by Jack Conner
“Enough?” laughed the assassin. “Ruegger, I’ve only just begun.”
Ruegger paused. “You had no intention of leading us out of here, did you?”
“We sort of figured you might figure that out. It’s not gonna save you, though.”
“What do you mean?” said Danielle.
“He means we’ll get you just the same,” called a voice from the direction of the cave’s entrance.
The vampires’ heads snapped up to see Jagoda standing there, just beyond the stalactite and stalagmite forest.
“You!”
The bearded one smiled. “You didn’t think we’d actually stick to our word, Danielle, did you?”
She lowered her blade, slashing a bright red line across Junger’s throat. “Take another step and your boyfriend gets it. I can cut off his head faster than you can blink an eye.”
“That may be harder to do than you think.”
“Oh? And how do you think—?”
A sudden movement seemed to catch her eye, and she glanced down at the trapped Junger just in time to see him shapeshift into a hairy beast with a wolf-like head. Just as she was about to dig her blade deeper, the huge mouth opened and snapped at her arm, meaning to bite it off. She launched herself backwards, landing hard against a nearby stalagmite.
She sprang to her feet in time to see Jagoda turn into a similarly hairy demon-wolf—and charge.
A few stone spears broke from the ceiling and flung themselves at him, but the Balaklava was prepared for Ruegger’s attack and used his own telekinesis to ward off the approaching missiles. They whistled harmlessly by, exploding to dust around him.
“Danielle!” Ruegger shouted. “Let’s go!”
He didn’t have to say it twice.
Before Jagoda could reach his fallen companion, the vampires turned and fled down the left tunnel, Ruegger thinking that if Junger had intended to go this way, then it must lead to a place from which he had intended to ambush them—and if Junger could stage an ambush from that location, maybe the vampires could, too.
As they ran, Ruegger could hear the sounds of breaking stone and knew that soon Junger would be free. Damn it all. This was not going according to plan.
The vampires passed the opening of a side tunnel, but the entrance had been stopped up by a cave-in. From the looks of it, the cave-in seemed to be a recent development, maybe an intentional one. It wasn’t long before the tunnel widened again to become a larger chamber, and from here two tunnels led out. Unfortunately, another cave-in had blocked one.
“Shit,” said Danielle, stopping for a moment. “We’re being herded.”
“Maybe,” Ruegger said. “Somehow I don’t think this was the work of the Balaklava.”
“How come?”
“Would they need to herd us?”
“Then who?”
He sent his psychic tendrils to explore the cave-in and found that the pile of rocks continued on for some way. He would be hard pressed to remove them all before the Balaklava caught up with them.
“This way,” he said, and moved toward the unblocked tunnel.
Jagoda appeared from around the bend. In demon-form, he bore down on Danielle. She leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding him, and raised her blade for a swing.
Jagoda swiveled on a dime and charged her, knocking the blade away with one claw and tearing her shoulder open with another. As he was about to close his mouth around her throat, she jabbed three stiff fingers into his windpipe. He gagged. One of his rear legs tore open her thigh and pinned that leg down, but he wasn’t fast enough to find the other one before it kicked his scrotum. He howled.
Ruegger emptied two clips of ammunition into the assassin’s back, then gripped the long, pointy ears of the beast and yanked him off Danielle. The Balaklava turned to face him but stopped when Danielle sliced her machete across his exposed belly and poured his intestines onto the stone floor.
Jagoda would not be denied. He swiped a claw at her face, knocking her to the side, then completed his turn toward Ruegger. Ruegger had retrieved his newly-acquired blades, though, and plunged them into Jagoda’s eyes, driving them into its brain. Jagoda shuddered, and blood ran from his eye sockets.
Ruegger stomped a foot into Jagoda’s hairy chest and shoved the monster away, at the same time withdrawing his dagger and scimitar.
Danielle climbed to her feet and leaned against a stalagmite for support. Her face showed four deep lines where Jagoda had caught her, but at least she was standing.
“You okay?” he asked.
