Hell Gate

by Josh Matthews

“I’m not abandoning anyone.” Jeanette slung the AK-47 over her shoulder. Reaching into her jacket, she pulled out the last three flares, lighting them one at a time. Their glow filled the car, driving the spiders toward the other end. “Are you ready?”

  “Go for it,” moaned Bill.

  Jeanette lobbed one of the flares down the car and into the sac. The remains burst into flames, rapidly burning through the silk. The spiders nearest the fire scattered, leaving a clear path.

  “Let’s go!”

  Jeanette ran down the aisle, holding one lit flare in each hand. Franco and Bill limped along behind her. Whenever she saw a spider that seemed ready to attack, she shoved a flare toward it, forcing it to retreat.

  They had almost made it the entire length of the car when Bill’s leg became tangled up in a segment of the unburned sac, tripping him to the floor and out of Franco’s arm. The Spaniard bent down to help him back up when several spiders swarmed over Bill. Bill swiped at them. Franco tried to push away as many as he could, but the arachnids were too numerous. They had already covered Bill’s chest and legs, their fangs biting deep and injecting him with paralyzing venom until his movements became sluggish. A few spiders went after Franco.

  Realizing his efforts were futile, Franco jumped up and ran backward three feet, unslinging his FAMAS in the process. He paused long enough to take careful aim and release a three-round burst into Bill’s head, shattering the skull and putting his friend out of his misery. Then he spun around and raced off after Jeanette.

  By the time Jason and Ray reached the exit door to the subway car, the battle between humans and insects was in full swing, and the humans were losing.

  Haneef had taken down the second tarantula. Like with the first, he had to concentrate his minigun on its thorax until the rounds burst through the hard exoskeleton, but that had used up most of his remaining ammunition. He figured he had less than two thousand rounds left, nowhere near enough to kill the last tarantula. It crawled over the carcasses of the other two, exposing its belly. Hoping for the best, Haneef aimed his weapon and fired.

  Everyone else shot or hacked away at the centipedes swarming out of the tunnel and into the station. Reinhard and Slava stood back-to-back, machetes drawn, striking at five insects circling their feet, slashing chunks out of them and keeping them from closing in. Josh and Shane were running across the tracks, avoiding as many centipedes as possible and shooting those that got too close. Sasha was only a few paces ahead of them, being slowed by the weight of the minigun. Sook-kyoung stayed with her. When one centipede came too close, she gave it a side kick with her boot and sent the insect tumbling away. Even Lucifer and Lilith joined in. Having morphed into their demonic forms, they pounced on every centipede that got near them, tearing them apart with their fangs.

  Jason searched around for Doc. Antoine had grabbed him by the arm and rushed him over to the platform, which was still free of insects. Neal followed, making sure nothing snuck up on Doc from behind. When the three climbed off the tracks, Jason called out and got the Moroccan’s attention.

  “What?” Antoine yelled back.

  Jason pointed up. “Get Doc out of here. Head for the street.”

  “What about you?”

  “We’ll be right behind you.”

  Antoine obeyed and led Doc and Neal down the pedestrian tunnel.

  “All set?” asked Jason.

  Ray shook his head. “No.”

  “Good. Let’s go.”

  The two jumped down onto the tracks as a centipede ran between them. They ignored it and started running. Several centipedes were on the ceiling above him and were angling toward the platform. They had only seconds before they would be overwhelmed.

  The roar of Haneef’s minigun died out as it expended the last of its ammunition. The tarantula still lumbered forward. There was nothing more he could do now. Taking a few steps back, he headed for the platform.

  Sasha made it to the platform but didn’t have the energy to lift herself onto it.

  Sook-kyoung hopped up beside her. “Come on.”

  “I can’t. I’m exhausted.”

  “Enough of this bullshit.” Sook-kyoung knelt down and grabbed Sasha’s hand. She couldn’t pull her up because of the added weight of the minigun.

  Something grabbed Sasha around the waist. She screamed. Josh had his hands clasped around her waist and lifted her. Shane jumped up and took her other hand. Together, the three hoisted Sasha onto the platform. Josh and Shane joined them moments before a pair of centipedes swarmed around where they had stood.

