Into the Dark (Book 8): The Next World

by Casey, Ryan

  And then, swallowing a lump in his throat, he took a few steps forward.

  To where Graham had disappeared.

  “Graham?”

  He walked past windows. Past doors.

  And then he reached the steps leading down to a cellar.

  The door was partly open.

  He stood on the top step. And every part of his body told him not to go down there. Every part of his body told him not to investigate.

  But then he was the leader of this place.

  And he owed it to this place to be the one to look into it.

  He went to take a step down towards the cellar when he heard movement behind.

  When he turned around, he saw four people.

  All of them were dressed in black.

  All of their faces were covered.

  “What—”

  “I’m sorry, partner. But it’s the end of the line for you.”

  Vincent turned around.

  Graham was standing at the bottom of the cellar.

  He saw the smile on Graham’s face.

  Saw the look in his eyes.

  Then, as the realisation of the trap he’d walked into—as the dread of this entire scenario intensified and built up—he tried to turn and run.

  But it was too late.

  A knife ploughed into his body. Stabbed his back. His chest. His neck. One after the other, then all over again.

  He stood at the top of the stairs. Wobbled as pain wracked his body. As blood pooled out of him.

  But more than anything, he felt sadness.

  Sadness that he’d let Graham in.

  Sadness that he’d trusted him.

  And sadness at the legacy he was leaving behind.

  “I trusted… I trusted you.”

  “And that’s the best decision you made,” Graham said, stepping to one side, out of the way of the bottom of the steps. “It’s time for the baton to be passed over. It’s time to try things my way.”

  Vincent tried to stay on his feet.

  He tried to stay upright.

  He tried to stay conscious.

  But then he felt his knees buckle.

  He felt himself wobbling towards the steps.

  And then, before he could do a thing about it, he fell down them, cracking his head on the way down.

  He landed at the bottom. Stared up at Graham. Then at the masked figures in the dark, bloodied knife dripping in the hand of one of them.

  He looked up at Graham, who crouched down towards him, put a hand on his wounded chest.

  “We’ll never forget what you did for this place, brother,” he said. “We’ll never forget that you paved the way for the future. A better future.”

  One moment, Vincent felt a sense of fear. A sense of immovable impending dread. A sense of sadness.

  But buried underneath it all… there was still something else.

  Still a sense of hope.

  After that, the blackness surrounded, and everything went silent.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Mike woke suddenly and sharply, and he felt like a different person entirely.

  It was dark. Pitch black. There was always a darkness to this cell, but something felt different about it now, to the point that he understood right away that it was night.

  And as much as he felt lost and trapped down here… he felt something else.

  A renewed urge to get out of this mess.

  Because he was doing no good down here. As much as people believed what they believed about him up there, that didn’t matter. It shouldn’t matter.

  At the end of the day, there were people above ground who believed in him. Who relied on him.

  And what was he doing down here?

  Lying back. Rolling over.

  Accepting his fate.

  It was time to take some responsibility.

  It was time to act.

  As much as he had been shying away from the idea of leadership, he had somehow sleepwalked into betraying his leadership of self in the process.

  All that, and he was innocent. He hadn’t done a thing.

  He wasn’t responsible for any of the murders or any of the chaos.

  He knew something was going on.

  And if Vincent didn’t believe him then screw him: he was too blind to see the truth. Well, Mike would make him see the truth if he had to.

  Because as long as this scheming went on behind the scenes, the more innocent kids like Tom could be at risk.

  He pulled at the cuffs around his wrists, which were tied around a pole behind him. Tried to yank them apart, to squeeze himself out of them.

  But it was pointless. There was no breaking out of them. They were solid.

  He sighed. He’d been in situations like this before, and he’d managed to work his way out of them, one way or another. He thought about the cuffs he’d worn when Alison had arrested him. The way she always told him that she would arrest him when the power came back on.

  The way he’d avoided those shackles, time and time again.

  He took a deep breath, shook his head. He had two options here. Submit, and accept. Or try to do something and get out of this mess.

  It wasn’t going to be easy.

  But one thing was clear.

  As long as the people he cared about were out there, he needed to be there with them.

  As long as whatever misdirection that was occurring continued to occur… he could never truly have faith that his people were okay.

  He tried to squeeze himself out of these cuffs again. Tried to break free of them.

  But it was pointless.

  They were just too tight.

  They were doing exactly what they were designed to do.

  He turned his attention to his feet, then. They were free. So if he stood up, he could work his way around the pole he was cuffed to. He could try to find a weakness in it; a place that he could break free.

  He stood. His knees wobbly, weak. Hunger taking over him, as was thirst.

  As he stood, he pulled against the pole, and his stomach sank.

  It was pointless. Totally pointless. He’d been attached to this pole because the people attaching him to it knew exactly where they were binding him to; exactly how strong it was.

  He could try to wriggle out of this as much as he wanted. He could try to convince himself that he had to be out of this place an infinite number of times.