She issued him a thumbs-up and motioned toward Jagoda writhing around on the ground. Ruegger nodded and stepped forward, meaning to finish Jagoda off, but before he could a great howling welled up from the tunnel he and Danielle had just left. Apparently, Junger—with no help from Jagoda—had freed himself and was hot on their trail.
Ruegger hesitated, wanting to kill Jagoda badly, but it would take time to dismember and burn the blinded demon and the delay would only ensure that the other assassin caught up. And Ruegger felt certain that the second encounter would not turn out so favorably.
“Come on,” Danielle said.
Together they set off down the only avenue of escape.
* * *
When Junger entered the chamber, he saw his fallen brother lying on the ground, gutted and blinded, with the odd flock nowhere in sight. He considered giving chase to them but knew that, if they could so wound Jagoda, they might be difficult for him to bring down alone. Besides, his zombies waited just around a few bends of the tunnel, and they would detain Ruegger and Danielle for the time being.
Reverting back to his more human form, Junger walked over to Jagoda, slashing into his wrists as he moved. One arm still ached from being torn off by the falling stalactite, but once he’d freed himself he had reattached it. Now he let his blood drip to Jagoda. When he judged that he’d given enough (he had little to spare), he spat on his wrists to stem the flow, and almost instantly the wounds sealed shut.
Below, Jagoda began to mend. Within a minute, he was standing and blinking his eyes. He nodded at Junger, and they embraced.
“I shouldn’t have left you back there,” the bearded one said.
Junger shrugged. “Time was limited.”
“By that same token, you shouldn’t have stopped to help me, either.”
“It might take both of us.”
“They’re just vampires, brother,” Jagoda said. “Though they did get in some lucky hits.”
“Then let’s finish it.”
Chapter 6
“Damn,” said Danielle, when they entered the region of the tunnel where the zombies had been stationed.
A score of the things waited for the vampires, but they had all been slain, and brutally. Limbs and heads littered the area. Ruegger moved among the bodies, studying them. He stopped when he found a severed hand and brought it to her.
When she saw what the zombie’s fist contained, she smiled. A handful of translucent hairs sprang from beneath the undead digits.
“Jean-Pierre,” she said, and Ruegger nodded.
“This is where they planned to ambush us,” he said.
“So where’s the albino?”
“I don’t know. My guess is that it was him who collapsed those caves. Maybe he was trying to lead us to him.”
“Is he friend or foe?”
“I guess we’ll find out.”
They set off down the rough hall. Behind them, Ruegger heard the faint sounds of the reunited assassins giving chase. He and Danielle picked up speed, running down the twisting corridor and passing many smaller side tunnels—and some dark alcoves that promised evil. The sound of Junger and Jagoda coming grew louder.
“They’re faster than we are,” Danielle panted.
Suddenly, from one of the many natural alcoves along this stretch of the tunnel, three zombies sprang out, weapons in their filthy hands.
The leader, who held a riot gun, grinned as he pulled the trigger. The force of t
he blast sent Ruegger flying backwards. Even as he rose to his feet, he had his two blades in hand. The scimitar he flung at the leader, but the zombie ducked under it. Having anticipated this possibility, Ruegger was already sending his dagger a little lower. The blade sank right through the creature’s skull, felling it.
Danielle, meanwhile, had beheaded the second zombie with her machete and was engaged in swordplay with the third, who fought ably with two long blades. Her opponent was skilled, and parried her initial thrusts without any trouble, then launched an offense of his own.
Unable to counter it, Danielle backed up a few feet, allowing Ruegger a shot. Immediately, the creature’s head erupted in a ball of puss and yellowish blood, and Ruegger replaced his pistol in its holster.
“Thanks,” she said. “Guess these three survived Jean-Pierre.”
After retrieving his two blades, he said, “More likely, these three just ran away.”
