Bone Pit: A Chilling Medical Suspense Thriller (The Gina Mazzio Series Book 3) Read online

  BONE PIT

  by

  Bette Golden Lamb

  &

  J. J. Lamb

  TWO BLACK SHEEP PRODUCTIONS

  NOVATO, CALIFORNIA

  Bone Pit

  Copyright © 2013 by Bette Golden Lamb & James J. Lamb

  www.twoblacksheep.us

  All rights reserved

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the authors’ imaginations or, if real, used fictitiously.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the expressed consent of the publisher.

  ISBN-13: 978-0-98519862--6

  Cover Designer: Rita Wood

  www.ritawoodcreative.com

  Dedication

  To Peggy and Charlie Lucke,

  our long-time and valued dear friends,

  who may or may not be related to

  one of our protagonists.

  Prologue

  “Stay down, bitch!”

  Need to get up. Get up or pee the bed. Oooh, shoulders hurt. Glass crunching inside. Fire in my knees. Hot. Hot like Hawaii! Ocean hanging upside down, hanging from the sky. Oh, God! Rocky, stop it! Stop stabbing me! Stabbing my arm! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!

  “Hold her!” Rocky yelled. “Crissake, I can’t do this alone.”

  Pete snickered. “She's only a bag of bones. You could crush her with one hand.”

  Move … inch … inch … inch. Careful. Careful.

  “Damn it! Hold onto her or I’m gonna pop you in the mouth!”

  Light bouncing. Dark … light … dark … light. Supposed to remember. Promised if I took the medicine I’d remember.

  “Man, I hate going into that friggin’ lab with Ethan lookin’ like some freaky scientist straight outta the comics. And those floatin’ brains. Gives me the creeps.”

  * * * *

  Ocean falling. Snake dangling, falling into my hair. Can’t scream. Hit me when I scream. Oh, my God! It’s sliding across my neck. Curling around my head, moving through my hair. Squeezing tighter and tighter.

  “Rocky, get the snake!”

  “Shut the fuck up, lady!”

  “Did you give her the meds?”

  “Course I did, Doc.”

  That sound? Buzzing?

  “No! Don’t!”

  Hammering in my brain. Boom! Boom! Boom!

  “The two of you are idiots. I told you to sedate her. How am I supposed to work on someone who’s flopping around like this?”

  “Hey, Doc, I gave her the juice. Right in the vein. She shoulda been long gone.”

  Burning, throbbing. Eating me inside.

  “Get away! Get away!”

  “All right, you fools, get her out of here! This was a total waste of my time. Why can’t you ever do anything right?”

  “Don’t know what happened, boss.”

  “Wheel her out! Now!”

  * * * *

  “Jesus, can’t you give her more dope? She’s creepin’ me out with those crazy eyes.”

  “Used up all the shit.”

  Deep breaths. Swim away in the cool ocean. Waves crashing down. Ocean coming. Breath hurts. No air. Swimming. Swimming harder. God, God, dear God! Father in heaven, please help me. Save me! Air. Need air. Someone help me! Save me!

  “Throw her in the pit.”

  “Sounds like a goddam dying animal. You really fucked up. Should have been dead by now.”

  “Give her a few more minutes and she will be, asshole.”

  Help! Oooh, ooooh, hurts.

  “Rocky! Pete! Don’t leave me! Don’t go!”

  “Shut up, bitch!”

  “Come back! Stop the water! Please stop the water!”

  Chapter 1

  Gina and Harry inched along in a deserted silver mine north of Carson City. She refused to think about the ancient, rotting timbers that were supposed to hold back the tons of rock over their heads. Instead, she concentrated on the dancing beam of light coming from the flashlight Harry was holding to guide them through the inky blackness.

  From their first step inside, she’d grabbed the back of his jacket, bunched it up until she was grasping a sweaty clump with one hand, while the other hand trailed along the exposed jumble of rock in the vertical wall. For some reason, touching the inanimate rocks was reassuring even if they were scary companions.

  “What is this cockamamie fascination you have with mines, anyway?” Gina said. “You know how claustrophobic I am. I can barely breathe in here.”

  “Hey!” He wrapped an arm around her. “You could have waited outside.”

  “No way! I’m not letting you out of my sight, Harry Lucke. Besides, waiting alone in that creepy canyon would have been just as weird. I swear there are ghosts hiding behind every single rock—some old miner with an axe or a frustrated gambler with a six-shooter.”

  “A city girl from the Bronx; what would you know about Nevada ghosts?”

  “I have news for you, mister. The alleys in the neighborhood where I come from could make even you wig out.”

  “Well, Ms. Mazzio, if you were raised in my neck of the woods, you’d know not to keep poking your fingers in between those rocky crevices. It’s a great spot for black widows to hide.”

  She jerked her hand away from the wall and stuck it in her pocket. “Very funny.”

  “So who’s laughing?” Harry said, laughing.

  Without warning, the flashlight blinked out, leaving them both gasping in surprise.

  Gina’s voice was shaky. “Oh, God, this is like being blind.” She grabbed for his arm and squeezed him with all her might. “Harry, please, please, please put the light back on. If this is supposed to be some kind of joke, it’s not funny.”

