‘There’s no point to that,’ I heard Chris say. ‘You won’t reach anyone.’
‘What about phoning for help from outside the town?’ someone asked.
Chris just shook his head and said, ‘I wouldn’t count on it.’
‘Is anyone getting a signal?’ a woman asked.
‘Over here, you get a little here,’ a man replied.
‘Chris?’ I said when I reached him.
He looked up, his eyes staring right through me.
‘It’s Christopher, Christopher Ritchie,’ he said. ‘I’ve already said we’re not mounting a suicide mission.’
That question went out the window.
‘I just wanted to thank-’ I started, but he cut me off.
‘Don’t thank me, next time though you need to be ready. I can’t afford to carry your arse everywhere, okay?’ he asked.
I nodded, surprised by his bluntness, and part of me wanted to defend myself.
I lingered awkwardly, not knowing where to go. Thankfully, Anna appeared at my side, her face determined.
‘So, Chris,’ she said as she folded her arms, ‘you wanna spill your secrets?’
He looked up sharply, and I admired Anna’s fearlessness.
‘What do you mean?’ he asked, answering her question with one of his own.
‘Tunnels underground that no one knew about; the phones you say won’t work or won’t reach anyone,’ she said, her eyes locked onto his. ‘You brought us here, you had guns, something I’ve never seen close before. You know your way around them, and you’re fast and smart.’
Chris smiled slightly.
‘And you’re observant,’ he replied.
‘That doesn’t answer my question,’ she hit back.
I had no idea what to do. Anna was right, but Chris wasn’t backing down, he just waved his hand and Anna flushed. She was about to try again when a sharp ringing filled the room.
A man a few feet away jumped to his feet, surprise and joy on his face. A phone was in his hand, and the screen was alight with an incoming call.
‘Hello!’ he answered. ‘Barbara?’
Someone replied but the words were too quiet to hear. The man frowned and shook his head. Not Barbara I guessed.
‘What?’ he said.
People gathered around, some with hopeful faces, but a chill crawled up my neck, raising hairs.
Chris moved and snatched the phone from the man’s hands.
‘Who is this?’ he said.
A voice replied and he froze. He brought the phone from his ear and pressed a button on the screen. A voice filled the room, ominously loud as it bounced off the walls.
‘Hello everyone,’ a bright cheer came from the phone. It belonged to a woman. ‘I hope everyone is comfortable.’
She waited as if for a reply, but then spoke words that sliced through everyone like a sharp knife.
‘You better be! Because you are never ever leaving!’ and with that, the call ended.
The Escape
Instantly after the call people started screaming. They broke down into tears, confusion plastered on every face. A lot of questions were fired at Chris, with Anna at the forefront. He waved them off and told them not to panic. Still calm and controlled. The plan would still go forward.
No one argued. Whatever way I’d expected them to act, it wasn’t like that. They were so vacant, so passive and easily controlled. It might not have been expected, but it wasn’t a surprise. I myself couldn’t form a coherent thought, only that we needed out to find help, help to find our families. So even I didn’t question Chris. Anna, however, paced the room. She wanted those answers.
Eventually she came over to where I’d sat with Terry and his family. She sat down, her gaze never leaving Chris.
‘Anna,’ Terry whispered, ‘leave it be for now. Look at the people around us. If we don’t get out now, they won’t be fit to move later, their hope will be gone.’
‘I know,’ she sighed. ‘That’s why I’ve stopped pushing, but I don’t trust him. There isn’t a town around for miles. We need supplies, routes and a plan.’
Terry nodded but said, ‘First things first, we get out. We’re lucky those things haven’t gotten down here yet, but they might and then what?’
No one really spoke. We sat for hours, silent and afraid. Chris repeatedly checked his watch, and once it hit midnight he urged us to get some sleep. Well, to try at least. I couldn’t help but think of the call. Who had that woman been? What was going on? The pain in my head throbbed with every question, and there were a lot.