  Jason and Ray made it to the platform seconds later, practically diving onto it to avoid the insects. Lucifer and Lilith followed their master. Slava and Reinhard hacked their way close enough that the others could lift them to safety. Beneath them, dozens of centipedes darted back and forth across the tracks, and another dozen raced toward them along the ceiling.

  “Is this it?” asked Haneef.

  “I’m afraid so,” replied Jason.

  Jason started to lead the others to the pedestrian tunnel when he heard Jeanette’s voice calling to him. Jeanette and Franco stood in the door of the subway car. Her eyes shifted down at the mass of centipedes and back up to him.

  “Hang on a second,” Jason yelled.

  “That’s about all the time we have.” Jeanette pointed toward the opposite end of the station. The tarantula was less than fifty feet away.

  “Sasha, Haneef. Get out of here while you can. Take Lucifer and Lilith with you. The rest of you, reload and prepare to lay down cover fire into the centipedes on my mark.”

  It took only three seconds for everyone to do as told. When everyone had reloaded their weapons, Jason yelled, “Now!”

  Slava, Reinhard, Josh, Shane, and Ray each fired a single shot into the area beneath the subway car, killing some of the centipedes and scattering those nearby. They rolled back their fire to clear a path to the platform, stopping only when each one ran out of ammunition. Jeanette and Franco jumped from the train and ran like Hell before the other insects could give chase. Jason reached out and, when Jeanette got close, grabbed her hand and yanked her up onto the platform. The two fell over backward on top of each other.

  Franco was one yard from the platform when the tarantula suddenly jumped, covering the last thirty feet and crushing Franco to the tracks. The others moved backward to get away, all except Reinhard who reloaded. The tarantula sunk its fangs into Franco’s abdomen and injected paralyzing venom. The Spaniard’s body instantly slackened. Before Reinhard could take the shot that would end his friend’s suffering, three of the centipedes crawled up onto the platform and rushed him. Reinhard squeezed the trigger on his FAMAS and swung it from left to right, spraying the insects and knocking them back onto the tracks.

  Jason jumped up and helped Jeanette to her feet, and then pushed her toward the pedestrian tunnel. “Come on!”

  None of the others needed to be told twice. They followed Jason down the tunnel, Reinhard being the last to leave. As he exited, a dozen centipedes swarmed the platform where they had stood a moment ago.

  Running as fast as he could in the dark confines of the pedestrian tunnel, Jason hoped he had taken the same route out as the others. He couldn’t afford to get separated with a third of his team having been killed and a swarm of pissed off insects chasing them. After a few minutes, he heard a commotion up ahead and saw sunlight pouring down a stairwell that led to the street. For a moment, he had to close his eyes against the brightness. He had never been so glad to see the sun before. Taking Jeanette by the hand, he ran up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time.

  The others stood huddled around the top step, blocking his path. “Move!” he yelled. “The bugs are right behind us.”

  Sasha’s eyes darted from side to side. “We can’t.”

  Jason shoved his way past the others and immediately understood her desperation. Rather than taking the exit up to the street, somehow Antoine had gotten onto the underground pedestrian walkwa
y that crossed underneath the street and brought them up in Place de la Concorde. They now stood in the middle of the center island near the Luxor Obelisk.

  At least a thousand Nachzehrer filled the square around them.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Every Nachzehrer in Place de la Concorde turned toward the group and began their slow advance.

  “We’re screwed.” Doc dropped to his knees, physically and emotionally drained.

  “No, we’re not.” Jason yanked the doctor to his feet and shook him. The adrenaline pumping through his veins suppressed his fear. Jason prayed it didn’t wear off until they were out of this mess. “There’s a lot of them, but they’re slow. We can maneuver between them.”

  “To where?” asked Slava.

  Jason didn’t have the answer. He looked to Jeanette.

  She pointed east. “The Louvre is half a mile in that direction, just past the Tuileries Garden. We should be safe there.”

  “Half a mile?” Sasha moaned. “I’ll never make it. I’m exhausted.”

  “Then stay here and die.”

