by J A Raikes
The Ekorius turned to the three of us, her eyebrows shot up and mouthed the word “Run!”
Well, crap.
CHAPTER TWENTY
We took off and followed the Ekorius’s lead. She rushed down several more corridors and shut the thick metal doors behind us as we went. She didn’t take the time to turn the heavy circular lock to fasten the door. Either whatever behind us was too close and we didn’t have the time to lock them, or it was too big and would just bust through anyway.
I found myself taking a hard gulp as we ran, nerves kicking into gear. The three of them kept a brisk pace, but over the last few hours I’d gotten my footing back and felt like I could keep up. My legs were a good deal longer than both Harris and Eva and so I was having to work less to keep up with them. The Ekorius, on the other hand, was nearly as tall as I was and she was leading with bounding steps to set the pace. I noted that she ran with gracefulness yet poise. She didn’t betray her calm and collected demeanor even in the pressure of a tense situation. Her muscles pulsed and revealed an athletic physique as they moved beneath her golden dress.
I couldn’t help but wonder what we were running from, but part of me knew it was not a good idea to ask at this point. Ekorius Emerson came to keep us safe and I’m sure that’s exactly what she was doing.
Fifteen minutes later and we were still running, taking the maze of the Network in stride. If I had been trying to keep track of where we were going, at this point it would’ve been hopeless. We had taken so many turns that there was no way I was going to ever make my way out without help. It’s no wonder people get lost down here and never find their way free. Every hallway looked exactly the same, save for the occasional reinforced airlock-type door and metal box, apparently containing a landline.
To my left, Harris began to pant heavily, beads of sweat cresting his upper lip and forehead. His muscular build was useful in many circumstances, but he was not built to be a runner. Eva’s face was set like flint and she was working to follow the taller woman. Being so short, though, Eva was having to work the hardest of all of us to keep up. There was dogged determinedness about her though and there was no way she was going to give up.
Another few minutes passed and finally the Ekorius slowed. We passed through another bulky door and shut it behind us. This time, we took the time to fasten the rotating lock and heard the thick metal hinges sink into place. We were all breathing heavily and I for one was not at all in shape for this kind of activity. My legs burned and I had a metallic taste in my mouth. Harris had his hands firmly gripping his thighs as he bent over, trying to slow his breathing. Eva stood with a hand on her hip, taking short breaths in her nose and blowing out her mouth.
“We have little time, but I must attempt checking in,” Percipity said, walking to a phone box on the wall. She sheathed her sword and then repeated the same process as before to access the phone and held the earpiece to her ear. She waited a moment and then tried speaking to see if anyone could hear. Again, her face betrayed little information but she rapidly replaced the earpiece and the metal cover to the phone itself.
“Still no answer?” Eva asked, continuing to slow her breathing.
The Ekorius shook her head.
“How close are we to Thornsby’s estate?” I asked.
“Just a few more passages and we should be to the Rigsturn district. Then we’ll have to get up to the street and head to his home on foot. He never had a lift installed in his estate to the Network so it’ll take a short while once we’re on the street level.”
I nodded and looked back at the locked door behind us.
“Do I even want to ask why we started running?”
“I’m uncertain as to what was trailing us, but it was something of the Void,” Percipity said, tone cool and even as always. “It wasn’t a Voidkin nor the Felmaven, that I can tell you. But it was making good progress on our heels and I didn’t want to have a confrontation if we could avoid one.”
“I second that,” I said, raising my hand, index finger extended. “We should keep going then, if we’re that close. I don’t want to be trapped down here with another creepy demon thing if we can help it.”
The Ekorius and Eva nodded and Harris took a deep breath, looking a little overwhelmed at the thought of running more.
“Come. This way.” The older woman motioned for us to follow and took off at a pace somewhat tempered from before.
Another ten or so minutes passed before we turned down a long hallway with a lift at the end. We hustled over, opened the door, lifted the metal grate, and piled in the small elevator car, welcoming the opportunity to rest and breathe as the lift ascended.
It was a short ride to the surface and a quiet ping sounded as the doors opened. Again, we were greeted with the foreboding darkness of the Void once again. The nice thing about the tunnels was the fact that the darkness hadn’t been able to get down there, for whatever the reason. It simply hung in the air anywhere outside of a building. Indoors, it seemed as though there wasn’t as much issue keeping the darkness at bay. Out on the street though, it was so dark, it was difficult to see five feet in front of you.
The Ekorius took the lead once again and we fell into pace next to her. No one spoke as we hustled down the empty streets. The only sounds were the soft footfalls of our boots on the cobblestone ground beneath us. After a minute or two, my eyes adjusted again to the darkness and seeing was slightly easier.
We turned down the first street we came to and headed down the pathway. Percipity pulled her katana out and the rest of us followed suit. Harris and I drew out pistols and Eva slid the staff from her back and hefted it in one hand.
“We’re almost there,” the Ekorius leaned in close and whispered, “Two blocks down. Should see it on the left. Be ready for anything. Giles’ message indicated some sort of ambush.”
