Hunting The Past

by J. C. Diem

  Connor knelt to check the girl’s pulse. “She’s alive, but she needs urgent medical attention.”

  I knelt as well and examined her wounds. They were shallow, but numerous and she’d lost a lot of blood. I took my cell phone out of my pocket, but there was no reception down here. “We’ll have to carry her out,” I decided. We carefully turned her over to find there were fewer injuries on her back and legs. She didn’t rouse as Connor picked her up. I holstered my Ruger and took the shotgun from him. I kept my flashlight and weapon trained ahead and led the way towards the only tunnel.

  The ceiling of the narrow passageway nearly brushed my head. Connor had to hunch over, which made it harder for him to carry the unconscious teen. I glanced back frequently to check whether he needed my help. He didn’t seem to be struggling, so I focused on finding a way out.

  We had little choice but to follow the tunnel. There were no other openings branching off as it wound its way beneath the ground. We must have walked half a mile before we came to a dead end. Shining the flashlight upwards, I saw an opening fifteen feet above us. “That’s our only way out,” I said. Deep claw marks in the walls indicated the rat-things had climbed their way upwards.

  Connor crowded in close to me, being careful not to bump the girl against the dirt wall. He peered upward, judging the distance. “I should be able to lift you up high enough for you to climb out,” he decided.

  Putting Barbara down, he made a stirrup with his hands and I steadied myself with a hand on his arm. He lifted me up and I stood on his shoulder with my left foot for balance. Grass tickled my face as I tossed the shotgun out through the exit. I heard it land a few feet away. Connor shifted so he was holding my right foot with one hand and reached for my left foot as well. He boosted me up high enough for me to drag myself out of the hole.

  Leaning over the entrance, I knew there was no way I’d be able to haul either Connor or Barbara out. I hadn’t tested my strength yet, but someone of my slender size wouldn’t have been able to manage the feat. Now definitely wasn’t the time to experiment with my abilities. “I’ve got some rope in my car,” I said. “Hold tight. I’ll be back soon.” He nodded, then pulled his Glock to guard the girl while he waited.

  Chapter Fourteen

  It wasn’t easy to get my bearings while being deep in the woods. Fortunately, my cell phone worked just fine now that I was no longer below the ground. I had an app on my phone that allowed me to link it to the GPS in my car. Switching it on, I followed the blinking red dot that came up on a hazy map of the area. It led me through the trees directly to my ride. I used my knife to leave notches in the trees so I could find my way back. I could have followed my scent, but I didn’t want to take any chances.

  My face and arms were scratched from forcing my way through the branches by the time I reached my car. Ignoring the pain, I put the shotgun away and retrieved some rope from the trunk and locked my backpack inside. Moving as quickly as I could, I retraced my route. “I’m back!” I called and cautiously looked into the hole. Suddenly looming over the entrance could end with a bullet to the face for unwary hunters.

  “Tie the rope to a tree and toss it down,” Connor said. He seemed relieved that I’d returned so quickly. He was crouching beside Barbara and was checking her pulse again. He didn’t need to tell me to hurry. His worried expression was enough to urge me on.

  Doing as he’d suggested, I tied one end of the rope to a sturdy tree and threw the other end down to him. He wrapped it around Barbara’s chest, securing it beneath her armpits. I took up the slack when he lifted her up and began walking backwards. It was far easier than it should have been to haul her out of the hole. I wondered just how much strength I’d gained when I’d become half-monster. Once I managed to shake Connor loose, I would have to test my limits.

  When Barbara cleared the tunnel, I untied the rope from her and tossed it down to Connor again. He threw his backpack up first and I caught it and pulled it over my shoulder. He climbed up, just managing to squeeze through the narrow opening. I untied the rope from the tree as he picked Barbara up. “Where should we take her?” he asked.

  The hospital was out of question and we couldn’t just drop her at a doctor’s office and run. “I’ll call the Archivist,” I said and made the call.

