He leaned in to kiss me lightly on the lips once more before moving to unblock the door.
I slid down the wall and tried to get my heart back under control as my heart raced.
Alicia stood in the doorway with a hand on her hip and she peered into the room, raising an eyebrow at me as I fought to regain my composure. I ran a hand through my hair and moved to pick up my gun and Coal's jacket. I was sure that she could see my hands trembling and the flush that was undoubtably covering my cheeks but there was nothing I could do about it.
“What have you two been doing in here then?" she asked with a knowing smirk on her face.
“Nothing Liss. Just move it will you, the Creepers were here a minute ago." Coal gave her a shove as he moved out into the hallway and I followed, showing a healthy interest in the floor as I passed Alicia and her penetrating gaze.
At the entrance to the elevator shaft I could see the hatch was open and Laurie was peering down at us. Next to her, a thick rope made with vines hung down into the open space. Alicia grasped it and handed it to Coal who rolled his eyes and braced his feet, pulling the rope tight
.
My lips were still tingling from his kiss and he threw me a heated look which only made my blush deepen.
"You have no idea how hard it was to find these," she said, indicating the vines.
“You can tell us all about it when we're safe in the truck," Coal replied.
“Ladies first.” Alicia grinned before grabbing hold of the rope and using it to climb up and out of the hatch, her muscles straining with the effort as she hoisted herself up it like a monkey.
"I don't think I can do that," I breathed, looking at the vines. They were about three metres long and ran almost completely straight up through the hatch. I didn’t even want to think about the drop below. "I'm not strong enough."
I held Coal's jacket out for him and his fingers brushed mine as he took it and shrugged it back on.
A clatter drew our attention back down the hallway but there was nothing to be seen. The corridor disappeared into darkness and it was hard to say how far it went or what might be lurking in the shadows but I had the feeling something was watching us.
“I'll pull you up after me, just tie it around your waist when I'm up." Coal touched my cheek briefly before jumping out into the elevator shaft, hanging onto the rope tightly. I watched as the muscles in his shoulders and arms bunched and flexed and he pulled himself up the rope and out of the hatch. It swung wildly without anyone to support it but he made it look easy.
I leaned out over the edge and grabbed the swinging vine. Another noise behind me made me jump and I nearly lost my balance. I snatched at the rope and scrambled back into the safety of the corridor, my heart pounding from the glimpse of the fall waiting for me if I lost my balance. I quickly secured the rope around my waist with trembling fingers. I couldn't get out of this damn bunker quickly enough and I hoped I never ended up anywhere like this ever again.
I shuffled forward until my toes were over the edge and closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. But I couldn't bring myself to jump. I took another breath and opened my eyes, glancing over my shoulder to get one last glimpse of the bunker.
A filthy face loomed at me from the darkness, the Creeper had a scar running from the corner of its mouth and up through its ruined right eye and I screamed as it lunged at me.
"Gotcha!” the Creeper snarled as he jumped forwards.
His soiled hands, lined with long, yellowed fingernails snatched for me and I screamed as I did the only thing available to me and fell backwards into the elevator shaft.
I swung out into the wide, open space and my gut swooped. Before I could scream again, the vines tightened and caught me, crushing my stomach and knocking the air from my lungs.
I wheezed to get my breath back and started to hoist myself up the rope as best I could. As I'd thought, I didn't have the strength in my arms and I slipped. The vine rope burned my hands as I tried to stop myself from falling but I jerked back down to the end of the vines regardless.
The Creeper was standing in the doorway, reaching out towards me as I swung in a slow circle and tried not to look down. He was getting more and more agitated.
“Get you, get you, GET YOU!" he screeched as he snatched wildly towards me, nearly falling over the edge several times. It was only a matter of time before he attracted the attention of more of them and my pulse thundered at the thought of it.
I heaved my weight backwards. The rope swung me a little and I shifted to continue the momentum, kicking my legs forward and then back. On the third swing I managed to move a foot or so towards the Creeper and I felt his filthy fingernails scrape the length of my boot. I heaved backwards again and my soles connected with the wall behind me. I kicked against it as hard as I could and swung my legs up in front of me as I barrelled towards the repulsive creature. His eyes widened with surprise.
My feet connected with his midriff with a sickening thump and he was lifted off of the ground and thrown backwards down the corridor where he landed in a heap.
I swung wildly back and forth, listening to the protesting creaking made by the vines as they rubbed against the edge of the hatch above me. I looked up to see Coal, Laurie and Alicia peering down at me.
“Are you finished?" Alicia called, looking like she was trying not to laugh.
“If you feel like helping me out, now would be a good time," I growled.
After a few moments I felt myself inching up towards the hatch.