I came to the wall at the back of the room. It was so dim away from the red lighting that I only knew the wall was there by running my hand along it.
I pressed myself against the cool stone and squinted back towards the consoles. Slap slap. A shadow shifted across some of the flashing LEDs and a rustling noise broke the silence. Slowly, I started moving along the wall, my fingers trembling as they traced the smooth stone behind my back.
“Find a mole without a soul!" A gravelly voice called out from the darkness. The sound was so unexpected that I flinched, banging into the wall behind me. My boot made a squealing sound as it twisted against the floor.
I didn't wait to find out if it had heard me. I moved quickly, letting my fingertips guide the way.
A chorus of laughter broke out from several locations within the consoles that stood between me and the way out. And I had the horrible feeling that I was going to die down here, ripped apart by these monsters and left down here forever more.
I’m sorry, Taylor.
The laughter echoed back and forth in the open space and I took the opportunity to run faster. Suddenly my fingers weren't brushing along the wall anymore but flung out into an open space. I skidded to a halt and moved towards the gap.
The space was less than a metre wide and only half a metre deep. At the back were pipes that ran up towards the ceiling. I forced my way into the gap and pressed my back to the left hand side of the crevice, my feet against the right side.
The laughter continued as I shimmied my way up through the gap, climbing and climbing until I was sure I was out of reach. My head connected painfully with the ceiling and I gasped in shock before I could stop myself.
“Dig him out from in his hole!" the croaky voice cooed in a twisted, singsong voice.
I held my breath as three of them appeared below my hiding place. They gathered together and the laughter stopped. My legs trembled as I held them wedged against the wall to stop myself from falling.
From my vantage point I could only see the tops of their heads which were covered in lank, greasy hair. I braced myself and pulled a knife into my grasp.
The Creepers moved strangely, crouching towards the ground with their arms swaying from side to side and their hands curled into claws as they seemed to be sniffing.
My mouth dried out as I waited to see if they could find me by scent or not.
One of them very slowly raised his head and my heart pounded unevenly as I awaited the inevitably. It took a lifetime for his gaze to reach mine and when it did a huge grin crept across his face.
“Hello friend," he purred in a way that was anything but friendly.
My breath caught in my throat and I did the only thing that made any possible sense.
I twisted my body and kicked out against the rear wall as I flung myself towards him. A cry of rage left my lips as I dove at him with the knife held before me. The Creeper's eyes widened in shock but he didn't have time to react before we collided.
We tumbled to the ground. My knife dug into his arm as he yelled out and I was thrown aside. The Creeper screamed and screamed, a haunting sound that filled the space around us and made my ears ache. I scrambled to my feet, the bloodied knife held out in front of me as the two remaining Creepers assessed me hungrily.
I placed my feet, put my back to the wall and moved. I don't know if it was survival instinct or stupidity but something took over and I felt my lip curl back as my resolve hardened. I’m not going to die here.
I flung my knife and the Creeper standing on the right fell backwards, the hilt protruding from his chest.
The other Creeper rushed me and my fingers scrambled at my belt for more knives as I stumbled back.
My hair shifted as something flew past my face and a glint of silver caught my eye. The Creeper crumpled to the ground with a screech. The final Creeper, still clutching his bleeding arm and screaming, turned and fled into the darkness.
Coal stood behind me with another knife drawn and a ferocious look on his stunning face.
"Are you okay?" he growled and I nodded mutely. “Good. Come on.”
He led the way and I raced to keep up with him, my limbs trembling with the shock of what I’d just done.
"Alicia? Laurie?" Coal shouted for them as he started running back to the rows of computer consoles and I followed close on his heels.
“We're here!” Alicia flew from the end of a row several columns away from us, Laurie right behind her and relief poured though me at the sight of them.
“We have to get back to the elevator shaft. Now," Coal said as we ran to meet up with them.
“It's the only way in, it could be overrun," Alicia replied, holding her machete ready.
