We carefully began to move forward into the nearest room. I glanced about anxiously. A huge, muddy footprint stained the floor next to my boot, far too big to be Taylor's or Evan's.
My head snapped up and my hand flew to my pistol, just in time for me to jump back as Grey charged at me.
A gun went off and the noise echoed so loudly in the confined space that it made my vision blur. My jump had propelled me backwards into Taylor and we both fell to the floor in a heap of limbs. My pistol was flung from my grasp and skittered noisily across the floor into the darkness.
Grey had run straight into the wall when he missed me and he staggered as he regained his balance. He turned around to face me as I got to my feet.
Grey roared angrily and charged me again. He caught me around the throat and lifted me into the air. I was slammed against the cold, concrete wall and I kicked uselessly as the pressure on my windpipe increased.
I scratched at his hands, chunks of skin coming away under my fingernails, but it was no use.
I reached towards my belt and felt the cool, metal hilt of a knife skim my fingertips. He was choking me, sparks bloomed before my eyes and I felt something pop inside my neck.
I strained my arm as far as it would go and managed to hook a knife into my grasp. I plunged it into the thick muscle of Grey's bicep. He yelled in surprise and released me. I tumbled to the floor and coughed as air found its way back into my lungs.
Taylor aimed his rifle and fired. The shot resounded around the room and I saw blood fly from a wound on Grey's leg. He rounded on Taylor, who was still laying on the ground, and kicked him in the face. Blood poured from his nose and Taylor clutched at it.
I threw my weight to the side and rolled over, coming up into a crouch and grabbing the shotgun from my back as I did so. I managed to get one leg up so that I was on one knee and braced myself as best I could. Grey charged at me like a bull, roaring with rage, as I swung the shotgun up between us.
I couldn't remember squeezing the trigger, but the force of the kick against my ribs slid me back across the floor on my left knee. My foot hit the wall behind me as I skidded to a halt, managing to stay balanced through some miracle.
The power of the kick was nothing compared to the power of the shot which Grey had taken to his large stomach. He was thrown backwards and smashed into the wall behind him, collapsing in a heap on the ground. Several heartbeats passed but he didn't move.
My hands started to shake and the gun began rattling in my grasp. Strong hands closed around mine and Taylor was staring into my eyes, pushing the shotgun down. Blood ran down his face but he ignored it.
"He was going to kill you, and he was going to enjoy it," he said calmly, not breaking eye contact with me. I stared back and took a deep breath.
He was right. I couldn't let what I had done get to me. I nodded and fought to calm my shaky breathing.
Taylor released the shotgun and I stowed it in place on my back.
"Where's Evan?" I asked.
He'd been in front of us but now there was no sign of him. I moved into the corner where my pistol had disappeared and felt around until I found it.
"Evan?" I called out. There was no reply.
Taylor wiped at his face so that most of the blood was removed.
We moved through the doorway into the second room, stepping over Grey's legs which were splayed at strange angles.
The first thing I saw was Dolly, with her freakish half head of red hair and grotesque disfigured face, laying opposite the doorway. There was a knife protruding from her chest and a pistol still clutched in her hand. Her dead eyes were staring straight at me.
Evan was to the left of the doorway with no obvious signs of injury, his eyes closed.
I dropped to his side, putting my hand to his cheek. It was warm.
"Evan?" I whispered, but I remembered that gunshot ringing out too loudly in the close space and making me dizzy. A tear ran down my cheek. "Evan? Please, wake up." I placed my other hand on his chest, it felt warm and wet.
I leant down, pressing my forehead against Evan's, trying to will him back to life as I felt hi
s blood seeping through the knees of my trousers.
Eventually Taylor pulled me to my feet. He wrapped his arms around me and I buried my face in his chest and sobbed.
"He didn't deserve to be here, we weren't supposed to be at risk," I cried. Taylor ran a hand through my hair.
"We need to move on," he whispered.