“Me too,” she said. “It’s probably from whatever knocked us out. Hopefully it’ll pass.”
“I wonder why we’re not being guarded,” I said.
“Are you sure we aren’t? I mean, we can’t see the edges of the cavern. There may be some of those creatures just beyond the range of our lamps.”
“Good point,” I said, moving toward Sam. My body responded sluggishly. I hoped that would pass. “I have a solution, though. I hope.” I went into Sam’s pocket, the one I saw her take her flashlight from earlier. I was in luck. Our captors had left it alone.
Bringing Sam’s super-flashlight out, I switched it on, and the entire room came into clarity. That thing was amazing. I could almost hear it hum like a spotlight.
We were in a rough cavern, water or lava carved, I guessed. It was twenty feet by probably thirty or more. There were two other cages besides the two we were in. They were empty.
A pile of our gear, mixed with trash, was heaped over in one corner. Our backpacks were strewn around, our weapons lying there, taunting me.
There was not a shadowling in sight.
What looked like a main entrance, however, was in sight. Actually, it was the only entrance. This was a good place for the cages. It was a dead end. No wonder they didn’t put guards here. To get out, we’d have to go through other passageways, ones that probably held some of the monsters. Good. At least we had time to try to break out.
“Break out?” my mother said when I voiced my thoughts aloud. “How do you intend to break out?”
“I’m not sure yet,” I said, “but we’ll figure something out.”
Chapter 21
When I shook Sam awake, she grabbed my arm and squealed, her normally narrow eyes going big and round. “Oh, it’s you, Dani. You scared me to death.”
“Sorry. Sam, we have a situation, and since you’re the smartest person I know, I figured you could help.”
“Sure,” she said, squeezing her eyes shut and putting her hand to her forehead.
“Headache?” I asked.
“Yeah. You too?”
“Uh-huh. I think it’s whatever chemical they used to knock us out.”
“Smelled like ether,” she said. “The stuff they poured onto the big cloth that trapped us. I think it was some type of ether compound.”
I wasn’t even going to ask her how she knew what that chemical smelled like. “Like I said, I need your help.”
She looked around, surveying our surroundings for the first time. She made a little seated hop and darted her eyes left, right, and up. She brought her hand down to feel the chain link floor. “Oh my.”
“Yeah.” I handed her back her flashlight and she used it to look around the chamber as I had done a few minutes before.
“Why do you think they put us in here, unguarded?” she said. “Why go through the trouble of catching us when they could have just killed us while we were all bundled up?”
“I was thinking the same thing. I don’t know what’s going on, but I do know we need to get out of these cages if we want to do anything useful. If we’re still trapped in here when they come for us, who knows what will happen?”
“Hmm.” Sam had moved to the gate, inspecting the chain and lock holding it closed. The chain passed through the poles over which the chain link was stretched. It was heavy, much too thick to be broken, and the lock looked like it was of good quality, too. “I wish I had my backpack. I have some lock picking tools in there.”
“Lock picking tools?” I said. “How do you know how to use lock picking tools, let alone have a set?” I couldn’t really tell in the lamplight, but I thought she blushed.
“Just something that interested me that I’ve been playing around with. Doorknobs are much easier than padlocks, but I might have been able to manage it.”
“I don’t suppose you have wire cutters in that pack of yours,” I said, mostly as a joke.
“Of course I do. But they’re not heavy enough to cut the chain with the padlock. Maybe the fence itself. Anyway, they’re over there.” She pointed forlornly at her pack lying in the pile with the others.
I shook my head. Lock picking. “Too bad we don’t have any tools to loosen the bolts here.” I pointed toward the bolts with round heads holding the fence material to the poles. The round side was inside, with the nuts on the outside, but the fence was chain link; we could reach through to try to loosen the other side. If we had a wrench.
“Oh,” Sam said. “I have a multi-tool. You know, one of those things with knives and pliers and screwdrivers all in one, like a Swiss Army knife, but better.”
“Do you have a way to get to your pack?” I asked, frustration building in me.
“You don’t understand, Dani,” she said. “I mean I have it.” She drew her hand out of her pocket and held something out to me. It was a shiny silver chunk of metal that could be opened up to reveal all its little secrets.
I stared at her for a moment before my face stretched into a smile. “You keep that in your pocket?”
“Not all the time. Only when I’m going to explore a mine and caves to try to rescue people who have been taken by dark monsters. In that case, I always carry it in my pocket.” She wiggled the tool at me.
“Sam,” I said, taking it from her, “you are amazing.”
“I have my uses. So, do you think we can get out with it?”
I was already opening it up to use the pliers. “I think so. It’s going to take a while, though.”
Slipping the tool carefully through one of the holes in the fence, I began to try to loosen the nut, but stopped.
“Can I borrow your scarf?” I asked.
“Sure.” Sam unwrapped it from her neck and handed it over to me.
I pushed half the scarf through one of the holes in the chain link, right at the bottom. I spread it out on the ground as best I could with my fingers poking through the fence. I was ready now.