“It's the only way out too, we have to try."
We chose another row at random and pounded along it as fast as we could. The others left their flashlights off to help keep our position hidden and I squinted in the darkness that surrounded us. The dim red lights of the next room drew us forward and I spared a glance behind me. There were two shapes moving in the darkness to our rear, visible only as they passed in front of the flickering blue LEDs.
“Hurry," I panted, pushing my legs as fast as they would go.
We skidded out into the red lit room, our shoes slipping on the black, tiled floor.
A long limbed Creeper lurched out of the shadows towards us with glee in his eyes. Coal didn't hesitate, his knife flew straight and true, knocking the Creeper to the ground without a sound.
We sped on, only sparing a glance to make sure it wasn't getting back up again. The twists and turns in the room seemed endless. Something moved by one of the consoles but Alicia spun, her machete whirling in her hand as I tore past and she took it out. Nothing pursued us as we hit the elevator.
Coal jammed his knives back into his belt and braced himself against the elevator wall, cupping his hands in front of him. Alicia didn't slow her pace at all, she sprang forward, her boot landing in Coal's grasp and he accelerated her momentum up through the hatch in the elevator's ceiling so that she practically flew out of view.
"Laurie!" Coal demanded as she hesitated a moment before following Alicia up and out of the hatch.
I was ready and as soon as she disappeared I ran to jump up too, my eyes meeting Coal's dark gaze for a second before I was flung into the air after the others.
Alicia was waiting to pull me out of the way on top of the elevator and she threw herself down to lean back through the hatch as I watched Coal take a running jump to follow us. Alicia grabbed his arms and heaved to get him through.
Coal cried out as a Creeper grabbed hold of him from below and Alicia screamed in defiance, jamming her heels into the lip around the hatch and pulling with all of her strength. A muffled grunt told us that Coal had kicked the Creeper off and Alicia yanked him up on top of the elevator beside us. Laurie had her guns drawn and she aimed them back down the hole but the Creepers backed out of view.
“We still shouldn't take shots if we can avoid it. If there are any more of them upstairs they'll come running at the sound," Coal advised as he inspected his leg where the Creeper had grabbed him. "The mongrel bit me."
“Really?" Alicia looked horrified as she looked at the bloody wound on his calf.
"They're like rabid animals," Laurie said, shaking her head in disbelief whilst maintaining her aim down the hatch.
“We have to keep going," Coal replied, yanking his trouser leg back down over the bloody wound.
"This says there's an emergency exit at the top of the elevator shaft," Alicia said, pointing at a sign on the wall next to the access ladder.
A keening screech echoed down to us from one of the corridors above and we all fell still as we looked up.
“I think they know we're here," I whispered.
"Get up the ladder." Coal gave me a shove towards Alicia and took over Laurie's position, aiming his assault rifle down the hatch.
Alicia started climbing, her machete holstered on her hip again. Laurie
went next and I watched as they moved nimbly up and up, rung after rung. I hesitated a few moments and glanced back to see how Coal was doing. He gave me a reassuring nod and I started my assent.
The ladder ran parallel to the elevator doors on each floor. Some stood open while a few were firmly shut. The first was closed and Alicia and Laurie powered past it.
I looked down to see Coal take a running jump onto the ladder and start hauling himself up behind us.
He was closing the distance between us fast and I doubled my efforts at speed as I continued my climb. I was staring intently at the rungs in front of me so I didn't realise Laurie had stopped until my head collided with her boot. I slipped and almost lost my footing, my heart leaping as I clung on.
“Why have we stopped?" I hissed.
“Alicia says the next door's open. She thinks there's something up there," Laurie whispered back.
I ventured a look down and spotted three Creepers already in pursuit, scrabbling at the base of the ladder and shoving each other aside in an attempt to be the first up. Their fighting had helped us to gain a better lead but it wouldn't last if we didn't get moving.
