“Haven't you ever seen lightning before?" Alicia asked, her eyes sparkling with humour.
“What?" I asked, slowly standing a little straighter and relaxing the hold on my gun. I glanced at Laurie, feeling embarrassed but just as I did so a huge crashing, rumbling sound filled the air and I ducked down, clapping my hands over my ears, sure that we were under attack.
Alicia laughed out loud while Coal covered his mouth to try and hide his amusement. Even Kaloo looked entertained, tilting her head to the side and watching Laurie and I as we tried to recover our composure.
“What?" I demanded.
Alicia bit her lip but didn't reply right away.
Feeling very embarrassed but not sure why, I straightened up again and pulled Laurie with me. She was looking at the trees suspiciously as if they’d made the noise and light appear.
"Explain." I folded my arms and frowned, feeling like an idiot. Coal caught sight of my expression and managed to stop grinning at us.
“We are sorry." He gave me the puppy dog eyes but I wasn't convinced. I raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for the explanation
"It's thunder and lighting, when a storm- do you know what a storm is?"
"I understand the principals of weather, we just haven't experienced them," I snapped. "It just took us by surprise. We're fine aren't we Laurie?"
“Sure," Laurie replied but she was still looking at the trees as though they were to blame somehow.
"Let's get going, I'm sure it won't be so funny if the Creepers discover us because you two find us so hilarious," I snarled, pushing past Coal as he tried to reach a hand out towards me.
Alicia shook her head and started on through the trees, her machete held ready as she went. I was freezing cold, covered in mud and furious.
I kept up my bad temper for a solid fifteen minutes before the surroundings distracted me enough to forget about it. The thunder and lighting continued but thankfully there was no rain yet. I'd been informed that it was going to be wet and cold. I didn't feel like experiencing it for myself would be particularly enlightening beyond that.
The ground was covered in a green moss. It was springy under our feet and squelched with each step I took. I was glad that my boots were so well made and my feet stayed warm and snug inside.
Alicia held the GPS in front of her and guided us forward with purpose.
The land started to slope down, slightly at first but getting steeper and steeper so that it became hard not to slip and slide on the spongy ground.
We soon found ourselves at the lip of a rock face which jutted out over the steep hill. Alicia held out the GPS and it clearly showed that our destination was beyond the cliff.
“It's almost vertical, how will we make it down?" Laurie asked.
Alicia stepped forward and leaned out to get a look over the edge.
“There's a drop and then it's just a slope. A ridiculously steep slope. We should be okay if we go carefully," she said before jumping over the edge without another thought.
After a glance from Laurie that clearly meant 'these people are crazy,' I followed.
The drop was around six foot. I sat on the edge and turned so that I could lower myself over it. My fingers curled around the cold, damp rock and grit slid beneath them. My boots scraped along the rock face and then I was hanging, suspended above the ground wondering at what point I’d lost my motherfucking mind.
But it was too damn late to back out now so I closed my eyes and let go.
The ground was covered with forest debris and I skidded a little before managing to regain my balance. Laurie and Coal dropped down beside me and I gazed out into the valley beneath us. The slope stretched away at a steep decline. Rocks, trees and scrappy bits of undergrowth clung to the unwelcoming landscape and reached up towards the sky like broken fingers. The bottom of the valley was shrouded in mist and it was impossible to tell how far down it went.
A shriek of warning broke out from the treetops and I watched a large bird take flight, heading away from us through the branches.
“I guess we just have to do it,” I muttered.
“The sooner we start, the sooner it’ll be over,” Coal agreed with a grin.
He headed forward with careful steps and I followed, my throat thickening as I placed each foot with care.
We grasped at trees and vines as we passed them to help keep us on our feet over the difficult terrain. As I grabbed for my third handhold, Kaloo leapt from the outcrop behind us and landed on the hill with an excited yelp. She tore off into the undergrowth and started splashing through puddles and kicking up leaves with no fear at all of the deadly drop beneath us.
I glanced around nervously, worried that her noise might attract the Creepers as it echoed out over the valley.
The trees dripped with the wetness of a previous rainfall and everything was saturated, making it harder to keep my balance and my grip on anything I held onto. The mist clung to my exposed skin, and covered me with a layer of moisture that made me shiver.
I took a deep breath and thought of Taylor alone in that hospital bed. That was why we were here. That was why I was risking this. And I’d do all of it and more for him. So I just needed to keep my head and get it done.
I was concentrating so hard on grabbing my next support and not falling on my ass that I didn't notice I'd moved ahead of the others. It was going surprisingly well and I could just make out the bottom of the valley several hundred feet below us.
Water ran down the slope in little rivulets, carrying dead leaves and debris with it.
The ground was littered with vines and other little shrubs which made it difficult to see where we were stepping but I was getting the hang of it, falling into a rhythm. I moved on with a bit less fear and started to use the vines which trailed along the ground for support.
I glanced back up the ridge and was surprised to see how far we’d come already when the vine I was holding onto snapped.
My heart took a nosedive into the pit of my stomach and a scream escaped me, echoing out over the endless ravine as I began to fall.