  Stephanie answered straight away. “You’re both still alive, Arienna?” she asked.

  “Yep. We rescued a teenage girl and she needs medical attention asap. She was bitten by a bunch of rat-like monsters and has lost a lot of blood.”

  “Bring her here,” she said, concern evident in her tone. “We have a medic on staff who can treat her.”

  “We’ll be there soon,” I replied and hung up.

  Connor was grimly silent as he followed me through the woods. I did my best to shield Barbara from the branches as we followed the trail I’d left. When we reached my car, he put her on the backseat, then climbed in with her to make sure she didn’t roll off. He cradled her head on his lap and smoothed her hair away from her forehead. “Hurry,” he urged me without looking up.

  I didn’t need to be told twice. I placed the rope and his gear into the trunk, then slid behind the wheel. After bringing up the address of the bunker on the GPS again, I followed the directions away from the abandoned house and deeper into the forest.

  It was easy to tell when we were nearing our destination. The ‘No Trespassing’ signs that began to crop up were a sure sign. A high metal fence topped with razor wire that was guarded by cameras was another. The gate rattled aside before I could search for an intercom to announce myself.

  A long, dirt driveway led to a plain looking, two-story building. It wasn’t really a bunker. We just called them that sometimes because most of them were so isolated. I’d heard that some of the older Archives were stored in underground concrete buildings, though.

  The door opened and a short woman with sleek shoulder length brown hair emerged. Two men were hot on her heels, carrying a stretcher. They trotted over and extricated Barbara, then placed her on the stretcher and carried her away.

  “I’m Stephanie,” the brunette said and offered me her hand. She had pretty gray eyes that studied us gravely.

  “I’m Arienna,” I replied unnecessarily. Connor introduced himself next.

  “You two look like you could use a shower,” Stephanie said, taking in our dirty, disheveled appearances. “Come inside and I’ll show you to your rooms.”

  We grabbed our backpacks from the trunk, then followed her inside. The house was modern, but lacked the wall to wall bookshelves that I’d expected. This was my first visit to the Archives and I wasn’t particularly impressed so far. We passed a few rooms as we made our way down a hallway. I saw a living room, dining room, kitchen and small study. There were a few books in the study, but nothing like I’d anticipated.

  Catching my disappointed expression, Stephanie smiled. “The Archives are kept below ground,” she said. “I’ll show you around after you’ve had a chance to clean up.” At first, I’d thought she was in her forties, but she might have been a few years younger. Her suit was gray, plain and far too staid. She wore a white, high-collared shirt. With a small makeover, she could easily look younger and prettier.

  Turning left at the end of the hall, we came to a staircase leading upwards. There were several bedrooms and a couple of bathrooms to choose from. I thanked Stephanie and ducked into the closest bathroom. I had dirt in some very uncomfortable places and desperately wanted to take a shower.

  Standing beneath the hot spray, I winced in anticipation of pain from the cuts on my skin. When nothing happened, I examined my arms to see they were scratch free. “That’s weird,” I murmured, then remembered I wasn’t human anymore. I’d managed to heal the broken bones and severe internal injuries that Alakay had given me. A few scratches weren’t much in comparison.

  After a long, hot shower, I blow dried my hair and changed into fresh clothes. Connor had already finished and had chosen a bedroom that seemed to be unused.
I took the one next to his and we ambled downstairs.

  Stephanie was in the kitchen, adding water and beans to the coffee machine. “Coffee?” she offered.

  “I’d love some,” I said in grateful acceptance.

  “Do you have tea?” Connor asked.

  Instead of laughing like most hunters would have, the Archivist merely nodded. She walked over to the pantry and took out a canister. Connor smiled appreciatively when she spooned some tea leaves into a teapot, then went about boiling water in an old kettle.

  “You are such a grandpa,” I said as we took a seat at the kitchen table.

  “Coffee tastes horrible,” he said defensively. “Tea is much better for your health.”

