Chained

"Doesn't make much difference does it?" Alicia laughed darkly and strode on into the shadows.

I exchanged a glance with Laurie and she rolled her eyes at Alicia's back. We followed suit and headed on in.

It was instantly warmer out of the chilling wind. The air smelled musty and the whole place spoke of a lack of use.

I glanced back at the doorway for a last glimpse of natural light as the tunnel turned and stole it from view.

Chapter Twenty Seven

Hunter watched the trees through narrowed eyes. His men were building the second fire but there hadn't been any sign of the Creepers yet.

"All done boss!" Garret called out to him.

Hunter shouldered his gun and hefted the jerry can filled with Old Merl's strongest moonshine into his arms. It was strong enough to send a man blind if he was stupid enough to drink it. The can sloshed merrily as he swung it forward and poured a drizzle over the pile of wood. Everything was so wet that he knew it wouldn't burn for long but it would create a lot of smoke while it tried.

Hunter screwed the can shut again and pulled a matchbox from his pocket. Taking a step back, he struck the match and flicked it towards the prepared wood. The pleasant smell of the smoke drifted back to him as the matchstick arced up into the air and fell gracefully downwards.

The little spark caught on the fuel almost instantly and a ball of fire whooshed into existence. A wave of heat washed over him and he stepped back again as the wet wood hissed and spat its disapproval.

The other men were waiting for him.

"Did you hear that?" Garrett moved to his side, holding a rifle aimed at the forest.

Hunter pocketed the matches and cast another suspicious glance at the trees. The plume of smoke was finding its way up through the branches above them, shouting out for the whole forest to see. He paused to listen but there was nothing to hear. With a shrug he hefted the jerry can and used his chin to point the direction for the men to take.

They fell in around him, guns out and at the ready. They were brave men and good fighters but no one wanted an encounter with the Creepers.

Another flash of lightning flung the forest into view momentarily. The shadows were banished and their secrets were revealed. Between the tress, faces were thrown into focus. They were filth-covered and twisted into snarls of rage.

Hunter's gut twisted and he straightened his shoulders as he prepared to fight.

Darkness descended again, instantly concealing the Creepers.

Hunter dropped the jerry can and pulled his gun from his back, taking aim at the shadows. The weight felt familiar in his arms. He took a deep breath, banishing everything but his need for survival.

A bloodcurdling scream announced the Creepers' attack and he braced himself for one hell of a fight.

"You with me Garrett?" he asked.

"To the end boss."

"Well that won't be today," Hunter promised.

He reached for the trigger and let off a burst of shots as thunder rumbled angrily above their heads.

Chapter Twenty Eight

After the initial hallway, which was smooth and unchanging, we came upon another metal door. It was half open.

Rather than opening in the traditional way, one door hung suspended from the ceiling and the other extended from the floor. The gap between the two was little more than a metre wide with interlocking spokes protruding from each edge. It was clear we would have to crawl through the space between them to reach the other side.

"So hypothetically, if the doors slammed shut while we were half way through, do you think we would realise it had happened before we died or just never know what had hit us?" Alicia asked cheerfully as she chucked her bag through the gap. It slid over the lip on the other side and thudded as it hit the ground. Thankfully the door didn't react in any way.

"Why don't you go first and if it slams shut, let us know," Coal said as he swung his bag through too.

"Okay," Alicia said, giving Coal a salute and pulling herself up into the gap. It took her a moment to navigate the giant spokes designed to lock the doors together, then she was through.

"Everything okay your end?" Coal asked as he pulled himself up after her.