He reached down and grabbed the woman’s tattered trousers and suddenly tore them up towards her thigh. The woman let out a gasp. He then took his knife to her shirt and tore it in half. The woman in her feeble state did all she could to keep herself covered with the torn shirt.
The man inside the bars sobbed. Both his hands outstretched. “Kyra, I’m so sorry. I love you….” His head dropped forward toward the floor along with his tears. The Dead one let out an ear-piercing cackle of delight as he grabbed the other leg of her trousers. He jerked and tore that side up to her hip.
The woman was weak and had no way to fight back. She just did her best to cling to the torn pieces of material. Nick was so appalled at what was happening. Rage was building deep in his chest. His vision was filling with red. All that was good inside of him cried for justice and cried for this man to be dealt with at whatever cost. Just as he was moving his foot forward Rhen bolted down the tunnel at the man. He heard Rhen but by the time he had turned and looked up Rhen was plunging his knife deep into the man’s shoulder. His eyes never flinched. He turned and swung his knife at Rhen. He was able to barely dodge the blade but didn’t see the man’s left hand coming from the other side. It collided with his cheek and mouth with a sickening thud that sent Rhen staggering backward. He tripped and sat back on one knee as the man rushed at him.
Rhen felt loose dirt under his hand and threw it into the gray eyes of his attacker. His eyelids blinked but it didn’t seem to faze him. With an angry below the Dead one grabbed him by the throat and started to hit him in the face over and over. Nick knew he would kill him. Before he realized what, he had done, Nick jumped down the tunnel and drove his knife into the back of the Dead Ones Neck just below his skull. As he did His force drove the man’s limp body into the wall of the cave cushioning Nicks fall. The Dead One was still and all was quiet except for the soft sobbing of the woman.
Nick quickly stood up. He had blood all over his hand that had held the knife. It wasn’t the red blood that Nick was used to seeing from a nose bleed. It was a blue black unnatural looking blood. As soon as the surprise of the color had worn off, he wiped his hands in the dirt and rubbed his hands together to clean it off. His head began to spin. “I just killed a man.” He said quietly to himself. He dropped to one knee as Vidian ran into the light to check on her brother who was lying groaning on the ground.
“He will be ok. He just needs a minute” said Vidian after examining her brother. Nick stood up and walked over to the woman Kyra. He knelt and asked, “Are you ok mam?” Her lips moved but Nick couldn’t hear what she said as Vidian was busy tending to Rhen and helping him sit up. Nick leaned in over her head and asked, “What was that?” He then felt her arms weakly wrap around his neck, and he heard “Thank you.” As tears sprung from the corner of her eyes.
He put his hand to the side of her cheek and said, “Your welcome”. He didn’t know why but as the words came out, his throat constricted, and tears formed in his own eyes. He was glad her tormenter had been stopped before she had been hurt any more.
“Unlock the cell” came a voice urgently. It was the man who had called Kyra by name. He looked to be in his twenties. He was tall and thin with dark hair. His eyes were shallow and his cheek bones prominent as though he hadn’t eaten right in months.
“How?” Nick asked
“The key on his belt,” The man was pointing to the dead one.
Nick scurried over to the dead body and pulled the key ring from his leather belt. There was only one key, so it was easy to unlock the old looking padlock that held the cell bars closed. As he unlocked the cage Nick noticed the murmuring of other voices and started to make out other people moving forward to get out. In all Nick counted ten other people. He was sickened when he realized four of them were children that must have been no older than eight. They had sad eyes and were filthy.
“We need to move quickly.” Came a strained voice. It was Rhen. He had regained consciousness. “Be quick but quiet. Follow me.” Said Rhen. Nick noticed that his face was swollen badly. He could barely recognize him except for his hair and his voice. Blood was still running from his nose which he chose to ignore except for an occasional wipe with his shirt sleeve. “He is tough, I’ll give him that.” Nick thought to himself.
