was getting deeper. There was no sign that anyone had preceded them this far.
While the pair was discouraged at the lack of success of their efforts, both were relieved to be leaving the dank and intimidating enclosure and moved quickly down the tunnel. As they neared the first turn, something glinted in the beam of Dean's flashlight. He stopped and picked up the object. It was a small white bone approximately one inch long.
"What is it?" Cynthia asked, then cringed when she recognized it.
"It looks human. My guess is it came from a finger or toe." He held it closer to his light. "I'm not smart enough to know for sure what it is but I do know it's a real bone-not plastic."
"Then Martha was right! Someone dropped it when they switched the bones for the ones Fitzgerald found!"
He dropped the small bone in his pocket. "We'll see." He smiled. "Maybe someone gave us 'the finger' only this time it isn't an insult. Perhaps this god-awful crawl in here wasn't for naught after all."
They moved more quickly, retracing their steps toward the entrance. But in spite of their pace, the return trip seemed to take much longer. Cynthia was the first to comment but Dean at first dismissed her concerns as mutual nervousness. Then the pair reached a side passageway that was unmarked! With it came the dreaded conclusion they'd not come this way earlier. A sinking feeling of panic swept over them, a temporary paralyzing fear. They were lost!
"I know we marked all the side passageways!" Cynthia said, the alarm apparent in her voice. "We couldn't have taken a wrong turn!"
Dean tried to remember all the methods he'd been taught to stem panic and act rationally. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself. He knew in a situation like this fear and panic were their worse enemies. His heart began to slow its impossible race.