‘Hey?’ Anna said. ‘Get some sleep hmm?’
I shook my head. I knew it would be futile to even try. Some people had fallen asleep, but most of them woke periodically screaming. I moved back towards a wall, a pipe dripped water, and the sound calmed me a little.
If we’re under the pipes and wires for the town, what are the ones here used for?
I focused on the water, and eventually, I drifted back to a land of nightmares.
*
Nothing had changed. It never did. My wrists bled from struggling, tears streaked from my eyes. There was no hope. Anna was wrong. There was only ever fear and pain. I stopped moving, but the men never came. My nightmare had changed. Instead, a phone began to ring, its high shrill notes bouncing from wall to wall.
For what seemed an eternity it rang, vibrating through my mind until I tried to scream through the gag. And then it stopped, and a voice replaced it.
You are never ever leaving!
*
I screamed. Anna was already awake, and she moved to my side.
‘Lucas?’ she whispered.
‘I’m okay. Sorry. Just a nightmare,’ I said.
A warm hand slid into mine, and I looked down into wide brown eyes. Hannah, the Harris’s twelve-year-old daughter, stared up at me.
‘It’s okay, I have bad dreams too,’ her small voice whispered. ‘It’ll be okay. Everything will be okay.’
I swallowed the lump in my throat and gave her hand a squeeze. I wasn’t going to be the one to break her spirit. Was my spirit broken then?
‘Yes, yes it will,’ I replied, but my stomach shifted uncomfortably.
I looked back round at Anna, and she smiled sadly at the little girl. All we could do was hope.
‘What time is it?’ I asked, and Anna checked her own watch.
‘Almost six in the morning,’ she answered. ‘Chris is going around waking up anyone who managed to sleep.’
She looked tired, and I wondered whether she had slept, but she smiled and stood.
‘Alright everyone,’ Chris shouted, shocking those still half-asleep awake, ‘I need you all to listen.’
He stood in the middle of the room, and everyone moved to surround him. This was it. A few of the people I’d saw fade from reality were back, eyes wide, hoping that we’d be out of this mess and back to normality with our families in no time. I shared their hope, but doubt clogged in my stomach.
You are never ever leaving!
I shivered.
‘We’ll be moving through these tunnels as fast as possible. There’s a way up to the surface that borders the town, and from there, we’ll be moving across the land that cuts through the surrounding mountains,’ Chris said. ‘Now, I’m gonna stress how important this is. It is not going to be simple. We are not just going to pop out the ground and run to freedom. It’s likely that we will come across the hostiles in the town.’
A few people started murmuring fearfully, but Chris quieted them with a wave of his hand.
‘It can’t be helped, and I need everyone to stay focused, or none of us are going to get out, got it?’ he asked as he stared down the people around him.
They were frightened, but he needed them to be able to think. I started to panic. Thinking under stress was never a strong suit of mine.
‘I’m gonna be handing out a couple more guns. I know, I know,’ he said, his voice rose as the group started to protest. ‘You might not lik
e it, but again, you do not have a choice. I am trying to get you out of here, so listen to me!’
Everyone stopped.
‘Now, get your things together.’
For the first time since I’d woken, people started to rush around, whispering amongst themselves. Chris grabbed a couple men, and pointed over in my direction. It took me a second to realise it was at me.
No, please.
‘Lucas, come here,’ Chris said.
I started to sweat. I started to shake. Numb, I slouched forward. Anna walked past fast, and straight to Chris.
‘What do you want, sweetheart?’ he asked.
‘A gun,’ Anna’s voice was as smooth as water over rocks.
I finally made it over to Chris, and ignoring Anna, he turned to me.
‘Know how to use one of these?’ he asked, holding out the piece of black metal. It glinted menacingly in the dull light.
I shook my head and took a step back.
‘No, no,’ I stuttered. ‘I don’t want one.’