  “It’s okay, babe. Give me a moment and I’ll have it working.”

  She squirmed. An invisible hand was crushing down on her chest. “Harry, I can’t breathe!”

  She heard him going through his pockets, clothes swishing with his movements. “What are you doing?” Her voice sounded hysterical even to her; it bounced around them―not really an echo, but something like it. No matter how hard she squinted, all she saw was a flat black wall.

  “Batteries, doll. Always carry an extra pair if you’re exploring a mine. Big daddy taught me that.”

  The light was back.

  Gina threw her arms around his neck, thought she was going to cry with relief, but a smile won the contest. “I love you, do you know that, Mr. Lucke?”

  Then his mouth was on hers and they were lost in each other in the middle of the deserted mine.

  Gina yanked away. “Did you hear that?”

  “Just some rocks. They drop all the time.”

  “You know what? I’ve had it. If this is panic therapy, it’s not working.” She tugged his sleeve, taking backward steps. “First the light disappears. Then the mine is collapsing. I get the message—time to run, live to fight another day.”

  “The mine’s not collapsing. Land moves, rocks shift all the time. A few are going to drop here and there.”

  “You might be right; it’s a perfectly logical explanation. But get me out of here.” She tugged at his arm again and again until he gave in. They walked back out of the mine.

  * * * *

  Gina and Harry agreed that all the electricity required to power the blinking outside lights of The Silver Dollar casino coul
d have powered a small town.

  It was like stepping back in time when they pushed through the wooden swinging doors. The sawdust-covered plank floors creaked with every step; old guns and mining relics clung to the walls and ceiling, filling every inch of available space.

  Gina thought this must be one of those old leftover gambling joints she’d heard about that had gone through the gold and silver rushes of the 1800s. But it had somehow managed to slide through later eras of transformation without losing its original mining-era vision of hard times.

  She couldn’t imagine how this historic casino could compete with the ultra-modern places in the center of Reno and Carson City. There, electronic slots, convenient credit tickets, glitz, glitter and showgirls gave the illusion of no tomorrow. Riches all round were there for the taking.

  That's what the suckers came for.

  The place was jam-packed, the customers surrounded by the clatter of slots being well-fed with coins and the wild shouts of the three-deep crowds around the blackjack and craps tables. Gina felt a rush of adrenaline.

  The restaurant area was also mobbed. Gina and Harry had to cool their heels for thirty minutes before they were seated.

  And it was a Sunday night!

  “You know, when I was going through nursing school,” Gina said. “I never quite pictured myself working in Nevada. And tell me, how the hell can anyone breathe in here with all the cigarette smoke? You could scratch your name in the fumes.”

  Harry smiled at her. “But look at how happy everyone is, even while losing their money.” He reached across the table to take her hand. “How about I move my bod over and crowd the hell out of you?”

  Gina laughed as his bottom bumped her against the wall of the small booth. She made a point of ignoring his hand creeping up her thigh as she fingered her way through the menu. She stopped at the double-page, 24-hour breakfast section.

  “You may be the sexiest man alive, Harry, but I don’t think I’m ever going to get over being in that creepy mine today.”

  “If you’d only go with the flow, you might even find it exciting.”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  When the waitress asked for Gina’s order, she pointed at a breakfast combination plate of eggs, pancakes, and bacon. Harry nodded for the same.

  “This last week exploring the area has been fun. I could even use another seven days,” she said. “But reality says this is our last night before we start work.” She handed her menu to the waitress. “I’m a little nervous. I’ve never been in charge of a prenatal clinic. I wish I were going with you.”

  “Yeah. That would have been the best-case scenario. But we’re still within shooting distance of each other.” Harry’s hand advanced farther up her thigh. “And there’s always the nights in our own little condo in the sky.”

  “Sex.” Gina laughed. “You’re always thinking of sex.”

  “Not all the time. That whopping sign-on fee also got my attention.”

  “Twenty grand between the two of us!” Gina let out long whistle. “Now we can really plan for that trip to Italy.”

  “And you needed to get away from Ridgewood Hospital and all that, what is it you call it, cacca?”

  “I know,” she said. “But I love living in San Francisco.”

  “It’s only a three-month contract,” Harry said. “It’s not forever. And if we don’t like it … we’re out of here.”

  The waitress set their orders in front of them, pulled a bottle of syrup from her pocket and set it on the table. The tempting aroma of bacon and coffee was almost lost in a battle with the casino’s heavy smell of tobacco smoke. Still, they grabbed their silverware and started eating. An overhead announcement shouted a $50,000 progressive slot winner along with dah-dum music. A chorus of wild cheers blasted the place.

  It didn’t slow either of them.

  When the volume dropped, Gina said, “That Comstock auxiliary unit where you’re assigned sounds … I don’t know, strange. Why isn’t it part of the hospital campus here in town?”

  “I asked the same question and never got a real answer. All they said was it’s basically an internal medicine facility and they wanted someone with extensive experience.” Harry buffed his nails on his shirt. “You know, someone like me.”