  “Sure, it is, oh ancient one,” I replied with an eye roll.

  “Have you two known each other for long?” Stephanie asked curiously.

  “No. We just met a couple of days ago. Why?”

  “You act like an old, married couple.”

  “God forbid,” I said with a shudder.

  “Don’t you believe in marriage?” Connor queried.

  “I don’t have anything against it. I’m just way too young to even think about tying myself down like that.”

  “Women used to get married when they were teenagers once upon a time,” he told me with a strange expression. It almost looked like nostalgia.

  “Which is why I’m glad I live in modern times,” I shot back. “Now we have rights and can vote and everything. We aren’t just voiceless minions who are forced to do whatever the men in our lives believes is right for us.”

  “Not all men treated their women like slaves,” he said tightly, as if I’d personally offended him. “Some of them worshipped their females.”

  Stephanie carried two mugs of coffee over to the table, then brought the teapot, a teacup and a saucer over. She fetched cream and sugar while the tension grew. I didn’t know what it was about Connor that set my teeth on edge. Maybe it was the hint of smug superiority that he couldn’t quite stifle.

  “I for one am glad I don’t live in the dark ages,” our hostess said lightly. “Life would be miserable without electricity, plumbing and microwave popcorn.”

  “Amen to that, sister,” I said, raising my coffee cup in a salute.

  We clinked our mugs together while Connor poured tea into his delicate china cup. “How is Barbara doing?” he asked.

  “Wayne, our medic, is giving her a blood transfusion,” Stephanie replied. I was surprised they had the equipment necessary for that level of treatment. “He’s treated her bites and will keep his eye on them to make sure they don’t become infected.”

  “Did you contact Ian and Mary?” I asked Connor, remembering that he’d promised to let them know when we’d rescued their friend.

  “I called them when I got out of the shower,” he replied. “Her Mum thinks she’s staying with them for a few days.” I had to fight down the urge to laugh, only now remembering some countries in Europe said ‘Mum’ instead of ‘Mom’. “They’ll have to think up a good story to explain what happened,” he went on. “She doesn’t know anything about this life.”

  Barbara could always come clean that her two best friends were the kids of a hunter, but the truth wasn’t always the best option. Most of the time, it was best just to lie. Few people believed in the supernatural world, unless they saw the proof for themselves. Even then, some still couldn’t accept it.

  “Give me their numbers,” Stephanie said and pulled her cell phone out of her jacket pocket. “I’ll keep them updated on Barbara’s condition.”

  Connor seemed happy to relinquish that duty to her. She saved their numbers to her phone, then rose and searched the pantry. My stomach growled in appreciation when she placed chocolate chip cookies on a plate in front of us. My hand shot out, but Conner was faster. He nabbed a few cookies and grinned smugly that he’d beaten me to the punch. I wanted to stick my tongue out at him, but that would have been childish. I contented myself with a disdainful sniff instead.

  Chapter Fifteen

  When we finished our snacks and drinks, Stephanie rose and gestured for us to follow her. Anticipation welled when I realized I was about to see the Archives. Despite what Connor thought, I enjoyed reading. I’d read a lot of journals that the hunters kept. Each one was fascinating and told their tales of survival against monsters.

  Our guide led the way down the hall to the study. There wasn’t much to see inside. A small, tidy wooden desk sat facing the door. Several gray filing cabinets were lined up against the wall behind it. A computer, keyboard and mouse were the only items on the desk.

  Stephanie took a seat at the desk, then pressed a button that was hidden beneath it. A section of the wall slid aside to reveal an elevator. “That’s pretty awesome,” I said with a grin. Connor smiled as well, but he didn’t seem to be nearly as impressed as I was.

  We crowded into the small space to see only two buttons displayed. One had an arrow pointing up and the other one pointed down. We went down a floor and were faced with a gray expanse of concrete wall, floor and ceiling when the door opened. I stepped out into a short hallway to see a heavy metal door at one end and a dead end at the other. Stephanie led the way to the door and unlocked it with a key.