Just then the tall skinny man walked up to Rhen. “Rhen, your timing couldn’t have been better. I owe you my life. Kyra tried to escape earlier today. They had put her on trail duty. I thought she had made it as she had been gone most of the day and night. We were all asleep until that one came dragging her back to us. You know how they are with trying to make examples out of everyone. When I saw her again my heart was broken. I did not want her life to end this way…” he broke into a sob and couldn’t continue.
“I’m glad we came when we did. You have always been a good friend John. I would do anything for you. I had no idea this was happening, but very glad to have helped.”
Rhen introduced John and Nick. He told John that Nick was new to these parts and from a town called Evanstown in the east. John thanked Nick for coming along and helping them escape.
As they lined up to leave the tunnel there was little to no talking. These prisoners seemed to fear the noise. Nick thought that this would be a plus to get them out. Nick walked up to Vidian and Rhen at the head of the line. Vidian threw her arms around him. “Thank you so much. I thought he was going to die. You saved his life.” Her tone was matter of fact and grateful. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. It felt good. His cheeks filled with blood and turned red. Nick muttered “You’re welcome”. He felt awkward. “I couldn’t just stand there and let him die.”
“Well thank you.” Said Rhen.
“You were the courageous one.” Said Nick. “I just killed a man from behind.”
“That was not a man, he was a Dead One. There is a big difference. The Dead Ones feel less pain and do not care for anything. They are not human. Not after the change. Even their blood is no longer like ours. You seem like a good person Nick. Don’t feel guilty for what you just did. We saved Kyra from a horrible event that would have ended her life after she had suffered terribly. You saved my life for certain as well. It was him painlessly or the two of us as painfully as possible.” Said Rhen.
Nick was silent and wanted it to be that easy. His mind was swimming with thoughts of guilt and shame. He had always been taught that you never took another person’s life. He never imagined he would be put in a position to do so, or that he would have to do so. He didn’t have time to think about this now. They needed to get to a safe place.
Rhen had a plan. As they worked their way back up the tunnel. Rhen had the last prisoners putting out the torches. They carried a pail of drinking water from the cell and used it to quickly dip the torch to smother it. As they moved up the tunnel, they left the previous section dark. Rhen explained it would be easier to see someone coming from below if they saw a new light behind them. It made sense.
Soon they were back at the entrance. They put out the last torch and they were surrounded by darkness. It made Nick feel much more comfortable to know that if anyone was out there they could not see them with the torches out. They scanned the darkness outside the tunnel and could find no sign of Dead Ones. Slowly but surely, they sent one prisoner at a time to the creek bed.
Things were going as well as they could hope for. They hadn’t accounted for the Dead One, but it had worked in their favor. Now there were only two on watch. They just had to work up the creek bed quietly and over the pass at the top and disappear into the forest below. Just one thing hung in the back of Nicks head. They had brought in that creature to track the girl. Why wouldn’t it be able to track them.
It was Nicks turn to cross to the creek. Rhen was motioning to join the group. He looked to the right and all was clear. Just as he was ready to run for it, he looked the other way and heard voices. All the way across the clearing, the other two Dead Ones were talking under one of the torches. They were too far away to h
ear what was being said. They had just walked out of the tunnels entrance.
Nick motioned for the group to go and pointed back up toward the problem. Rhen quickly understood and started moving the group out before the guards came within earshot of the escaping prisoners. Nick sat motionless in the darkened tunnel entrance.
Nick watched as Rhen and Vidian moved the prisoners up the creek bed and out of sight. Nick was impressed at how silent they were moving. He kept a watchful eye on the guards. They were still standing near the cave entrance where they had been before. As Nick was ready to look back to where the prisoners had disappeared, he heard what must have been a rock crash onto another high up in the creek bed. Someone must have knocked it loose in their push up the creek. Nick saw the two Dead Ones turn their heads in the direction of the sound. It hadn’t been too loud. Nick hoped they would dismiss it as an animal.