I slipped the tool through the hole again, turned it so I could grab it through the fence to squeeze it and tighten it down on the nut. It took me a little while, but I finally got the angle right and was able to loosen it, just a little. I worked at it some more, my fingers wanting to cramp up from the awkward angle, but I kept on.
The nut was almost loose enough for me to take it off the rest of the way with just my hand when I fumbled the tool and it clattered to the floor. It was a dull, muffled sound. The implement had landed on the scarf, just out of my reach. I pulled the scarf in and was able to retrieve it.
“Whew,” I said, a bead of sweat dripping down my nose and dropping off. “That was a close call.”
Sam nodded, too focused on what I was doing to speak.
The first nut came off, allowing me to pull the bolt through. The chain link loosened at the bottom, allowing me to peel it aside a few inches. It had taken me almost ten minutes to do it.
The next bolt only took me five minutes. I dropped the tool twice. Once, I pulled it back with the scarf, but the second time it bounced from the higher height and fell on the stone floor. I was able to reach through the already-loose part of the fence to retrieve it.
By now, everyone in my little cage was awake and watching me. I didn’t pay them much attention. I had to get out of this thing before any of the shadowling came back. I didn’t have time for anything but getting the last two bolts out. Three were already sitting on the floor beside me.
The fourth was tighter than the others had been. Whether it had been tightened more or it was just stressed because the other bolts were loose and the fence was at an awkward angle, I didn’t know, but it took a long time to get that first little bit of movement. Perspiration flowed freely on my forehead now, and my palms were slick with it, too. I was able to reach up through the already loose sections to work on it from the outside. Without that leverage, I probably never would have been able to budge the nut. When it finally started moving, I breathed out and slumped for a moment.
Chittering came from the other room, two of t
he shadowling discussing something. Maybe more than two. It sounded like they were coming toward us.
It was too soon. I wasn’t ready for them yet. I had to get these other bolts out. We were so close. Just a few more minutes. As I loosened the nut to the point I could turn it with my hand instead of the tool, my mind searched for different ideas to keep them from seeing us before we were ready. Anything. Some distraction. I tried to think of something, but came up empty. It was like trying to snatch a fish from a pond. I knew it was there somewhere but couldn’t quite get my hands around it. I growled low under my breath.
The bolt came loose in my hands. I set it down and brought the tool up to the last one.
The voices seemed to have stopped just outside the chamber we were in. I thought of telling everyone to turn off their lights, but it wouldn’t have mattered. These things could see in the dark. If anything, the light would make their vision worse. Better to worry about things that needed attention. Like the last bolt.
I could not get the nut loose. I reached up through the fence I’d peeled back and used all my strength, but couldn’t get the nut to move.
One of the shadowling screeched something that sounded like the end of a conversation. Did I hear its voice raise in volume at the last? Had it turned to come in? I was running out of time. I grunted, trying to loosen the nut, but couldn’t. All that effort for the creature to find us and sound an alarm, ruining all my work. We’d never have a chance like this again. I cursed silently. So close. I was so close.
Then it came to me.
“Be quiet and don’t look at me,” I said. “Shine your lights on the guard when it comes in.” The others nodded at me. As they swiveled their lights toward the entrance, I turned my headlamp off and squeezed through the slack fence I had been working on. There was just enough give for me to get through and out of the cage. Now if only my luck held.
As quietly as I could, I snuck over to the pile of discarded items and crouched behind it. It was just enough to the side from the main entryway that I could see the creature as it came into the room.
It stopped in the entryway, surveying the chamber. It didn’t seem comfortable with the humans shining their lights at it. Hand up to shade its eyes, it came warily forward, looking toward the other cage first, since it was closer to where it came in. It sniffed the air, surprising me. I hadn’t realized they used their sense of smell. Or maybe it just had allergies or something. I didn’t know.
The shadowling came around the cage I had been in. Though it seemed to have difficulty with the lights shining on it, it scrutinized the cage floor, checking on the occupants. When its eyes reached the section of the chain link I had loosened, it stiffened. It was now or never.
When I had competed in karate, I focused on fighting with kicks and punches, not really doing any MMA-type groundwork. I had a few classes, seminars really, on some jujitsu holds and techniques, but I wasn’t proficient at them. I tapped that knowledge, hoping it would be enough.
No sooner had the guard seen the fence than I came up behind it and grabbed it in a chokehold. It was a common technique, called a sleeper hold by non-martial artists, my right arm around its throat, left hand behind its head to apply pressure forward, effectively cutting off the breathing.
I wasn’t prepared for how strong the thing was.
It jerked violently, swinging me around as it tried to get free. It wasn’t able to screech for its companions because I was compressing its throat, but it bucked and scratched and succeeded in dropping its chin beneath my arm.
Its teeth sinking into my forearm felt like my skin was being torn off. I scratched at its eyes and tightened my arm around its throat, lodging it underneath the chin to prevent it from using its teeth again. This close, the musty, foul smell of the monster burned my nostrils, bringing tears to my eyes. Still I held on.
The shadowling backed up quickly, slamming my back against the stone wall of the chamber. It almost caused me to loosen my grip, but I gritted my teeth and pulled tighter, refusing to let the pain defeat me. It tried to roll forward to dislodge me, but I had adopted a wide stance and could not be pulled down so easily.
