"About one mile from Heaven," said Fairchild behind him, holding now a rifle from Caine's cabin rack. "Janet?" the man said to the cabin. "Take one of those damn rifles. Mr. Caine is going to lead us to his happy end. The gem first," he said to Caine. "Then you. I'll let you touch it before you die."
The woman came out of the cabin, a rifle in her hands. She pointed it at Fairchild. "We'll never get out of here," she repeated, in her sing-song tone.
"Not without me," Fairchild said quietly, looking at the pointed rifle. He turned his back to her.
The woman's face had lost its pink radiance, and it was white except where the blood trickled.
"Let's go, Caine," Fairchild said.
"I don't know where to go," Caine said stupidly.
"Up," Fairchild said. "Just lead the way up. I don't need you to know where the temple is now. You got us much closer than we'd planned, you know. You're just bait now, Caine. Bait for the cats. Remember the cats?"
"I won't go through that," the woman said, staring at the mist around them.
"All right," Fairchild said. "Stay here and meet the cats alone. I'll bring the gem back to you, if there's anything left of you. But, by heck, you're going to get it, do you hear me?" He faced her again. "You're going to get that gem if I have to kill seventeen cats, and Caine, and even you. Dead or alive, you're going to get it, do you hear?"
The woman was pale, sick-looking, and Caine tried to remember how she had looked the night before. It was too much effort.