“Good luck, Alex,” Darcy said.
Somehow, Darcy had let these monsters in.
Chapter 5
I ran back through the foliage, past pea plants, fruit-laden trees, and rows of potatoes. We were getting out of here a little sooner than we’d thought. That was when I ran smack dab into Anna.
She cried out as we both collapsed to the floor. Ruth stood above the both of us, offering us each a hand, her face an expression of alarm.
“What’s going on? We heard the door slamming.”
“There’s Howlers out there,” I said, pointing behind me. “Your friend let them in.”
Ruth narrowed her eyes, looking through the foliage toward the door. “He’s trying to flush us out.”
“Well, where do we go?” I asked.
“The only way we can go,” Ruth said. “Out. Follow me.”
She led us through the rows of plants at a run. She turned sharply toward the entrance we had come through to get in here.
“That way?” I asked. “Isn’t that what he would expect?”
“We’re sure as hell going to try!” Ruth said.
She stopped before the thick metal door, unbolting it.
“Have that flashlight ready,” she said to me.
Anna drew her katana.
Ruth opened the door with a creak, revealing the dark chamber containing the recycling tanks beyond. As I shined my flashlight around, I saw the cylindrical forms of the tanks along with the unused vats of hydroponic fluid.
Anna and I took the lead, Ruth behind with her pole and hook. After we entered the chamber, Ruth shut the door behind. If the Howlers broke into the Hydroponics Lab, then we didn’t want them ambushing us from behind.
I followed the dark line of the corridor, so narrow that it felt like it was pressing against me. Finally, we reached the spiral stairs — the ones that led to the atrium. We began to climb quietly. The screams of the Howlers emanated from behind. They had finally busted through the door leading into the Hydroponics Lab. It probably wouldn’t take them long to find out where we had fled. We picked up the pace.
Finally, I reached the top. I pressed an ear against the cold metal of the door leading into the atrium. I had no idea what lay on the other side, but it was the only way out. If we couldn’t get out this way then were probably going to die in Bunker 108.
“Go,” Anna said quietly behind me.
I unlatched the door, and opened it into darkness. I drew my Beretta, pointing it ahead.
There was absolutely nothing.
“Now’s our chance,” I said.
We walked into the atrium, shutting the door to the stairwell behind. We faced the dark corridors leading deeper into the Bunker, weapons ready, as we backed toward the rock tunnel that would lead out of Bunker 108. The linoleum of the Bunker floor gave way to hard rock as we entered the tunnel. The temperature dropped instantly. I took a few more steps, pointing my flashlight upward –
Only to find that tunnel completely blocked by a Behemoth — at least twelve feet tall, its legs as thick as tree trucks and its torso a sickly pink and ripped with muscle. Instantly, I clicked off my flashlight. It breathed heavily in the darkness, giving no sign that it had noticed the light or our entrance. Its two white eyes glowed like fiery stars.
The radio at my side crackled. I rushed to turn it off, cursing myself for leaving it on. Before I could manage, however, I heard his voice.
“I told you that you would have to let him out, Alex.”
From ahead, a low rumble emanated from the Behemoth’s throat as the man cackled from the radio. I cut off his taunting at last and the tunnel was silent once more.
But it was too late. The Behemoth started forward, almost uncertainly, toward us. Obviously it could not see well, otherwise it would have charged right away — but it was quick to pick up some sort of scent, because I could hear its nose sniffing heavily. I also remembered what Ruth had told me — these things were attracted to movement and were able to home in on it, even in darkness. The worst thing we could do right now was run.
We all looked at each other, not saying a word. Together, we backed slowly out of the tunnel as the Behemoth pressed forward at the same pace. Its shadowy bulk paused at our movement. It sensed us.
I gradually raised my hand, commanding Anna and Ruth to stand still. In my peripheral vision, Ruth shook from nerves. I wished she would stop.
We waited for what seemed a full minute. Something like a growl escaped the throat of the Behemoth ahead as it started forward again at a walk.
We couldn’t stay here. And we couldn’t back away at just the right speed to both get away from the Behemoth and not completely alert it to our presence.
We had to run.
I looked at Anna, trying to communicate that fact with my eyes. She nodded, slowly, and began to back away. Ruth looked at me nervously. The motor pool was now our only other way out of here.
That was when the Behemoth’s speed increased. We hadn’t even had the chance to start moving again.
“Go,” I whispered.
I spun on my heels, but already, Ruth and Anna were dashing from the tunnel. I charged after them.
From behind a horrible roar shook me to the bone. The ground vibrated as the giant monster gave chase, thundering toward us. Now in the atrium, we ran on into the darkness. I hurried to click my flashlight back on, but was having difficulty. We would be approaching the Caf soon.
From ahead came the screams of Howlers. My flashlight clicked on at just the right time, bouncing up and down, settling on a pair of white glowing eyes — then another…and another…
There were three Howlers ahead of us, mere feet away. And with the Behemoth right behind, we were trapped.
There was no time to do anything but raise my Beretta and fire. One of the creatures squealed as my bullets entered its chest as the other two Howlers charged ahead from the darkness. Anna stepped forward, slicing one of the Howlers in its abdomen, causing its fetid bowels to spill out. A horrible reek filled the corridor. The remaining Howler went for Ruth, who stepped backward and jabbed her pole right through one of its eyes. The creature wailed and toppled to the floor, writhing like a bisected worm.
“Keep going!” I said.
We ran past the bodies of the Howlers deeper into the darkness. The one I had shot down was still ahead, its body swelling and threatening to pop. We weren’t going to run past it in time.
With the Behemoth just a few yards behind, I pulled both Anna and Ruth toward the right, into the open archway that led into the Caf. As soon as we passed through, several plops sounded. Walls of purple slime shot across the archway. And still, the Behemoth thundered down the hallway, letting out another baleful roar
And from behind came still more wails. I swept my flashlight across the Caf floor, finding a maze of upturned tables and chairs. We could not escape quickly through that, and the Behemoth could crash through it all, anyway. We had to stick to the Caf’s perimeter — circle along the wall until we came out the other archway, not directly opposite of us, but along the wall to our left.
Even as I took stock of the situation, several Howlers spilled out of the kitchen doors, crawled over the buffet, slithered from beneath tables.
“Come on!”
I ran ahead, firing a few shots. One of my bullets connected with the shoulder of a male Howler, who hissed and snapped in pain. Though the Howlers felt pain, it sure didn’t do anything to stop them. We hopped overturned tables and chairs toward the archway. Once we exited the Caf, it would put us in front of the medical bay. Once there, we had only to follow the main corridor around a corner. Then it was a straight shot past the Officers’ Wing and then into the Rec. From there, we could take a corridor to the motor pool. It was the only chance we had, as I saw it.