She examined his wound, which was serious. “Christ, baby, we can’t afford to be wandering around down here much longer. Remember, we haven’t even found any zoo monsters, yet. Even if we manage to outrun Junger and Jagoda, we’re going to have to—”
They stiffened at the unmistakable noise of claws on stone. The three surviving zombies had held the vampires up just long enough to allow the Balaklava to catch up with them. Not even bothering to exchange glances, Ruegger and Danielle turned and ran, Junger and Jagoda hot on their heels.
The corridor twisted sharply to the side, and the vampires were traveling so fast they almost bounced off the wall. They managed to right themselves, but the corridor ended a few yards later.
It wasn’t a dead-end, though. The corridor spilled out onto another tunnel, this one a little wider than the last. Ruegger and Danielle glanced around, trying to decide whether to go right or left. Behind them, the sounds of claws on stone grew louder.
To the left, they heard a familiar voice cry out, “This way!”
Jean-Pierre.
Ruegger had no time to question whether the albino was friendly or not. He grabbed Danielle’s hand and led her in Jean-Pierre’s direction.
“Now stop!” commanded the albino.
For a moment, the puzzled vampires kept running, but when the albino repeated his command they skidded to a halt.
“What’s your game?” Ruegger said.
The werewolf stood maybe twenty yards away. Between the werewolf and the vampires lay another forest of stalactites and stalagmites, which was vaguely odd to Ruegger, as there were no other such formations along this stretch. He had no time to puzzle on it, though, as just then Junger and Jagoda entered the corridor behind them.
“Now!” cried Jean-Pierre. “Come to me!”
Obeying without question, Ruegger and Danielle ran forward, right through the stone forest. Growls and scratching noises could be heard at their backs. Then something truly strange happened.
The cave began to move.
It constricted. Just a few feet in front of Jean-Pierre, the tunnel closed in a strangely wormy way.
“Keep coming!” the albino shouted. “Faster!”
It seemed like an organic wall was forming between the vampires and the werewolf. It closed like a spiral, and Ruegger knew that when it sealed, he and Danielle would be trapped in whatever weird monster this was, and with the Balaklava just behind.
Jean-Pierre stepped forward and grabbed the lips of the tightening spiral with his hands and wedged in a foot, too, preventing the wall from forming altogether. The hole he kept open was just large enough for the vampires to dive through, but it didn’t look like the albino could hold it for much longer. His arms shook and veins popped out on his forehead.
“Goddamn you!” Junger shouted from behind them.
Ruegger and Danielle leapt through the hole, Jean-Pierre released his hold, and the mouth of the strange beast closed, sealing the hole and preventing the assassins from continuing their attack. The Darkling rose breathlessly to his feet, helped Danielle to hers, and then turned to stare incredulously at both the organic cave and the albino.
“It’s called a Grife,” Jean-Pierre explained. “It’s a chameleon worm that acts like part of the cave, but once you step inside ...”
Ruegger watched the Grife, which no longer looked like a cave at all but a giant stone-colored worm. It had contracted, blocking off both of its exits and trapping Junger and Jagoda inside. Ruegger could see over the top of it now that the Grife had collapsed, see the strong waves of muscles rippling from end to end of the stone-colored giant. He didn’t envy the Balaklava.
“It won’t hold them for long,” Jean-Pierre said. “Not those two. We’d better get moving. I suggest we go back the way you came, unless you want a tour of this place—which I don’t recommend under the circumstances.”
Ruegger hesitated. Despite the albino’s warning, he would dearly love to roam this place, to see what enchantments might await him around the closest bend. However, he realized that now wasn’t the time.
“Agreed,” he said, then glanced at Danielle.
She was smiling. “Thank you,” she said to Jean-Pierre, and offered her hand.
He accepted it, and they shook like old friends. Ruegger didn’t want to think on it too long, and when Danielle had finished shaking the albino’s hand, Ruegger offered his own, saying, “You saved our lives. Why?”
“It seemed like the right thing to do at the time.” Jean-Pierre started to take the Darkling’s hand, but at the last moment Ruegger withdrew it.
“No,” said the vampire, and hugged the werewolf instead.
