There’s movement in the tunnel, but it’s not coming this way, he replied. And there’s no scanners or anything in place around the entrance.
“If those four people can sleep through gunfire and all the racket that’s coming from the tunnel, then they surely won’t be woken by any noise we make.” I glanced at Jonas. “But I still think it’s rather strange that there doesn’t appear to be any form of security other than the vampires.”
“It might just be a case of not needing anything else.” His gaze was on the tunnel and he didn’t look happy. “Fairhaven is the furthest away of Central’s old satellite cities, and the only one that has no human occupation near it.”
“There’s not exactly an abundance of people hanging about Carleen, and surely it would be an easier point from which to launch an attack.”
“Yes, but discovery is also more likely given its proximity to Central. And now that there are human habitats near both Greenfields and Indara—thanks to the farmland reclamation projects happening there—they’re also risky places to build a military force. Especially a vampire one.” His gaze came to mine. “I think we need to investigate what’s happening in there, though I rather suspect what we’re going to find is tunneling.”
Penny’s warning—that vampires would soon be in Central—echoed ominously through my brain. “Why would they even consider tunneling as an option if Fairhaven is so far away from Central? That makes no sense.”
“Neither does the desire to hand our world over to the wraiths and vampires, but that’s nevertheless what they’re attempting.” He walked across to a short stack of boxes, carefully placed Penny’s body on top, and then rotated his shoulders. Just for an instant, I saw the glimmer of tears, but they didn’t fall. He might be grieving for his niece, but he wasn’t about to give in to emotion. Not yet. Not until he had the time to do so properly. “I think it’s a matter of them covering all bases.”
“Yes, but even if they succeed in tunneling right underneath Central without anyone noticing—and seriously, with the vibrations the machinery causes, how likely is that?—it still won’t help them.” I waved a hand at the lights hanging high above us. “There’re still the UVs, and surely not even Dream, no matter who she’s impersonating, could—”
I broke off as he held up a hand and then touched his earpiece. “What’s up, Maz?”
I couldn’t hear the conversation, so obviously my ear-mic was running on a different frequency. But his expression told me what I needed to know—his people were under attack.
“Okay,” he said eventually. “Set up a ring of UVs outside the main entrance to keep them in, and then retreat to the transports. We’ll find another way out of this place and then contact you for retrieval.”
“They all okay?” I said when he’d finished.
He nodded. “The vamps took out two of the UV lights they were installing and hit them pretty hard, but they’ve only suffered a few minor casualties. The same can’t be said of the vamps.”
Good. The fewer vampires we had to contend with if we were forced back into those damn tunnels, the better. “What makes you think there’s a second exit out of this place?”
“Because if the noise and vibrations are coming from a tunnel borer, then there have to be some means of dealing with the waste—and there’s nothing to indicate it’s being redistributed through this cavern.” He picked up Penny again, and again I saw that brief silver sheen. “Let’s go.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if I use my seeker skills on the sleepers and get some layout information first?”
He hesitated. “Aside from the fact there’s no guarantee your skills will get that information, I suspect it would be better not to linger here any longer than necessary. Dream would have been informed of the attack by now, and reinforcements are undoubtedly on the way.”
“And the sleepers? Shouldn’t we do something about them?”
“I think it’s better we uncover just how far the tunnel has gotten. If they wake, we’ll deal with them.”
“Cat can cover our retreat, then.”
He nodded and moved forward. Cat whisked around me briefly before moving to a rearguard position. The closer we got to the tunnel’s entrance the bigger it appeared, until it all but consumed the gaze. The air washing past us was not only heavy with heat, dust, and moisture, but also machinery fumes. But there was no underlying hint of vampire and that, at least, was good news.
We kept close to the tunnel’s left edge as we moved deeper inside. Two strings of lights ran down either side, and the curved walls were smooth and black. Despite the growing intensity of the vibrations running through the earth, no dust rained down on us. Unlike the walls in the other tunnels, these ones seemed immune to movement.
The shadows got thicker the deeper we moved into the tunnel. The string lights were little more than a guide and didn’t really lift the deeper darkness of this place. But the dust and moisture content steadily increased, until every breath was filled with wet grit. We’d choke on the damn stuff if we didn’t do something about it soon.
“Jonas, wait.”
I swung off my backpack and then stripped off my shirt. The lightweight material had been designed to wick water away from the skin no matter what the conditions, and while the outside was wet with sweat, the inner layer—the one close to my body—was not. I cut two thick strips out of the shirt, tied one around my mouth and nose, and then did the same to Jonas.
“Good idea,” he said, “although I’m not entirely sure having your scent so constantly in my nostrils is the right move right now.”
I smiled. “Better my scent than the vampires’.”
“A truth I will never deny.”
We continued, but the tunnel showed no signs of revealing its secrets and I had no idea how much time was passing. I had to hope it wasn’t the hours it seemed, because I really did have to get back to Central and Charles.
The noise of the borer gradually grew in intensity, but there was little evidence of the waste that should have been present. The huge tunnel began to gently curve around and, up ahead, light glowed. Figures and machines moved within that lit area