Alicia was leaning up to look over the edge of the doorway above us. She moved carefully up the ladder to the side of the opening, motioning for us to stay back.
The Creepers below had sorted out an order and began climbing the ladder beneath us. We didn’t have much time to waste.
Alicia hooked her right arm through the side of the ladder and threw her weight towards the gap in the wall suddenly, reaching out with her other hand.
She jammed her boot against the wall and flung herself backwards, still maintaining her hold on the ladder. Her free hand twisted into the fabric of a Creeper's filthy tunic and she hurled him out into the shaft with a grunt of effort. The Creeper screamed, his arms cartwheeling madly in mid air as he plunged downwards past us and my lips parted as I watched him fall.
Alicia was already moving again and Coal caught up to me as we pushed onwards. I tried to ignore the echoing thump that the Creeper's body made as it hit the bottom and his screams were abruptly cut off.
I reached up again only to grasp at air as my hand failed to catch the next rung and I peered up to find it was missing. We’d reached the point where the rung had broken earlier and there was a double width gap left in its place. I tried not to think about the possibility of that happening again and set my jaw as I moved on.
I climbed higher, reached above the gap for the next metal handhold and heaved myself past the opening. The broken metal snagged my pants as I climbed by, cutting into the skin on my thigh. I bit back a curse as I felt blood slipping over my skin and kept moving.
My arms were aching as we passed the door leading back to the corridor where we’d first entered the shaft. We’d climbed five floors and the view below us was dizzying. I glanced into the corridor and spotted a large group of Creepers prowling in the dark passage. They must have followed us in through there and I just hoped that Kaloo was okay outside.
Below, the Creepers on the ladder were gaining on us as we pushed upwards and passed the next floor of the bunker. There were just two more levels to go and I could see the outline of a round hatch with a big wheel to open it, looming above our heads.
The ladder gave a shuddering groan and we froze momentarily before increasing our speed again. Alicia reached the hatch and leaned back as she tried to force the wheel to turn while Laurie held her in place so that she didn't fall. I clung to the metal rungs and waited. Adrenalin pounded through my veins.
I glanced down to see the Creepers rapidly closing the gap between us.
The ladder shuddered and groaned again, lurching backwards as some of the bolts holding it to the wall gave way and I fought back a scream with everything I had as I clung on for dear life.
The wheel on the hatch finally gave and started to turn under Alicia's efforts.
With another loud groan, the ladder lurched back and I watched in horror as the metal broke apart above my hands.
My section dropped again and I was flung backwards as it peeled away from the wall. I screamed as I fell backwards, hooking my arms around the ladder even though I knew it wouldn't save me if the whole thing broke. I scrunched my eyes shut and clung on with all my strength.
Coal released the ladder below my feet and I opened my eyes, terrified that I’d see him falling to his death. For a moment I couldn't see him at all and then I felt his hand close on my ankle as the ladder shuddered again, swinging me further out and away from the wall. Coal stood on the top floor of the bunker, his eyes locked onto mine.
“Come on,” he urged, reaching for me.
There was a deep bang as Alicia finally got the iron wheel on the hatch to finish turning and it fell open. A weak beam of dim sunlight lit the shaft. I looked up towards the possibility of escape but the ladder was peeling free of the wall and there was no way I would make it.
The section above me started to shift too, the masonry crumbling around the bolts as Laurie screamed in panic.
“Trust me, let go," Coal commanded, his hand stretched out to me.
I reached towards him, my hand shaking as I released the freezing metal. Our hands connected and he yanked me off of the ladder with a surge of strength.
I fell into the top floor of the bunker just as the ladder gave way completely, landing on top of him with and oomph.
I rolled aside and scrambled back to my feet, desperate to see what had happened to Alicia and Laurie as screams echoed through the elevator shaft and the broken remains of the ladder fell from the wall.