  Sasha stiffened at the comment. However, it had the desired effect on her and the rest of the group. “Don’t fight them. Use your machetes to defend yourself. Only use your weapons if necessary. Let’s go.”

  Jason and Jeanette led the way, with Lucifer and Lilith on either flank. The Nachzehrer were spaced out enough that it was easy for the group to avoid them. Only a few got close enough to grab at members of the group and were dispatched with a slash from a machete or knocked down by the blow from an automatic weapon to the face.

  The first real danger came when they crossed the street and tried to race between the two buildings on the sidewalk. Here the path narrowed to only a few yards, making it impossible to run around the Nachzehrer. The werehounds raced ahead, knocking over the two demons in Jason’s path. Everyone else hacked or shoved their way through. A female Nachzehrer grabbed Sasha by the arm as she ran passed, pulling her to the ground. Coming up from behind, Josh tackled it out of the way. Shane helped Sasha to her feet, and they ran off after the others.

  Passing through a set of arched walls, the group entered the Tuileries Garden. Nachzehrer swarmed either side of the octagonal pool at the entrance. Jason headed for the pool and vaulted over the edge. As the group waded across, three Nachzehrer gathered near the opposite side. Lucifer and Lilith bound ahead, morphing into their demonic forms. They tore apart the outer two Nachzehrer. Jason paused long enough to place an arrow in his crossbow and fire. It struck the third Nachzehrer between the eyes, dropping it to the ground. The three blue eddies of life force were dissipated by the group as they climbed out of the pool and rushed into the Tuileries Garden.

  The garden stretched ahead of them for half a mile. The group easily avoided the Nachzehrer for the first hundred yards. However, those at the far end began bunching up, waiting to swarm the humans. Before they reached the gathering pack, Jeanette grabbed Jason by the arm and pulled him to the left. The group veered down one of the side paths and then swung right onto a smaller one that paralleled the main path, avoiding the danger. A minute later, they broke out into the open grassy area in front of the Louvre. The museum was a thousand feet away.

  Jason sprinted ahead with the greatest of effort. Each breath was labored as his lungs strained from exhaustion. His legs began to cramp up, the muscles straining against the physical exertion. He didn’t know how much longer he could go on. If he stopped to rest, even for a few seconds, he’d be dead. So he pushed on, demanding that his body respond.

  The others were just as tired. Doc stopped in the middle of the grass, gasping and wheezing as he tried to catch his breath. Neal grabbed him by the arm and pushed him along, almost knocking Doc over. Sasha and Haneef had fallen back to the end of the group, unable to keep up because of the weight of the miniguns. Haneef paused, disconnected the ammo belt from his weapon, and slid the empty pack off his shoulders. He dashed off as a pair of Nachzehrer reached out for him.

  By the time the group reached the traffic circle in front of the museum, everyone had slowed to a brisk walk. Sensing their vulnerability, the Nachzehrer closed in. Now the fighting became hand-to-hand. Bayonets gouged out eyes. Machetes hacked away at necks and heads. Automatic weapon stocks smashed against demon faces. The dash to safety had devolved into a slugfest. Everyone would take down the closest Nachzehrer to them and then sprint ahead a few feet out of harm’s way, only to tire quickly and pause, giving the Nachzehrer a chance to catch up. Jason scanned the area. There were fewer Nachzehrer here than in the garden, but they were steadily closing in. Josh and Shane reloaded their assault rifles. Taking aim at the Nachzehrer between them and the museum, the pair took careful shots, bringing down those blocking their path. It gave the group the burst of optimism it needed. As one, they surged forward, rushing into the path cleared by their comrades and heading toward the Louvre.

  Jeanette swung right and headed for a service door along the museum’s southwest façade. She tried the knob. It was locked. Reinhard ushered her aside and fired several rounds into the knob. The door popped open. Jason pushed it aside and rushed in, fearful of what he might find, although it couldn’t be any worse than the fate that awaited them outside. He audibly sighed with relief when he saw no Hell Spawn in sight.

  The closest Nachzehrer had closed to within ten feet away when the last of the group entered and Jason slammed shut the door. “Find something to block this!”