I nodded and felt the weight of the gun in my hand like a lead brick. I checked the safety and switched it to the off position, anticipating the worst.
“When we get there, Mr. Archer and Mr. Riley, you guard our flanks. Ensure that no one is going to get the drop on us from the sides or behind. Ms. Fleming will cover me and I will take point. In the event that we encounter anything, double check your target. In situations of low visibility and high stress, friendly fire is common. Don’t forget that Ekori Horus, Yorke and Fleming are in there and hopefully Thornsby as well.”
The three of us nodded and took positions to cover our respective target areas.
We rounded another corner and crossed the street. Buildings on either side of the street were dark and an unsettled feeling crept into my stomach. We pressed on and soon the line of buildings stopped fairly abruptly.
“There,” Percipity said, pointing to a beautiful Victorian mansion at the edge of what I could see in the darkness.
It was the only building in the little bits of the city I’d seen so far that was not connected to any other buildings. Every other structure I’d passed by had shared both walls with the adjacent buildings. The Thornsby estate, however, was offset and even seemed to have a little bit of property. It was a three-story mansion with a gorgeous facade. It was a mixture of a throw back to Romanesque or Gothic brick style with imposing outer walls, but softened by intricate inlays of wood and metal, wrought together in beautiful gilded designs. Large turrets rose above the house and gave the entire compound a feeling of a small castle, while staying well within the boundaries of elegance. The grounds themselves were also beautiful. It was the first place I’d seen that had any semblance of acreage. In the front, a pony wall with an iron fence atop barred entry, giving way to a set of intricate metal gates at the center of the property. The gates were open and I could just make out a yard, nicely manicured and ready for a picnic.
The lights were off in the windows of the mansion, just as we had seen in all the other homes and businesses up to this point, but there was evidence that someone had already been here. We crept closer to the entry and stood at the edge of the
property. There were no overt signs of a struggle or that anything had gone awry, but from the gate I could see the front doors were open slightly. Given the citywide state of emergency, there should have been no reason for anyone to leave the door open.
I checked my gun again, ensuring that the safety was indeed off and gripped it with both hands as we moved through the gate. A cobblestone path weaved its way to the steps in front of the door and we hurried to the house. I watched to the right as we rushed to the doorway, looking for any signs of life in the yard or coming from around the side of the house. I kept a wary eye out on the sky also, given that the Voidkin I’d met had been able to fly as well.
Ekorius Emerson nudged open the door with one hand, holding her katana in her other. I kept my eyes on the yard and watched behind us until Eva touched my arm and we moved inside.
The inside of the mansion was equally as impressive as the outside. Without the heavy settling of the black mist everywhere, it was easier to see inside. That said, it was still dark and eerie in the councilman’s home. The foyer we stood in looked like a grand ballroom. The floors were a polished marble, much like those of the Proterezar chambers but that is where the similarities ended. Ekorius Thornsby apparently had a flare for the Romanesque and his decorating followed suit. Two huge Roman pillars bookended the doorway which opened into this ballroom. The ceiling soared up the entire three stories and drew your eye to the ornate staircase in the center of the room. The stairs from the upper levels parted halfway and looped down to the ground on either side of the room. In the center of the ballroom, a beautiful chandelier hung quietly, waiting to alight at the sound of laughter and fun.
There was a banquet spread out in the middle of the room. Tables filled with all manner of delicious looking foods created a centerpiece to this hulking room. Industrial style bar tables dotted the room in a semicircular pattern, evidently placed so patrons of the event could enjoy their food and not simply have to hold it, but without giving way to the formality of a seating chart. It seemed as though Thornsby had planned on having a party this evening. Plates of half-eaten food and beverages periodically dotted the bar tables. By the looks of it, the Ekorius knew how to throw a cocktail party. Except for the fact that everyone was missing and there was some sort of nightmare going on throughout the world at this point. But, hey, when life gives you lemons, right?
Percipity and Eva moved as quietly as possible in front of us as they watched for signs of movement. The Ekorius went back to sticking those small devices on the walls we passed whenever she had opportunity. I still didn’t know what they did, but maybe I’d have time to ask later. I scanned my sector for any signs of life or anything coming to kill me and was continuously relieved that nothing was there. That said, my nerves were constantly on edge given that everything very likely could change any second. I’d been working a desk job for years now and was not trained for this kind of action.
We moved to the center of the grand room, trying to figure out where Giles and the others might be. Several hallways and other alcoves presented options here on the ground floor. Off to the right, there was a pair of open doors that led into a huge kitchen. Pericipity looked around for a moment and then motioned to head upstairs. I gave a short nod and the four of us quietly made our way up the staircase.
I started to feel this nagging sense in the back of my mind as we moved through the ballroom and up the staircase. Something about this entire situation just didn’t quite feel right. We ascended the stairs and the second story peeled off in either direction in a large hallway lined with doors.
“This may take a while,” Ekorius Emerson said quietly.
