They finally emerged into daylight. The sun was by now low on the horizon, long shadows stretching across the rust-red desert. Nobody was in sight, the Land Cruiser parked a short distance away. Nina looked up at the little crack concealing the crystal lock. ‘Let’s close it.’

‘How’re you going to reach it?’ Eddie asked as he tossed the gun back through the opening. ‘You can’t stand up, not on that leg.’

‘Macy’ll have to do it.’

‘Me?’ said Macy, surprised.

‘You’re my daughter,’ Nina said, ‘which means you’re a descendant of the Atlanteans – and apparently the Nephilim too – just like me. So when it comes to earth energy, you can do anything I can. Probably more. I can’t do your yo-yo tricks, for a start!’

Eddie peered at the recess. ‘Think you can reach it if you stand on my shoulders, love?’

‘Uh . . . I guess.’ Macy sounded less than confident. ‘You will hold on tight, won’t you?’

He smiled. ‘I won’t let go of you, don’t worry. Not ever.’ She smiled back.

Eddie took Nina to the car and carefully lowered her into the front passenger seat, finding the first-aid kit and bandaging her leg, then returned to the cave with Macy. He picked her up and helped her stand on his shoulders.

‘Okay,’ Nina called. ‘You can do it, Macy.’

‘I can do it,’ Macy echoed, stretching up as far as she could. Her fingertips brushed the red rock, straining to make contact – then Eddie hoisted her up off his shoulders and her probing finger found the crystal inside the gap. She yelped as a snap of energy made her flinch, but her father managed to keep her upright. She quickly jumped back down to the sand.

Behind them, the hidden door ground shut, closing off the tunnel into the heart of Uluru, and sealed with a final, decisive boom.

Nina stared at it for a long moment, wondering if it would ever be opened again . . . before deciding she did not want to know the answer. Her gaze went to Eddie and Macy. There were more important things in life.

‘Come on, then,’ she said as her family approached the truck. ‘We’re done. Let’s go home.’

Eddie gave her a smile as he got into the driving seat, Macy climbing in behind him. ‘We need a break. Couple of years sound good?’

Nina smiled back, unfastening her ponytail and letting her hair fall loose. ‘At least!’

They all laughed, and he started the engine. Safely reunited at last, they drove off into the sunset.

We hope you enjoyed reading The Resurrection Key. Discover more exhilarating novels in the Wilde and Chase adventure series . . .

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Wilde and Chase are back in a quest to find a legendary weapon lost since the fall of Atlantis . . .