‘I didn’t ask that,’ he replied.
‘No, I-I don’t know how to use it, I can’t. I can’t, can’t use it. I won’t.’
He grabbed my hand and before Anna could protest, slammed it into my palm. It was heavy and cold.
‘It’s simple,’ he said. ‘Aim, shoot. Make sure you have your target and don’t shoot any of us, Christ. Keep your finger off the trigger if you don’t have a target. It’s loaded, but the safety is on, so relax. Just turn off the safety up top, it’s here, see? If we do run into trouble, better to have it off beforehand.’
I couldn’t. I trembled and I knew the only way it would get better was if I handed the gun back. I stared at it, fearfully pointing it down as its ominous black taunted me. What if I hurt someone? What if I killed someone? No, I couldn’t. But any words I tried to form stopped in my throat.
‘He doesn’t want one,’ Anna said, her voice soft. ‘You can’t force people into this.’
‘Wanna bet,’ he replied.
I couldn’t understand why he couldn’t pick someone else. Anna wanted one. She was calm, she was steady. Me? I just couldn’t stop shaking. Chris glanced at me again though, and I realised this was a test. He wanted to make sure I wouldn’t pass out again, that I could handle myself.
I couldn’t.
Way to be positive of your abilities…
What abilities?
I tried to focus as we left through one of the entryways. Chris in front, Paul and his two sons, as I’d learned, brought up the rear. The tunnels were like a labyrinth, every now and then they would branch off in multiple directions, the dim light and darkness made it impossible to see where they went. Pipes lined all walls, heading in all directions, but Chris knew the way. He manoeuvred quickly through the hallways, and another warning sign popped up at his understanding of the tunnels.
Anna had stayed next to me, and I tried hard to calm myself, I couldn’t let anyone down. We had to get out. I had to find my family.
We walked for around an hour, passing through rooms like the one we had bunkered down in. I started to think the place would never end when we came to a long ladder that headed up. Chris stopped, gave each of us a quick nod, and started up. Anna headed second and I grabbed on after. We climbed for a few minutes before we reached a hole in the ground. Chris pushed aside a solid ground cover, the ones that litter the streets everywhere, but no one thinks about them twice.
I climbed out and shut my eyes. I was shocked by how strong the sun was. The sky was cloudless, and the only hint at the season was the cold bite in the air. We stared at grassy lands that stretched forward for miles. Rocky hills jutted from the ground and grew to alarming heights. These posed the big problem for escaping. The town was nearly completely surrounded by green giants, with only a few roads leading out to any motorways. These were useless though, mud-ridden roads that were thin and hard to travel in such a group.
But the fields were wide and level. From what I could remember, the closest town was a few miles off, still hard travel, but easier to reach than the main roads. Behind us sat the town, its grey squat buildings lined the horizon, and the air was ominously still.
‘Everyone, safety off,’ Chris whispered, as the rest of our group emerged from the tunnels. ‘Stay close and be silent.’
I aimed my gun down, extremely aware of the damage I could cause. My arms wouldn’t stay still, and I made sure my finger was nowhere near the trigger. I couldn’t steady my breathing. The town almost beckoned me to it, my mind in a furious tangle with itself to convince me nothing had happened, and that my mother was waiting for me at home.
We began a slow, but steady, slouch across the fields, the town behind us. The group bristled with unspoken hope and excitement. Chris, Anna, and Paul looked around wildly, double checking the countryside for anything out of place. It was after the first field that we heard it, a strange sound, almost like a whistle, but short and quick.
‘Chris?’ Anna whispered.
Chris looked around slowly, his eyes slits. We heard it again, and one of Paul’s sons fell to the ground, blood pooling around his head. Chris’s eyes went wide.
‘EVERYONE DOWN!’ he screamed. ‘IT’S A SNIPER!’