The battle seemed to take forever, eerie because other than the scuffling of our feet and my labored breathing from the exertion, everything was silent. My friends were watching, directing their lights at me so I could see what was going on. My own headlamp, still off, had been knocked off my head.
Finally, slowly, the beast’s thrashings became fewer and weaker and then stopped completely. I kept pressure on its throat, kicking its leg hard to make sure it wasn’t pretending. No reaction. I kept it in the hold for a long count of five and then released it. The shadowling slipped to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.
I hadn’t killed it, but it would be out cold for a while. I looked down at it and wondered if I should finish it off, but rejected the idea. I had killed these things in battle, but to do it in cold blood while it was unconscious? I couldn’t bring myself to carry through. I hoped I didn’t come to regret my decision.
I slumped against the wall, breathing heavily. I had scratches on the side of my face from when it had been frantically clawing to get free and my forearm burned, but for having taken on one of the monsters hand-to-hand, I felt like I came out all right.
I huffed as I stood up straight and walked to where my headlamp fell. I had heard a clink during the fight, and just a few seconds of searching in the high beam of my lamp revealed that it had been carrying a key. Maybe it had come to feed us or something. In any case, I didn’t waste time before opening the locks on both cages to let everyone out.
Chapter 22
As the others went to the pile of our gear to retrieve their property, I pulled the sleeve of my jacket up to inspect where the creature had bitten me. Two punctures and some bruising, apparently from other teeth that had not broken the skin, were clearly visible. It wasn’t bleeding much, so I pulled my sleeve back down. I’d clean it and dress it later. There were more pressing issues right now.
Rick’s hand on my shoulder surprised me. He handed over my staff and backpack. “Good job. Those things are pretty strong.”
“Tell me about it,” I said, taking my pack and slipping it on. I grabbed the staff from him and turned to find everyone looking at me.
“What now?” my mother said. She had checked over her gun and was slipping it into her holster.
“Well,” I said. “They kindly left all our stuff right here where we could get it. I think maybe we need to use it. The other prisoners should be close. Let’s get them out of here.”
She nodded to me, and so did Sam, Zach, Emily, and Tyler. Jacob smiled at me as he hefted his sticks. Madison looked blankly at the ground. It seemed that things had been too much for her and she was in a state of shock. She’d have to figure it out herself. We had work to do.
Within minutes, we had a plan. Thinking the other shadowling in the next room might be wondering about their companion, we had to act fast.
We rushed around the corner of the wall into the other chamber as a group, Madison, Emily, and Sam pointing their headlamps left, right, and center, Sam using her super-flashlight to flood the whole area. The rest of us attacked the three shadowling that were within the cave.
I dashed past one of the guards, striking its leg as I passed, making it fall for the others to take care of. The other two were up ahead of me, one on the left side of the cavern and one on the right, next to an opening into the blackness beyond. I chose the right one and Rick took the one on the left.
My opponent was still in a state of surprise, so it didn’t cry out right away, but just as I reached it, its mouth opened and it screeched several unintelligible syllables. Things were going to get busier very soon. I hoped my mom was doing as I had asked her to do.
I struck the shadowling across the face with my staff, cutting off its cries. The blow was hard enough to cause it to spin away from me, but I pursued it. It raised its arms to try to claw me, but it was
off-balance. I was able to bat its limbs away and strike it three times in rapid succession, twice with the right side of my weapon and once with the left side. Each hit forced it back a step until it ran into the wall. A quick circle of the end of the staff to transform the momentum into a downward strike to the crown of the head, and it dropped as if it had no bones.
I glanced back at the cages I had hoped would be in the room. My mother was using the key to open the third of three, letting out the groups of people within. As with the previous room, there was a pile of items nearby. The men, women, and even children, who were leaving the cages went to the pile and started pawing through it, some finding items they could use as weapons, others finding property specific to them.
I searched through the people. There were nearly thirty of them. How had the shadowling taken so many? Bobby was not among them. Neither was Allison, Madison’s sister. Zach was crying and hugging a man with his back to me. Good, at least his father was safe. But where was my brother?
A man walked up to me. He had tactical clothing on, rugged black material, boots, and a holster.
“I’m Derek Singletary. I head the security team for the mine. Thanks for the help. Stay behind us now. We have a bunch of these creatures to kill.”
My mother scoffed. I turned to look at her as she started to say something. I spoke first.
“Listen, Derek, you are not going to go and—”
I didn’t have time to finish. Shadowling started pouring through the corridor beyond into the chamber. The alarm had been heard. Even as more of the creatures rushed in, I could hear more of them yelling in other parts of the cave. Now we would find out how many of the monsters there were.
I spun to face the entrance and the dark shapes pouring in. I huffed a breath and readied my staff.
I was starting to get tired. I’d been in the dark for nearly two days, as close as I could tell, and most of that time I had been fighting. Or running. As I dodged an airborne shadowling, striking it in the ribs as it sailed past, I wondered how much more I could take.
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