"We'll have to get out," she whispered. "You take the right and I'll take the left, and we'll close in on him. Get behind cover as soon as possible."
"No! You can't risk that. It would be impossible to find cover before he illuminated you in a rifle flame. Let me try one more thing."
He sent another shot higher than the previous one. It burst upon the floor far behind Tabor. Nathan got a glimpse of a distant boulder directly behind the spot where Tabor was hidden.
Before he could shoot again another blast exploded within the niche. In its light, Nathan saw that Firebird was gone.
A wave of terror, an anxiety such as he had never known before, swept through him at the thought of her out there in plain view of Tabor. He aimed carefully with his small flame lance and tried to visualize the small boulder behind Tabor.
The flame hit and crashed away. Tabor's voice grunted, "A reflective shot? Good work, Nathan. Unfortunately I wasn't in the plane of incidence and reflection. And, Firebird, I hear you coming."
A sudden flame shot off towards the depths of the cavern at Nathan's left. There was a single agonizing scream in Firebird's voice.
Then nothing.
Tabor broke the silence. "Sorry, Nathan. I guess you'd gone pretty soft on her."
"You murderer!"