Free Salticidae by Ryan C. Thomas

have survival skills too, you know. You think I’d come up into these Godforsaken mountains and not know how to handle myself. But what the hell are you gonna rig it to? I don’t see anything strong enough.”
    Ignoring her arrogance, Gellis studied the wall behind them. He ran his hand over the crannies and ridges. “I think I need to go back in there—” he pointed at the crack they’d come through— “and tie it to the rocks in there. A bollard.”
    “You’re gonna go back in there? What about those things?”
    “I pray they are not still stuck in there.” With that, Gellis disappeared back into the fissure, leaving Janet alone on the rim of the hole with Moyo.
     
    ***
     
    She looked at the small man’s chest and saw his shirt was doused in blood, his breathing very labored. He wouldn’t look her in the eye, simply stared out into nothing. It would be so much simpler to just leave him behind, she thought. She really couldn’t give two fucks if he survived or not. All of these people did nothing but kill each other anyway; if he survived this he’d just rob or rape someone soon enough. She didn’t trust any of them.
    “Miss…” Gellis’ voice drifted out from the crack.
    “Yeah. What?”
    His hand flew out of the crack and startled her. She shrieked and jumped back.
    He poked his head out. “Sorry to frighten you. I simply need you to give me the other rope so I can tie them together.”
    She obliged, all the while keeping her distance. When Gellis was back in the crack he asked “Why are you afraid of me? I will not hurt you.”
    “I’m not afraid of you, Antoine. It’s you who should be afraid of me. Don’t forget I carry a lot of weight in these parts.”
    Gellis laughed. “I don’t know about that. I believe your father carries some weight, because he paid off the rebels to leave us alone while we worked.”
    “My father didn’t pay off any rebels. You should get your facts straight.”
    “So you say. T he rebels control the other mines around here. All the mines in the DRC are controlled by the rebels. That is just the way it is.”
    “Well not this one. And this isn’t a mine, it’s a mountain. If we ever get the hell out of here we’ll turn it into a mine.”
    “If and when you do, the rebels will demand even more payment. You cannot take what they need.”
    Janet knew well of the rebels Gellis referred to: The Hutu, the Tutsi, countless others. It was the reason her father had hired Winston and his merry band of mercenaries to keep peace. “Well we need it too. This mountain belongs to no one. Whatever it holds is fair game.”
    “You tell that to them, I do not think they will see the same way. To them, whatever is in here is their only means of funding their war. My people die in this war, you know.”
    “I don’t need your sob story, Gellis. You didn’t have to come work for me. Nobody forced your hand.”
    “Is that what you believe? Miss, if I don’t work for you, then I must work for them. Only difference is they beat me before they pay me.”
    “We ’re not a rebel outfit, so stop trying to make me feel bad. You’ll get paid for your work. If we get out of this.”
    Another chuckle from inside the crack. “And you think that money will come to me?”
    “The money will go in your hand.”
    “And it will be taken from my hand as soon as I go home. The rebels will find every one of us working on this project, and beat us, and take the money and force us to go work for them in the mines elsewhere. This is how it works. I told you I don’t care about the gold , not because I was trying to belay your suspicion, but because the truth is I would be killed if I was found to have gold. I would be killed if I took anything home from these mountains with me. Working for you, it gives me a chance to feel normal again for a bit. But when you leave, my friends and I will end up, now or later, in another mine, for wages that do not buy a single meal a week.”

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