  I was right behind her as she pushed the door open. My eyes widened at the stacks of bookshelves that reached twelve feet into the air and stretched a good two hundred yards away. “This place is huge,” I said in awe. Desks were placed strategically near the stacks. Green banker’s lights were waiting to be clicked on to add illumination to the dim room.

  “You should see the Main Archives in West Virginia,” Stephanie said dryly. “It’s far larger than this one.” I shook my head, almost unable to imagine that much lore stored in one place. “What is the topic you’re researching?” she asked.

  “Vampires,” I replied as nonchalantly as possible. “I was hoping to learn more about their origins and how they came to be.” I really wanted to know if vampirism was reversible, but I couldn’t say that out loud without them asking uncomfortable questions.

  “Come this way,” Stephanie said and headed for a bookshelf at the back of the room. To my relief, Connor wandered off, searching for something else, or maybe he was just looking around. We came to a stop and she indicated an entire stack of books. “This is all the knowledge we have stored here about vampires. Feel free to read as many of the books as you like. I’ll be in the office if you need me.” She pointed at a door that I hadn’t even noticed. “The bathroom is on the other side of the room, next to the kitchen.” I followed where her finger pointed, then nodded my thanks.

  Waiting until she’d walked away, I took in the shelves of books about vampires and blew out a breath. “This could take a while,” I murmured, then started searching the titles.

  A lot of the books were actually journals written by long dead hunters. Others were ancient tomes written in archaic English and foreign languages. I found a few that seemed like they might be helpful and chose a table at the back of the room to read them. A soothing, warm yellow glow settled over the table when I switched the lamp on.

  Opening the first book, I quickly became engrossed. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed before a mug of coffee was plonked down in front of me. Looking up, I winced at a crick in my neck. I opened my mouth to thank Stephanie, only to see it was Connor who’d delivered the drink. “Thanks,” I said warily as he took a seat.

  Dragging the book I’d been reading over to himself, he read the title. “What are you searching for, exactly?” he asked, eyeing the stack of books that were piled off to one side of the desk. None of them had given me the information I needed.

  Debating about whether to tell him the truth or not, I delayed by taking a sip of coffee. It was stronger than I liked, but it was drinkable. When he arched an eyebrow impatiently, I decided to take a chance. “No one seems to know how vampires came to be,” I said. “I was just wondering if vampirism was a curse, or if it was a disease that
might be curable.”

  Dropping his eyes to his mug of tea, he seemed to be lost in thought before he spoke. “Most supernatural creatures are a mystery,” he said at last. “Their origins have been lost in time. If there is a cure for vampirism, it hasn’t been discovered yet.”

  I hid my crushing disappointment behind my mug. It was the answer I’d expected, yet had dreaded to hear. If I couldn’t reverse what had happened to me, then I would have to keep my distance from everyone I knew and cared about from now on. If they ever found out the truth about me, they might not give me a chance to explain myself before they tried to cut my head off. “How do you know so much about the supernatural world?” I asked.

  “I’ve read everything I could get my hands on about vampires and various other creatures,” he replied. His tone was bitter, reminding me that his family had fallen victim to bloodsuckers as well. If he found out what I’d become, he would be the first in line to decapitate me.

  Stephanie’s shoes clicked on the concrete floor as she approached us. “Are you done for the day?” she asked, taking in the stack of books I’d worked my way through.

  My eyes were tired, but the crick in my neck was gone. I could have read for a few more hours, but she probably wanted to call it a day. “Yeah,” I replied. “There’s something else I wanted to research next. Would I be able to come back down here in the morning?”

  “Of course,” she said as we stood and carried our mugs to the kitchen. “Our doors are always open to hunters who seek knowledge.” She seemed to share a look with Connor, but I figured my eyes were playing tricks on me. They’d never met before, as far as I was aware anyway.