09 Rumble Underground

CHAPTER 9 RUMBLE UNDERGROUND The rumbling sound became louder. Tag jumped up. It was coming from right beneath his feet inside the cage. "More of Thorn's spies?" Skyla asked, her eyes wide.

Tag stepped back as the ground shook. Dirt started to sink into a small hole. It got bigger and bigger until half the ground had gone. Skyla clung to the bars of the cage. RUMBLE! TUMBLE! Tag and Skyla jumped as a small brown head popped up from the middle of the hole. Two small, black eyes blinked at them. It was a mole. "Hello!" the mole said, peering up at Tag. "I'm Monty. Are you Tag?" Tag nodded slowly. He was so surprised he was unable to speak.

Monty smiled, then looked up at Skyla. "You must be Skyla," he said. He glanced around the cage. "But where is Blaze?" he asked. "She's supposed to be here, too." Blaze gave a small peep from her cage. "She's over there," Skyla said. "How do you know our names?" Tag asked, finding his voice. "No time to explain," Monty said. "More of Thorn's spies are on their way." "Will you help us escape?" Tag asked. "That's what I'm here for!" Monty grinned. "Moles are great diggers."

He disappeared back down the hole. Seconds later, Blaze stamped at the ground in her cage as the dirt sunk into a deep hole, just as it had in Tag and Skyla's cage. She peeped as loudly as she could through her tied-up beak. "It's okay, Blaze," Skyla called, letting go of the bars of the cage. "Monty is going to help us." Just then, Monty's head popped up in Blaze's cage. "Hello!" he said. Blaze stepped forward, but her feet slipped and she fell right into the hole, feet-first.

"Blaze!" Tag shouted. "Are you okay?" "Tag!" Skyla shrieked behind him as she slipped on loose dirt and fell into the hole. Tag peered into the deep, dark hole. There was no sign of Skyla, Blaze, or Monty. But he knew his friends had to be down there somewhere. In the dark forest, he could hear the marching sound. It sounded louder than ever. Even more spies had joined the army. Tag took a deep breath and stepped to the edge of the hole. And jumped!