  Gina’s cell rang out Madame Butterfly’s Un bel di. She pulled the phone from her purse and gave Harry a puzzled look.

  The inquiring voice was pleasant. “Hello. Is this Gina Mazzio?”

  “Yes, this is Gina.” She nodded.

  “Welcome to Carson City. This is Katie Velick, the staffing supervisor for Comstock Medical. There has been an unexpected change in your assignment. Of course, you’re under contract, so there’s no question about using your services. But we won’t need you for the prenatal clinic after all. I hope this doesn’t disappoint you too much.”

  “Well … what happened?”

  “Nothing we need go into. It was an administrative glitch. But I think you might be pleased to know we have a sudden vacancy at our auxiliary unit. I believe your fiancé is starting there tomorrow. Is that something you might be interested in?”

  Gina’s face broke out into a wide smile. “Yes, of course. It sounds perfect.”

  “Fine. I’m glad this is working out. They’ll expect you on site tomorrow at seven.”

  “Yahoo!” Gina tossed the phone into her purse, reached out, and threw her arms around Harry.

  Chapter 2

  The moment Harry turned the Jeep Wrangler onto the narrow mountain road, he was forced into quick steering maneuvers to avoid huge potholes that could have sent them into free-fall. Gina gripped both sides of her seat to keep from being flung into the metal door with each swerve. She rubbed hard at what was sure to turn into a colorful bruised shoulder.

  So much for seatbelts.

  She saw the look of concentration on Harry’s face, but knew he was happy. He was a car freak, a truck freak, a vehicle freak. If it had wheels, he loved it. She held her tongue, caught up in his excitement as he manhandled the wheel through the many switchbacks that climbed toward the tiny town of Nugget—barely a spot on the map.

  With the top down, Harry’s long hair was defenseless against the wind; the top strands stood straight up as though someone was yanking him into a sitting position. Her short curly hair barely riffled in the breeze.

  She glanced at her watch. “Maybe we should have left more time for the trip. Not too cool to be late on our first day.”

  “Nugget is probably only another mile or two,” he said with a smile. “The Comstock facility’s supposed to be right outside of the town. We’ll be fine.”

  Fine. The universal lie. Now she knew they were in trouble.

  To distract herself, she surrendered to the gods, let go of her seat, and held a hand out. With her fingers spread, she imagined riding the wind stream as it turned warmer and warmer with the rising sun. The air was so dry she could feel the moisture being sucked from her body with every breath, but the land was beyond parched; it looked lifeless. Even the gray-green sagebrush, had all but disappeared.

  “Oh my God, look!” Gina pointed ahead of them—the road was covered with a spread of black crawling creatures. “Harry! Stop!”

  He came out of his road warrior trance and hit the brake. “Tarantulas,” he said, chuckling. “I’ve heard about their migrations in the fall. Don’t worry about them. They’re not going to hurt us.”

  “Yuck! They’re big and creepy and look like they could eat us in one bite. What are we going to do, just sit here and wait for them to get out of the way? They’re everywhere. It’ll take forever for them to cross the road.”

  “Close your eyes, doll.” He hit the accelerator and the Jeep sprang into action, leaving behind them a heavy spray of rocks.

  “You’re not going to run over them, are you?” She screamed. “Oh, this is too gross. I want to go back to San Francisco.”

  “No you don’t. Remember, this is supposed to be an adventure. Chin up.” He gave her
another brilliant smile. “Especially since they’re out there and we’re in here.”

  “I don’t care. They’re hairy and they’re jumping around. What if one gets in the Jeep?”

  Loud crunching sounds sent chills down her spine as a whole slew of spiders gave up their lives so the two of them could get to Nugget and their new job.

  “First you drag me into the bowels of the earth, now we’re riding over creepy-crawlies … even New York cockroaches aren’t this scary.”

  “We’re almost there … check the map.”

  Before she could unfold it, they made a sweeping turn that brought them onto a cluster of weathered wood buildings that looked like they could have been lifted from a movie studio’s back lot. A battered, tilted sign said, “Nugget. Pop. 83”.

  “Do you think they have a Walmart?” Gina said.

  “Hell, I’d settle for finding someone who’s alive.”

  “I’m glad you don’t want to stop—the town looks ghoulish to me.”

  “And we really don’t have the time,” Harry said.

  “Thank God!” She’d no sooner spoken and they were back into the emptiness of the high desert.

  “Okay, I think the turn-off we’re looking for should be coming.”

  Gina pointed. “There’s the sign: Comstock Medical Auxiliary Campus. That’s what I call minimalism. It’s tiny and covered with dirt, to boot.” She pointed to a turn-off that looked more like an overgrown bike path.

  “Good thing you spotted it. We could have easily driven right past it.”

  Harry made the sharp turn onto a dusty trail between two huge boulders. It was so narrow that ribbons of paint would have scraped off the fenders if they’d been driving something wider, like a Hummer. Gina smiled at the image of one of those ugly heaps of metal wedged permanently between the rocks.

  Harry checked his watch. “Okay, we’re now officially late. You’re right. This is not a good way to start a new assignment.”