We began checking each room as quietly as possible while being fastidious about our own safety. Harris and I stood in the hallway, guarding our backs while the ladies opened each door and did a quick survey of the rooms. Halfway down the hall, we switched and it was our turn to sweep the rooms. Every door we opened led to another lavishly decorated bedroom, guest room or some other kind of living space. One door I opened led into a bathroom that I could have lived in back home. The room itself was huge and had a massive tub, beautiful granite countertops, a large mirror and a walk in shower that could have fit fifteen people.
Every room we entered, the Ekorius placed one of her small tokens on the door and we progressed. On either end of the large hallway, the corridor shifted 90 degrees toward the back of the house and gave way to another stairway. This one was less ornate than the one in the grand room, but definitely still gorgeous and immaculate, like everything else in the house. Harris and I took up positions in the back of the group again and followed the Ekorius and Eva up the stairs. These stairs led directly to a single door made of thick dark wood.
Eva tried the knob but it was locked. The Ekorius placed her ear near to the door and listened for a moment. Satisfied, she stepped back and pulled a small device from her a compartment in her dress. With how tightly that dress hugged her, I didn’t think there was room for anything in there, let alone a metal box that looked like a cigarette case. She opened the box and pulled out a long, slender piece of metal. It looked like a stir stick you’d get at a coffee shop, only this one was metal and could fold up into a small container. She inserted the skewer into the lock and closed her eyes for a moment. The metal glowed an odd shade of purple and then seemed to get sucked into the lock mechanism. A moment later, there was a soft click and the Ekorius opened the door.
I stared openly in amazement. Harris saw me, shrugged and nodded his head in the direction of the room ahead. It took me a second, but I quickly followed the others through the door.
The top floor of the mansion was one large room. It looked to be Thornsby’s personal living quarters. There was a massive four poster canopy bed to one side with incredibly expensive looking sheets and a dozen or so pillows on top. A large chest sat at the foot of the bed and night stands bookended either side of the bed. In the center of the back wall, a huge fireplace sat dormant, but had evidently been used often judging by the level of soot covering the hearth. There was also a sitting area with several high backed armchairs and a chaise lounge was by a window, in case you wanted to enjoy the sun while reclining. This guy was living the high life, if ever I had seen it. Everything was crafted from the highest quality woods and furnishings possible. Yet, no one was around.
Percipity quickly moved through the room, checking the windows for any sign of entry. On the opposite end of the room along the same wall we entered from, there was another door leading out to the stairwell from the opposite side of the house.
“Nothing,” she said, seemingly perplexed.
“There is still the main floor we need to check,” I offered optimistically.
“True,” she said again, still looking lost in thought.
Something about this entire situation was giving me goosebumps. It was clear from the call made earlier that something had happened here. As far as we know, it came from this house. Yet there was nothing here. Literally no one was around. Not Giles or August or Lydia or Thornsby or any guests who might have been banqueting downstairs.
We headed back down the stairs and swept the ground floor as well. It took about ten minutes of meticulous investigation, but still found no one. The entire estate was empty. We returned to the grand room.
“Did we miss something?” Eva asked.
“I don’t believe so, but we can check again,” Percipity replied.
That same nagging feeling crept up the back of my neck and my hair stood on end. As I stood surveying the scene, it dawned on me.
“Ekorius,” I whispered as softly as I could manage while still getting her attention. Percipity glanced over her shoulder at me momentarily in a sign that she heard me. I continued.
“There are plates full of food and some half-eaten,” I said, still scanning the hallways and back to the front door to make sure we weren’t going to be attacked.
“I think he had some guests over tonight. But it looks like they’ve just u
p and left what they were doing. If they had been attacked, don’t you think that everything would be a mess?”
She nodded and I continued the train of thought.
“So, if they weren’t attacked, what happened to them? And in that case, what happened to the Ekori who came to retrieve Thornsby?”
“What’re you saying, Finn?” Eva asked, stepping up to my side.
“Well, I don’t like the idea of it, but what if the reason Thornsby didn’t come to the Council meeting wasn’t because he was in trouble. What if he was trouble?”
Eva and Harris glanced at each other as they processed the idea. A moment passed and their faces darkened. Everyone shifted stances and had their weapons at the ready.
It made sense. The ambush of the first retrieval team, the lack of any presence here at the estate. If he was in trouble, there would have been some sort of sign of a struggle. Thinking back on our first encounter with a Voidkin back at the Fleming’s house, everything was a wreck. Granted, there had been a severe earthquake or something which had knocked over much of the decor, but when the Voidkin burst into the room, it left little unturned in its wake. We were barely able to make it out of there alive, let alone keep anything intact. The Thornsby estate, though, was completely untouched. It was even untouched by the earthquake. All of the paintings hung on the wall, all of the decorations and statement pieces were perfectly in place. Nothing was out of place.
Just then, the large front door slammed shut with an echoing boom. We turned to look but no one was there. Then, in rapid succession, the doors to the kitchen, hallways, alcoves and any other entryways slammed shut.
My heart began to race and my breathing intensified. I could hear much the same from Eva and Harris. Percipity seemed unfazed by the situation but her grip tightened on her blade. Then, the same darkness pervading outside in the streets of the city began seeping into the room. The already dark mansion gave way to an even more intense feeling of dread.