The two guards slowly started to move his way. He saw one of them pull a sword from its sheath at his side. Nicks heart started to race. They were coming right towards him but looking up towards the creek bed. If they found the escaping prisoners and his new friends, he couldn’t imagine what would happen. He didn’t want to imagine.
Nick made up his mind. He spun back around and felt his way along the black tunnel walls into the darkness. By the time the two crossed over to the creek bed, he figured he would be deep inside the tunnels again. After a good minute into the tunnel, Nick let out a yell. He tried to make it sound like a warrior’s battle cry. “eeeyaaaaaaaaaaawww!!” he yelled back towards the opening from where he had come. Nick was trying to draw the Dead Ones in after him. The others would be able to escape if he could draw them back into the mine.
As Nick thought this through, he realized what he had done. “They will follow me in.” his heart started to race, and his hands started to sweat. He quickly turned and started moving down towards the cells. He could faintly make out a little light. He turned his head back and realized he could see light growing from the other direction. That meant the Dead Ones had heard his yell and were coming down the tunnel with their torch.
“All of the torches have been put out and left on floor.” Said a gruff low voice. “Someone is up to no good.” Replied another. “I will be up to no good once I catch them.” Said the first voice. Nick was moving as quick as he could without making too much noise. The cave finally opened to the larger opening with the four different tunnels. Nick could see the light from the torch pouring from the tunnel on the far left. He decided to head to one of the darkened tunnels. He chose the one on the far right.
Just as he crouched down against the wall inside the mouth of the far-right tunnel, the room lit up with the bright light of a torch. Nick had his back against the near side of the tunnel. He sat listening, hunched down in the black shadow from the light of the torch. “This way.” Said one of the voices. “Let’s check on the prisoners in cell one.”
As the light faded from the torch Nick started moving deeper into the dark unknown tunnel he was now in. He knew he needed to distance himself from the Dead Ones. He felt his hands along the walls and looked forward into the darkness. He saw faint light ahead. As he crept forward he started to make out the huge cavern of the mine. He could barely see the dark lines of rigging and a hand hoist to lower people and equipment into the mine. Then he saw where the light was coming from. It was multiple torches that were burning down inside the mine. When he realized what they were, he could see how enormous the mine was.
Nicks vision was adjusting slowly to the light. He was standing on a large rock overhang that butted up against the wooden platform of the hoist. It was big enough to fit four or five people on at a time. There was a large rope running up through the middle of the platform that ran through two huge pulleys and then back down below the platform. A large wooden lever was attached to the platform that looked to be some type of braking system.
To Nicks left was a pile of wooden barrels. He quickly slipped behind the barrels and saw a smaller ledge that was in the black of shadow just big enough for him to slip out of sight. Just then the mark on his hand began to burn. “Ouch” he said quietly as he reached for his hand. As he did he heard a yell coming from the direction of the cells. “They have escaped!” Nick wasn’t sure what to do but was sure the two Dead Ones were headed back to the surface. “They will be caught for sure.” Nick thought. He needed to buy them more time.
Nick thought about his first day at school just the other day. He remembered how Kirk had stopped his torture. He remembered committing himself to helping others. By the looks of the group of prisoners, they had suffered plenty. Nick did the only thing he could think of. He pushed his shoulder into one of the stacked barrels. He pushed into it until it fell from the ledge. It was quiet for a moment and then Nick heard it crash to the floor.
Nick quickly slid back behind the barrels to hide on the small ledge. He knelt making himself as small as possible in the shadows. Within moments Nick could hear footfall coming down the tunnel. The platform lit up with bright torch light and he could see the back of one of the Dead Ones heads. They were peering over the edge. “They are trying to release the others.” Said one of the unfeeling voices. “I don’t care if we have to replace all of them. Someone will pay for this tonight.” Said an angry voice. Nicks blood was cold. He felt short of breath.