I spun and flailed for another handhold before hitting the ground hard on my back where I started sliding straight away. I dug my fingers into the soaked earth as panic bled through me but I couldn't get a grip as I picked up speed.
I kicked at the saturated ground in desperation but couldn't gain purchase on anything. Clods of mud flung out in various directions and slapped up into my face. I let out an involuntary scream as a rock loomed up ahead of me, threatening to splatter me all over it.
At the last moment, something hooked a hold of the back of my jacket and I jerked to a stop just inches from the hulking stone. I twisted to see what had caught me and relief spilled through me as I spotted Alicia, hanging onto me with all her might.
She grunted with effort as she smirked down from above me. One of her hands was gripping my jacket firmly while the other was looped around a vine with Coal anchoring the other end of it, further up the hill.
“How the hell did you manage that?" I gasped.
“We realised that it was getting too steep and decided to tie ourselves together. Then we saw you fall and I started running." She grinned. "Can you get your feet to that rock?" She jerked her head to point out which one.
I nodded and swung my feet over to the rock which had been aiming to splatter me. Once I was there, she let go and I regained my balance, then I helped to guide Alicia down next to me. Coal lowered down Laurie using the vine too before tying it off on a tree and following himself.
“Are you alright?" He caught hold of my shoulders and pulled me around so that I was facing him and I fell prey to the darkness his eyes.
“Yeah," I said automatically, though I was trembling from shock.
“You're freezing." He looked at me with a concerned frown and rubbed his hands up and down my arms, trying to warm me. I shivered as I realised that I was cold. Really cold. My slide down the freezing, wet hill had finished the job that the penetrating mis
t had been working on since we'd left the truck and I felt about five minutes away from turning into a Maya popsicle.
"I think I just need to get moving," I said as I tried to stop my teeth from chattering. Coal gazed at me for another second and I raised my chin defiantly. All of this stuff might have been new to me but I wasn’t going to back down from the challenges presented out here. It might be hard but it was real and I wouldn’t have gone back to the city for anything. Coal seemed to see the strength in my resolve and nodded stiffly before letting me continue down the hillside.
I was extra careful the rest of the way down. We tied ourselves in a rough line using some of the trailing vines for safety too. Only Kaloo had no trouble, running up and down the hill with seemingly no more effort than she used on flat ground. Oh to have four legs…
Once we reached the bottom of the slope, we found ourselves in a valley formed around a trickling stream. Presumably it had once been more impressive, but now it was just a burbling patch of slightly wetter ground. The GPS directed us to continue along the valley floor, moving against the flow of the water, and we carried on with ease.
“I hope we can find another way back," Laurie commented as we looked up at the intimidating incline beside us. "I don't like our chances against that hill going back up."
I had to agree with her and Coal nodded as he looked up at it too. “We’ll figure something out once the mission’s complete.”
“It's just up ahead," Alicia called over her shoulder as we reached the point where the stream bubbled up out of the ground. The soil beneath our feet started to feel firmer and we headed up a slight incline again as we began to move up the other side of the valley.
My footsteps abruptly stopped squelching and thumped onto a hard surface.
"This is concrete," I said, stamping some of the mud off of my boots.
“This must be part of the base, maybe they used to come down to this stream for water or something," Coal mused.
I looked up at the winding trail ahead of us, it cut into the hillside, finding a route between the immense tree trunks which was too deliberate to be accidental.
The trees soared upwards and disappeared into the mist which formed a thick cloud hovering above us and it kind of felt like we were the only people in the world down here.
We headed up the solid, moss-covered path at a much quicker rate and I sighed aloud with relief as my muscles reacted to the change in pace. The path twisted back and forth, climbing the valley before depositing us half way up the hill at a partially hidden doorway.
"This is it," Alicia announced excitedly. "The GPS says that our destination is right here so it must be beneath our feet. This must be the other entrance Hunter mentioned."
Coal moved forward and pushed at the heavy, metal door. It didn't open.
“How do we get in then?" Laurie asked. The door was made of thick steel and thudded deeply when she banged her fist against it.
“Hang on." Coal rummaged in his pockets and produced a small device with two wires protruding from either end. He touched each end to a panel next to the door and a screen flickered to life. He then pushed a button on the central device and a high pitched humming noise filled the air.
Numbers started to run back and forth in quick succession on the screen until slowly, one by one, they settled into a code. I looked at the glowing green digits and glanced at the door expectantly, but nothing happened.
After a few seconds the device beeped and released its hold on the panel. Coal caught it and pocketed it again.
The door slid open silently.
A gust of stale air washed over us. The dim light that filtered through the trees illuminated a little of the tunnel beyond. Inside was a smooth, stone passage delving deep into the hillside. A row of red lights flickered to life, momentarily illuminating the passage which twisted away out of view but they blinked out again almost instantly.
“Well, we can't hope for too much good luck." Alicia smiled, pulling out her flashlight again and aiming its beam down the tunnel.
Kaloo moved ahead of us and stuck her head through the door. She sniffed at the air for a moment before growling and raising her hackles.