Everyone froze, and then anarchy erupted. They ignored Chris and started running in all directions, some remarkably sprinted back towards the town. They never made it far, more whizzing sounds filled the air, and those running towards the town jerked and hit the ground. The snipers looked to be on the roofs of its buildings.
‘GET DOWN!’ Chris bellowed, but it was too late.
Anna tried to grab a few people and wrestle them down but they wrenched themselves from her grasp and ran with faces pale and terrified.
‘Lucas…’ she started, but monstrous shrieks filled the air and figures on the horizon burst from the streets of the town.
Around thirty blurred shapes charged across the fields for us. Blood matted their hair, covered their clothes, and I realised these were the monsters everyone was afraid of. Monsters like Mr Williams.
‘LUCAS!’ Anna screamed, but I couldn’t move.
My blood was ice, and I was paralyzed. One of the creatures reached one of the groups and lunged. It hit a woman and they barrelled to the ground, hard. A clean twist and the woman’s arm ripped right off. I screamed. Blood and screams and death, it was hell.
There was a heart wrenching cry from somewhere nearby, and I turned to see Amelia and Hannah, frozen and clinging to one another. Terry was nowhere to be seen. Something ran for them, a blood-crusted hellbeast, and I blinked at the speed of the creatures. They almost blurred. The memory of Mr Williams flashed through my mind, and my arm gave a twinge with the remembered strength. What were they?
Another cry brought me back to reality. I raised the heavy weapon in my hands and aimed at the beast as it charged the women.
What if I miss!? What if I kill one of them!?
I just stared, unable to fire. Amelia grabbed Hannah’s hand and tried to run. Two steps, three, and an explosion like none other erupted from the ground at their feet. The force lifted me into the air, and heat licked at my cheeks. My lungs emptied as I hit the ground and groaned. A pinkish mist drifted with the smoke where the two women had been.
The screams were gone. Anna was at my side, her face panicked as she shouted something, but I couldn’t hear her either. A high pitched ringing had replaced all sounds, and fear switched to confusion. What was happening?
I stood. Everything turned slow, distant and broken. I stared at Anna, her eyes wide and her face glistened with sweat. My chest burst into flames, like hundreds of pieces of burning coal crawled under the skin. I looked down at my hands, covered in a shiny red liquid. Blood soaked my clothes as it slithered from the two bullet holes on my body.
I heard my name, the ground rushed to catch me, and I blacked out.
The Retreat
I remember falling in and out of consciousness. The world around me busy and loud, but it al
l moved so slow and sounded so far away. The sun was gone, replaced with strips of light that hung from the ceiling and barely broke the suffocating darkness.
‘Terry, please!?’ a woman shouted. ‘Help him!’
A man cried out in the background, screamed names that sent tremors through my body, or was that something else?
‘Doctor, there is nothing you can do for your family, but if you don’t help this boy then he will die!’ a man’s voice said. ‘I can’t help him alone.’
More heart-wrenching cries, the same two names, and then I was lost.
*
My body was on fire. Anna hunched over me and tried soothing words to get me to listen. Her hands were stained red, and she pushed hard down on my chest.
‘Terry!?’ she shouted.
Terry came into view, his eyes red and puffy. His face was no longer kind, but strained and broken.
‘Keep your hands there,’ he said. ‘Mr Bishop, focus, can you breathe alright? Are you having any problems breathing?’
I could only stare. The pain subsided but fired back to life. What was happening?
‘Chris!’ Terry called.
I heard a voice reply, but the words swirled into nothing before they reached my ears.
‘I need supplies, hospital supplies!’ Terry replied. ‘The bullets appear to have travelled through without damaging any major organs, and both bullets appear to have exit wounds, but if we do not stop this bleeding soon…’
Bullets?
‘Appear!?’ Anna’s voice cut in. ‘You’re not sure!?’
‘Miss Gordon, I am doing the best I can with what I have, not what I need!’ he shot back.
Then I was taken by darkness.
Fear of God (Trials of Strength Book 1) Page 4