* * *
As they made their way over the top of the convulsing Grife, Ruegger couldn’t contain his mirth when he heard the frequent Balaklavian yell from inside the beast. At one point, a black and blood-stained hand erupted from the thick skin of the worm, just a few feet from where the three companions stood. As the Balaklava was sucked back inside, Ruegger could clearly hear through the hole: “We’ll kill you for this, you fucks!”
Ruegger could only smile.
At Danielle’s invitation, Jean-Pierre told the vampires how he’d come to be here as the trio retraced the route out of the tunnels. At last they emerged into the great cavern of the green lake.
“Where do we go from here?” Danielle asked.
Ruegger scanned the walls, trying to remember which chute he’d emerged from, but there were so many ... and besides, he didn’t really want to return to his own room, where he and Danielle were prisoners, and where the Balaklava could reacquire them easily.
“I don’t know,” he said, and turned to the albino. “Any thoughts?”
Jean-Pierre nodded. “I spent awhile here. I was trying to find either Sophe or Kharker’s room, so I went up one chute after another. Many times I slipped down, but I always made it up again, except for once when someone sent a body down and me with it. Anyway, I must have poked my head into thirty rooms, but I didn’t find either of them. However, I did find several vacant chambers, and I think I remember which chutes led to them. That might be the best way to go.”
“Sounds reasonable,” said Danielle.
“Lead on,” Ruegger said.
“I take it neither Maleasoel or Subaire have shown up yet?”
“Not yet.”
“But the Sabo ... there was a warning.”
Ruegger shot him a dark look. “You knew of the Sabo?”
Jean-Pierre winced, but his voice was firm. “I figured the Libertarians deserved what they got after what they did to Gavin and the others. And after, well, I spent more time with them than you. Maybe they were different under Ludwig’s rule, maybe they were kinder, but under D’Aguila they’ve turned into a sinister lot, and I know of what I speak. Besides, if Kharker had acted any differently they would’ve killed both of us and we wouldn’t be here debating how good they are.”
Ruegger took a deep breath and nodded. He didn’t much like the fact that Jean-Pierre had been willing to lead Malie into a trap, but then again he
couldn’t dispute the albino’s reasoning.
“I left that warning,” he said.
“So … you were there when the dragon—?”
“I was.”
“Why would Blackie let you do it, leave a warning to your friend?”
“We don’t have time for this,” Danielle said.
Ignoring her, the albino repeated the question and Ruegger told him briefly what he knew.
“Nuclear weapons?” echoed Jean-Pierre. “Shit. I saw crates of ammo, but didn’t know anything like that was in there. Are you certain?”
“Well, I wasn’t there when the bomb went off—”
“You mean they actually set one off?”
“That’s the word,” Danielle said. “I think Kharker was there when it happened. He’s supposed to be one of the only survivors.”
Jean-Pierre visibly shook the disturbing news away, glad that at least Kharker was safe, and said to Ruegger, “You were saying, why Sarnova didn’t want the Libertarians in the Castle ... ?”
“In addition to not wanting the nukes in the mountain, he also wanted an excuse to get his traitorous Chief of Security outside so he could be dealt with.”
“You mean the dragon ... ?”
“Right.”
“But why would Blackie use a dragon, of all things?”
“I don’t know. Roche gave me a reason. Maybe it was truth, maybe it wasn’t. Have you come across any dragons down here?”
Jean-Pierre’s hand closed around the hilt of a golden dagger in his waistband. “Only once. Since then, I’ve made it a point to avoid them. I think I can see why Sarnova would use a dragon.”
“Why?”
Jean-Pierre smiled. “There are some wonderful things down here, Ruegger. Most of them will kill you, but just the same, I think Blackie wanted a chance to show off a little. Maybe that sounds infantile, but you can’t imagine the wonders he’s got hidden away. If I were him, I’d find it hard to keep them under wraps for as long as he has.”
Danielle cleared her throat. “Come on, guys. Junger and Jagoda might be free by now. It’s time to go. We can think all this over once we’ve settled into one of those vacant rooms, okay?”