"What's up 'Loo?" Coal asked, reaching out to tickle her ears.
Kaloo ignored him and backed away from the tunnel.
"It's okay - see?" Coal stepped inside and whistled to her.
Kaloo wasn't having any of it, she let out a bark and moved further back along the path. I glanced worriedly at the surrounding trees.
“Stay out here then, we can meet you later," Alicia said as she moved inside.
Kaloo watched us for another moment before turning tail and disappearing into the trees.
“Is that a bad sign?" I asked, looking at the movement in the foliage that marked where she’d pushed through.
"Doesn't make much difference does it?" Alicia laughed darkly and strode on into the shadows.
I exchanged a glance with Laurie and she rolled her eyes at Alicia's back. We followed suit and headed on in despite the prickle of fear that danced along my spine.
It was instantly warmer in the tunnel, out of the chilling wind. The air smelled musty and everything about the place spoke of a lack of use but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a damn good reason why Kaloo hadn’t wanted to come down here.
I glanced back at the doorway for a last glimpse of natural light as the tunnel turned and stole it from view.
That was it. We were inside.
No turning back now.
I watched the trees through narrowed eyes as anticipation set adrenaline coursing through my limbs. My men were building the second fire but there hadn't been any sign of the Creepers. Yet.
"All done boss!" Garret called out and I shot him a dark look for the noise. Though I supposed we were trying to lure them here anyway so it didn’t exactly matter. But it was bred into us from birth. Never go near the Creepers. Everything about this mission felt wrong. Though I had to admit, the challenge set my pulse firing.
I shouldered my gun and hefted the jerrycan filled with Old Merl's strongest moonshine into my arms. It was potent enough to send a man blind if he was stupid enough to drink it. Which I may or may not have attempted once. Or twice. Never again though.
The jerrycan sloshed heavily as I swung it forward and poured a drizzle over the pile of wood. This stuff went up like a damn explosion so a little went a long way.
Everything was so wet that I knew it wouldn't burn for long but it would create a lot of smoke while it tried, which was sure to lure the monsters close.
Our last estimation said that there were around five hundred Creepers living in this nest but I wasn’t convinced that was accurate. The terrifying truth was that these beasts had adapted well to living up here and they were breeding fast. Though fuck knew how creatures like that managed to care for newborn babes out in the wild. But they clearly did.
I wouldn’t have been surprised if there were a thousand or more of them out here. And we were about to kick the ants’ nest and see how many of them swarmed out.
I screwed the jerrycan shut again and pulled a matchbox from my pocket. I took a step back, casting a look around the trees before I struck the match and flicked it towards the prepared wood.
The pleasant smell of the smoke drifted back to me as the matchstick arced up into the air and fell gracefully downwards.
The little spark caught on the fuel almost instantly and a ball of fire whooshed into existence. A wave of heat washed over me and I stepped back again as the wet wood hissed and spat its disapproval.
The other men were waiting for me a little further into the trees and I backed up quickly. We didn’t wanna be here when the Creepers showed up.
“Did you hear that?" Garrett moved to my side, pushing his brown hair back out of his eyes. He was a good fighter and a tough bastard, unlikely to flinch at shadows so as he aimed his rifle at the forest I took note.
“Hear what?” I breathed, pocketing the matches
as I threw another suspicious glance at the trees.
The plume of smoke was finding its way up through the branches above us, crying out for the entire forest to see it.
“Thought I heard a voice,” Garrett murmured, raising his chin.
I paused to listen again, but there was nothing to hear. I offered him a shrug and hefted the jerrycan into my grasp, using my chin to point the direction for the rest of the men to take.
If there was even a chance of the Creepers being close already, I didn’t wanna break the silence again.
My men fell in around me, guns out and at the ready. They were brave men and good fighters but no one wanted an encounter with the Creepers.
Another flash of lightning flung the forest into view momentarily. The shadows were banished and their secrets were revealed. Between the trees, faces were thrown into focus. They were filth-covered and twisted into snarls of rage. Human and yet entirely inhuman at once.
My lips fell open at the horrifying sight around me as my gut twisted and I straightened my spine as I prepared to fight.
Darkness descended again, instantly concealing the Creepers but I’d seen those fucking faces.
“Draw your weapons!” I cried, dropping the jerrycan and pulling my gun from my back.
I took aim at the shadows as a snarl of defiance escaped me and the familiar weight of my gun filled my arms.
I drew in a deep breath, banishing everything but my need for survival.
A bloodcurdling scream announced the Creepers' attack and I braced myself for one hell of a fight.
“You with me Garret?" I asked, looking at my friend and finding steel in his gaze.
“To the end boss,” he growled.
“Well that won't be today," I promised.
I reached for the trigger and let off a burst of shots as thunder rumbled angrily above our heads.
We were in their territory, outnumbered and surrounded.
But there was no chance in hell I was dying today.
After the initial hallway, which was smooth and unchanging, we came upon another metal door which was wedged half open.
Rebel Rising: A Dystopian Romance (Cage of Lies Book 1) Page 25