  It was pointless.

  He had to face it.

  Had to face the truth.

  He was stuck in here.

  He was…

  He heard something, then. Something rattling, just lightly, behind him.

  When he looked around, he felt a speck of hope build up inside.

  There was a weakness in the pole. Not a big one. But enough to maybe unsettle it. Enough to give himself a little bit more of a chance.

  He pulled against this weakness. Ground against it. Tried to weaken it; tried to stretch it.

  But it was still solid.

  Solid… but moving slightly.

  He took a few breaths, and then he pulled again. And this time, as he pulled, he heard the pole creaking. Felt it shifting with his force.

  Enough to give him more optimism.

  Enough to give him more hope.

  He gritted his teeth together. Thought of the people he cared about above ground. Alison. Kelsie. So many people.

  He had to get up to them. He had to get out of this.

  He had to do whatever he could to make sure he got out of here.

  He pulled. Yanked against the pole. Felt it shifting some more; creaking some more.

  And as he pulled, he felt more of a glimmer of hope inside.

  He felt more optimism inside.

  He felt like he was getting closer to a breakthrough.

  He felt the pole behind him snap.

  And then he fell forward.

  His hands were still cuffed behind his back. His face hurt from his fall to the ground. His nose ached, and hi
s mouth was bloody.

  But the most important fact?

  He was free.

  He was free of the pole.

  That was the first step.

  He went to push himself back to his feet.

  That’s when he heard it.

  The door creaked open.

  Footsteps echoed inside.

  Someone was here.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “Hands behind your head. Turn around. And get on your knees. Now.”

  Kelsie heard Sarah’s words, and she didn’t know what to think about any of this. She couldn’t believe how quickly everything had fallen apart, gone sour.

  She couldn’t believe that she’d just been playing a board game with Siobhan. Trying to get to the bottom of what happened with Tom. Trying to share her suspicions that it wasn’t Mike who had killed Tom, after all.

  And then she’d found the bag of syringes and suspicious stuff under Siobhan’s sofa.

  The rucksack that Mike had told them about.

  She’d felt the confusion. Then the urge. The urge for Vincent to find out. For him to discover the truth.

  And the next thing she knew, Siobhan and Sarah—Sarah of all people—were standing opposite her.

  And Sarah was holding a knife and telling her to get on her knees.

  It was the unknown that Kelsie found scary. Surprises. She’d never liked them. Not even good ones. Surprises didn’t give her time to prepare herself to react in a proper way.

  And this was the same.

  She was lost in reacting to this change of circumstances.

  And that’s why the fear inside her was growing and growing and—

  “Are you deaf?” Sarah spat. But there was a shakiness to her voice. An uncertainty. “Get on your knees, right this second.”

  Kelsie looked at Siobhan. Saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. She didn’t know how directly she was involved in any of this. She just knew that she looked… guilty.

  And deep down, she knew that there was no other way around this. No other way out of this.

  Only one option.

  She got down to her knees.

  Hands behind her head.

  But she didn’t turn around.

  She wasn’t going that far.

  “Two out of three,” Sarah said. “That’ll do.”

  Then she started to walk towards Kelsie.

  Knife in hand.

  “Why are you doing this?” Kelsie said.

  “You know, it didn’t have to be this way,” Sarah said. “If you’d just accepted what happened to Tom… if you hadn’t gone rooting under Siobhan’s sofa… maybe this wouldn’t have had to happen like this. But I know what you’re like, Kelsie. I know you’re not going to let this go. So there’s only one way around it. There’s only one thing we can do. Only one option.”

  She looked up at Sarah as she towered over her, and she couldn’t believe this was happening. Sarah seemed a bit cold, sometimes. She seemed a bit distant. A bit detached. Some people said she was false.

  But this.

  This was different entirely.

  She crouched opposite Kelsie. Knife raised. Tears building in her eyes.

  “I don’t want to have to do this,” Sarah said. “But I don’t see that I have a choice.”

  Kelsie opened her mouth. Then closed it. The realisation of everything building up. “You killed Tom. Didn’t you?”

  She saw Sarah’s forehead twitch. Saw the way Siobhan looked at her, momentary horror on her face. “No,” Sarah said. “I didn’t do that. I…”

  But it was enough.

  The way her voice crackled.

  The way her eyes couldn’t quite meet Kelsie’s.

  She was lying.

  Lying to Kelsie.

  Lying to herself.

  She had killed Tom.

  For whatever reason, she had killed an innocent kid after setting him up to do her dirty work.

  And Kelsie feared that whatever was coming next was even darker.

  Because if she’d done it to Tom, she clearly had the capability in her.

  “Vincent’s world,” Sarah said. “It’s admirable. Really, it is. But it’s not feasible. Not anymore. It’s time we tried something new. Something different. No more outsiders coming in and causing chaos. No more lenience towards people who deserve punishment.”

  “Graham’s world,” Kelsie said. “That’s what you want? Really?”