The terrible cacophony of screams was cut short as the Creepers on the ladder plunged to their deaths and an echoing boom resounded through the open space.
I clung to Alicia's hand with all my strength as I swung over the terrifying drop beneath me. Alicia's white blonde hair hung down around her face as she leaned forward, her stomach digging into one side of the hatch and her free hand braced against the other as she fought to keep hold of me.
I started to slip, the fear making my palms sweaty as I battled to cling on. My legs swung wildly above the drop and I didn't dare to look down.
Alicia's face twisted and she released her grip on the hatch, bringing her other hand down to clasp my wrist. With a powerful wrench and a growl of determination, Alicia yanked and I was dragged higher. I grabbed at the metal door with my free hand, catching the wheel and clawing at it as Alicia heaved me upwards again.
As I broke through the opening, I kicked and dug my elbows into the hard concrete above the hatch, my skin tearing as I dragged myself forward. With a final grunt of effort, Alicia wrenched me out and I rolled away from the gaping hole with a gasp of relief.
The two of us lay panting on our backs for several seconds as the adrenaline subsided.
“Holy fuck,” I breathed, trying to grasp the fact that I’d actually just survived that.
“You can say that again,” Alicia panted before crawling back to peer through the hatch.
I scrambled onto my hands and knees and followed her quickly.
Pale daylight filtered down from the opening and lit the top of the elevator shaft so that we could see some way down into the dark. It wasn't bright enough to show many details of the twisted, broken shapes on top of the elevator far below us and I quickly turned my gaze from them as I hunted for my friends.
I couldn't see Maya and Coal anywhere.
“Are you okay?" I called desperately, my heart pounding with fear for them.
"Yeah," Maya replied shakily from somewhere on the top floor and I shifted until I could see her and Coal standing there looking up at us.
Alicia moved away from the hatch and glanced around quickly before leaning back down to look at them again.
“There's nothing up here. We're going to have to go and find some vines to get you out," she called.
A screech pierced the silence in the darkness. It sounded like the Creeper wasn't far away.
“We�
�ll find somewhere to hide," Coal called as he glanced over his shoulder. "Just find something and come get us, quick."
“Okay, hang tight," Alicia replied and she moved away.
I bit my lip, offering them a reassuring smile before I turned away too and Alicia kicked the hatch closed. It thunked heavily into place.
I let out a shaky breath as I surveyed our surroundings. We’d emerged on a bare hilltop covered in concrete. A little way off was a small building which must have been the official entrance to the bunker. The concrete was well worn by the wind and rain and its exposed surface was split and cracked.
Alicia was scanning our surroundings, the valley we’d arrived through spread away to our left but the forest ahead of us seemed to stay on more level ground. The air was filling with a heavy kind of pressure that made my hair curl.
A huge fork of lightning broke the sky in half and struck a tall tree in the distance and I flinched before I could stop myself. The tree groaned its death loud enough for the whole forest to hear as it burst into flames and slowly started to fall to the ground, taking several smaller trees with it.
It slammed into the undergrowth with a resounding boom that was punctuated by a huge crash of thunder. I clapped my hands over my ears as my heartbeat accelerated in panic. I cursed myself internally but I couldn't help my reaction to the phenomenon. It was insane. I couldn’t get my head around the idea of it being natural.
The orange glow of the flames merged with the smoke as they reached for the sky and fingers of fire started to lick their way along the resisting foliage.
Alicia pointed with her machete at the closest patch of trees and I tore my gaze from the fire, nodding in agreement. We raced into the cover of the forest to search for the vines as fast as possible, keeping quiet in case any Creepers were out here.
A second bolt of lightning lit up the sky and I held my breath as I waited for the thunder. I felt the force of it rumbling through my goddamn bones but managed to stand still until it had passed. At least I was pushing my fear aside, though I was a bit pissed that it still existed at all.
Rebel Rising: A Dystopian Romance (Cage of Lies Book 1) Page 28