  Antoine and Reinhard were already pushing a heavy display case filled with ancient Mediterranean artifacts across the floor. Josh and Ray helped. They moved the case in front of the door as the Nachzehrer pounded on the outside. The group jumped back, hoping that the barricade would hold. It did.

  “How long do you think it’ll keep them out?” Neal asked.

  “Long enough for us to regroup and rest,” said Jason. “Come on.”

  They staggered into the museum to find a safe place to hole up.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Forty minutes later, as the others rested on the lower level, Jason, Jeanette, Sasha, Haneef, and Slava made their way to the southeast corner of the Louvre’s roof to survey the landscape. From this vantage point, they could see the western tip of Ile de la Cite, the small island in the middle of the Seine River where Notre Dame was located. The cathedral stood on the eastern tip, although buildings blocked their view of the square out front. All they could see of the structure were the twin bell towers soaring above the rooftops. East of Ile de la Cite, the Seine still flowed like a river until it split to wash around the island. The northern branch flowed past the Louvre until it reached the western end of the island. There it merged with the Seine’s southern branch, which now had become a stream of lava. At this point, the water evaporated with a cloud of steam and a sizzle audible even on the roof of the museum.

  “Thank God for small favors,” said Jason as he brushed hair out of his face.

  “What are you talking about?” asked Slava.

  Jason pointed toward Ile de la Cite. “The lava flow is only along the southern banks of the island. That means the bridges to the north are still intact, so we can get to the cathedral that way. Plus the lava will give us cover to Notre Dame.”

  “How so?” asked Haneef.

  Jason pointed to the street beneath them that ran past the Louvre. Beginning where the lava flowed into the Seine and heading west, nothing moved along either bank of the river. Only farther to the east, where water still flowed through the Seine, did Hell Spawn roam the river bank. “The Hell Spawn avoid the lava. We can use that to our advantage. It’s only a six-hundred-foot dash along the river bank to Port Neuf, the first bridge crossing over into Ile de la Cite. Once on the island, we cross over to the southern bank and follow it until we reach Notre Dame.”

  “What about magma monsters?” Sasha asked.

  “They shouldn’t be a problem,” said Jeanette. “We’ve only ever seen them outside of Paris, and even if one does appear, there
are enough side streets on the island for us to move inland and avoid it.”

  “You see.” Jason forced a smile. “We lucked out.”

  “You call that lucky?” Slava grinned.

  Haneef failed to catch the Russian’s sarcasm. “I do. We’re lucky we’ve made it this far. Allah must be giving us his undivided attention.”

  Jeanette leaned closer to Jason. “Maybe I should go on ahead and scout out Notre Dame. We don’t want to get ambushed like we did in the subway.”

  “It’s too dangerous,” said Jason. “I can’t risk sending a scout team ahead. We’ve lost too many people already.”

  “Then let me go alone.”

  “I’m not willing to let you take the chance. Besides, you said earlier that the last team of Enclavers to get near Notre Dame reported Hell Spawn they had never seen before. We have to go in expecting the worse.” When Jeanette tried to argue, Jason held up his hand. “Besides, it’ll take too long. We only have a few hours of daylight left, and I don’t want to storm the cathedral at night. We’ll go now and hope for the best.”

  No one disagreed with the logic, although none of them were happy about being reminded that the worst probably lay ahead of them.

  The leaders descended back to the lower level where they had left the rest of the group. Lucifer’s head popped up as they arrived. Once he saw that the approaching figures were friendly, he laid his head back down to rest.

  “How is it?” asked Josh.

  Jason moved to the center of the group so he didn’t have to talk loudly. “The area is clear around the museum, although we couldn’t see what’s waiting for us at Notre Dame. We’re going to head for Ile de la Cite, cross the nearest bridge, and make our way to the southern banks of the island. We’ll approach Notre Dame from that direction. That’s the good news.”

  “What’s the bad?” Antoine asked.

  “We used up a lot of ammo in the subway. Most of you are down to less than a hundred rounds. When we lost Franco we lost a full pack of minigun ammunition, so we have only one backpack left.” Jason gestured to Sasha. “Use it sparingly. We’ll need as much ammo as we can to fight our way out of the cathedral once we plant the antimatter device.”