The two guards stepped onto the platform and pulled up the lever. Nick realized that it must have a counter weight system as the platform dropped out of sight at a smooth controlled rate. Soon the only sound he could hear was the rope running through the pulleys and the light was gone from the torch they had held. Nick slipped back out from behind the barrels and back to the ledge.
As he looked down at the dead Ones below he could see them working their way across the mine to the other side. From what he could see from their torch, the mine bottom was not clear and flat, it was uneven and piles of rock and dirt almost fifty feet high blocked a direct route across the mine. Walk ways were winding back and forth between the piles and in some areas the walk ways dropped into crevices that wound back and forth. The dead ones were in one of these crevices in the middle of the mine. Nick couldn’t see them, but he could see their shadows on the side of the crevice that were being projected by the torch they held.
As Nick thought it would be safe to head back out of the tunnels and to the surface, he heard a shuffle from the tunnel he was thinking of heading up. He jumped towards the barrels but was too slow to react. A large square shouldered figure appeared out of the darkness. Nick winced as it burst from the tunnel. “Rhen?” Nick gasped as he realized it was his new friend. “Nick are you ok?” Rhen paused as he looked Nick up and down to find no sign of harm. “Yes, they haven’t seen me.” Nick replied.
“Good, that was perfect. They are on their way to our home now. Vidian is leading them there and will make sure they cover their tracks and scent. They should be safe. We don’t have much time though. The guards all know we are hear. The dead ones sounded the alarm before you came back into the mine screaming your war cry. Once they were inside I knew I had to come after you. I yelled to the barracks that someone was trying to free the prisoners in the mine and to send everyone to help. I had to make sure the others could get free.” Rhen blurted out as quickly as he could.
Looking around Rhen asked “Do you still have the cell key?” Nick felt in his pocket and felt the cold metal key. “Yes, I do. Why?” Nick asked. “I have an idea that just might work. We have to move fast, follow me.” Just then Rhen gathered himself and leapt off the ledge they were standing on. He grabbed one of the ropes easily with his hands and wrapped his legs around it as well. He started to slide down the rope to the floor down below.
Nick’s heart was beating rapidly now, and his hands got sweaty. He could hear men’s voices in the tunnels above. He knew he had no choice. The rope looked so far away even though it was only about five feet from the ledge. The mark on his hand started to burn again and instinctively Nick jumped to the rope.
To his surprise he easily caught it with both hands and grabbed on tightly. Just like Rhen had done, he wrapped the rope around his right leg and pinned the rope between his legs. He was surprised how easy it seemed to be to lower himself down the Nick sat listening thick rope. He went as quickly as he could without losing control of his descent. The rope was heating his hands from the friction, but the bottom of the mines was getting closer.
Once on the ground. Nick followed Rhen through the maze on the bottom of the mine floor. They were almost running now. Nick glanced up and could see torches filling the upper sides of the mine and could hear men yelling to cover entrances and to take positions. It was obvious that there was no way out. These men knew every nook and cranny of their prison and would not be letting anyone escape. Nick just hoped that Rhen knew what to do. He realized they weren’t heading to where the Dead Ones had gone. They were heading to the right side of the mine.
“In here.” whispered Rhen. They ducked into a four-foot opening in the rock. It led into a tunnel that was small enough they had to get on their hands and knees and crawl. They crawled for what seemed like fifty feet and then it opened into a larger tunnel that was lined with torches. The floor dropped in a curving arch to the left and they ran down in circles until the tunnel flattened out again into a large opening. Against the far wall Nick could see another cell. “We must be recruiting some soldier to try and break out of here.” Nick thought. Rhen ran to the cell door and held his hand out for the key. Nick quickly handed it to him, and he unlocked the door.
Before Nick could ask any questions Rhen pulled the door open and said, “Get in quick.” Nick did as he was told and stepped into the cell. Rhen followed him in and quickly closed the door behind them. He reached through the bars and locked the door and removed the key. They were now prisoners. Nick understood what they were doing now. They weren’t going to fight. They were becoming prisoners to save their own lives.
The Scent of Death Page 12