  “It’s not the world I want,” Sarah said. “It’s the world we need. Don’t you see that?”

  “I see… I see Mike locked up for something he hasn’t done.”

  “That’s not totally true—”

  “He didn’t kill Tom!” Kelsie shouted. “And you… you’re ready to let people believe he did just so that Graham’s world can happen. You’re ready to follow a man who would let that happen. Don’t you see that?”

  “I see what needs to be done,” Sarah said. “And I know if we carry on going as we’re going, we’re going nowhere but further into the dark.”

  She stood up, then. Pushed Siobhan back, who was lurking by her side. Admittedly, Siobhan looked lost in all of this. Confused. Like even she’d been surprised to learn Kelsie’s conclusion of what’d happened to Tom.

  Even she was realising exactly what she was getting involved in, now.

  But she couldn’t hold back her raw emotions.

  “And you,” Kelsie said, looking at her with disgust. “You were a part of this. You knew about this, all along.”

  Siobhan looked at her with total guilt. “I didn’t want things to go this way.”

  “I thought you were my friend.”

  “I am. I just—I didn’t know what the rucksack was. I thought I was helping. I—”

  “Get out, Siobhan,” Sarah said.

  Siobhan could only open, close her mouth. Shake her head. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

  She stepped out, then. Walked away.

  Walked away and left Kelsie alone with this woman who she barely recognised anymore.

  Who she wondered if she’d ever really known at all.

  “You’re a good kid, Kelsie,” Sarah said. “And I’m sorry for this. I’m sorry for what has to happen here. Truly. But… but in time, I want you to know that the world will be a better place. All of it will be better.”

  “And that starts with you killing me. Right?”

  Sarah shook her head. Crying now. “I don’t want to do that. But I know you, Kelsie. I know you won’t let things settle.”

  Kelsie felt a lump welling in her throat, then. The sense of betrayal creeping through her. “Mike saved you. He—he came all that way to the extraction point, and he saved you. For your friend. For Nina—”

  “Mike broke me,” Sarah said. “Because as much of an illusion as it might’ve been, it was still better than reality.”

  “You’re insane,” Kelsie said.

  “Am I? Am I really? We told ourselves things were okay here. We told ourselves that because we had power, we were okay. That we were one big happy family. But the second the power goes out… we start to see just how much of a lie that is. We start to see the tensions. We start to see the insecurity. And at the end of the day, we’re always living an illusion. We’re always living a lie. The world around us is never… it’s never real. But it needs hope. That’s what Graham’s going to do for us. That’s what he’s going to secure.”

  She stood up, then. Looked at the knife. And then at Kelsie.

  “And that’s why I need to do what I have to do.”

  Kelsie felt her heart racing. Her mouth drying. She had to do something. She had to try something. Fast.

  “I’m sorry, Kelsie,” she said. “Truly. But in time… just know that this place is going to be better. Know you were a part of something greater. Know you were a sacrifice. For the greater good.”

  She pulled back the knife.

  Kelsie held her breath.

  Then, Kelsie heard footsteps right behind Sarah.


  “Who’s a sacrifice?” the voice said.

  Sarah spun around.

  Kelsie looked behind her.

  And then in a moment of stunned shock, they both saw exactly who was standing there.

  Romesh was here.

  He was looking at Sarah with a frown on his forehead.

  With panic on his face.

  With confusion and betrayal stretching across every inch of him.

  “Sarah?” he said. “What the hell is happening here?”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Mike listened to the footsteps creak down the steps to the cellar, and he knew he had to be ready for anything.

  His wrists were still cuffed behind his back. He was still a little dazed after crashing against the floor. But he was free of the pipe. He had the advantage of mobility, now.

  And he had to use that to his advantage.

  He had to use the element of surprise however he could.

  He rushed over to the side of the entrance. Backed up against the wall. The footsteps were progressing further and further down the steps. They’d be in this room in no time. Upon him.

  And as he stood there, heart racing, knowing full well he was going to have to make a bold move soon, he looked back to the stool where he’d been tied up. And he wondered if it would be better if he was back there after all. Then he could use the element of surprise even more.

  He had to weigh up this whole situation.

  He had to have more time so he knew exactly how he was going to react.

  He rushed over to the other side of the room again, cuffs still tight around his wrists. He perched himself down on the stool.

  And just as he did, the door creaked and opened up.

  He didn’t see who was walking inside from the darkness outside. Not at first. Took his eyes a few seconds to properly adjust.

  But then he saw who it was, and he felt his stomach sink.

  It was Trent. One of Graham’s main allies.

  The fact that he was here and not anyone else made him wonder. Because he knew Vincent wouldn’t send him down here. Not willingly.

  Then he saw the dripping knife in his hand, and he began to fear the worst.

  Trent didn’t say anything. He just looked at Mike with wide open eyes. There was something about his expression that told Mike everything he needed to know about this situation; everything he needed to know about how this was going to go down.