Read When He Found Her (#1) (The Fire Journal) Page 9
Chapter 9
The tunnel seemed much longer than she remembered. It might also be the fact she wanted to get out as soon as possible. The twists seemed more profound, turning her around to the degree where she became unsure if they headed backwards at points. “How much further?” She didn’t see clearly ahead of her. She had to rely upon him to bring her to safety. It was a big risk trusting this man she only met earlier today. She hoped she didn’t make a mistake
“Not too much further,” he said dragging her out as quick as he could. The entrance had to be near here. He felt his memory slipping from him once more. First he forgot this girl and now the tunnel. He once again felt himself getting old.
At least the Reachers remained predictable. They wouldn't allow for their capsules to be too far away from having some sort of rescue come help them. It was this rescue he worried about more than the ones chasing him. They had already became acclimated to the world and wouldn't be groggy from the re-entry.
Taking on an entire colony of Reachers was something he didn’t look forward to. One at a time was easy – he did that without worry. Maybe even up to five if he really wanted to brag on himself. More than five already convened back inside of the cave. He needed to think of an effective way to combat them if he wanted to destroy their presence over here.
He heard movement coming from the entrance of the tunnel. Skidding to a stop, he muttered, “Damn.” This was exactly what he feared. They must have stayed closer than he originally planned. Next time, he would make sure to destroy all of the pods before any gained a foothold.
“What?” Her eyes scanned the darkness ahead of them. She didn’t understand why he stopped. They needed to get out of here before those fish men caught up to them. She wasn't certain but they’d probably rip her apart the moment they met. If she was lucky. Or they might try something worse. The prospect of being drowned crossed her mind.
He looked around, hoping to find somewhere they may use to hide for a few moments. Of course there was nowhere. Every time he needed a place to put someone, the room suddenly seemed to be vacant of everything. But if the elementals needed to hide – he pushed the thought out of his head. There was no use complaining about things he held no control over. “Do you see anywhere we can hide?” Maybe he missed something. A second pair of eyes might help.
Her hands went to the wall, passing over the slimy, smooth wall. Everything appeared solid as far as she determined. “Are you sure there’s one?”
“There should be. Hopefully. Yeah, why not?” He scanned his hand along the edge of the tunnel. Any irregularity would help him. A small crease in the tunnel might allow for the Reachers to pass over them without notice. He planned to hide them until the threat passed. The Reachers weren’t the sharpest. They tended to only follow one order blindly and rarely went beyond their duty. The ones coming to help were likely told to rescue the new brethren from a terrible disaster. They would pass straight ahead without seeking any intruders along the way. Unless someone ran into them, they tended to miss attackers.
She looked at the ground, her toes covered in the thick muck. “I think everywhere's covered with slime. I doubt we're going to find anywhere to hide.” They might need to fight all of these creatures. Besides the movies she saw on TV, she had no idea how to fight. This would be another first for her.
He cast another glance down the hall. The sounds of approaching footsteps seemed louder than before. They would be here in a few seconds unless something drastic happened. Instead of taking chances, he needed to be proactive. A small crack revealed itself tucked away in the tunnel.
“Come on.” He led her into a small crack in the tunnel. It would have to do. He pressed her into the tunnel first, making sure she became completely hidden. He slipped in next, contorting his body tightly around her. There appeared barely enough space for either one of them to breath.
In this situation he was probably the best person for her to listen to. She backed herself against the wall in an attempt to give him more space. His big frame took up most of the crack. “Ugh,” she complained, realizing the back of the dress rubbed against the slime encrusted tunnel wall. Now she ruined it.
He shot her a hard look.
“Fine,” she mouthed back. He should have told her earlier he wanted her to be quiet. She wasn't a mind reader.
The Reachers approached them, the sound of their gargling coming through first. Their feet hit against the slimy ground, adding more wet noise into the mix. Both of them held their breaths, waiting to see if this gamble paid off. He hoped it would. Otherwise, they might have to deal with the serrated teeth of these creatures. One bite could rip through a human arm. It might not take a complete bit to rip through hers.
The creatures continued past the two, stopping once they reconnected with the ones coming from the capsule area further down. He was right in thinking they became preoccupied with their orders. No one noticed them. They remained safe for now. “Why are you out?” one of the Reachers asked, his voice garbling and seeming agitated.
With hesitation in his voice, a second one answered, “We were attacked by some intruder. He managed to destroy multiple units before we fully regained our senses.”
Uriz listened intently. The second group never knew about the attack. They must be planning something to happen tonight. He showed up just in time. For once, he wanted to have more than a few hours to pull off saving the world. It wasn’t happening tonight.
“There's an intruder. How quaint. I figured one would come soon enough.” The garbled voice gave a small grunt after finishing its interpretation.
“What should we do?”
The first one stalled for a moment. He must be their leader or at least higher ranking than any of the others. Uriz was doubtful if the actual mastermind behind this plan would sully himself by coming down into the tunnels. “Tell everyone we're moving up the ceremony to tonight. We've found a more than willing host, the final one needed.”
“In the meantime?”
“In the meantime, I'm sorely disappointed in you. This pathetic world has no one to defend it right now and you can't handle some college students coming in to have fun after a party. I advise you to remember why we're here. Otherwise, you'll return – in pieces.” He brushed past the other group. His dark robe billowed as he moved along with those of the others who followed closely behind him. The darkness swallowed them as they marched into the tunnel system.
The second group stalled for a moment, wondering what their course of action should be. It all came down to what they were told. Their orders became their life. With one last look down the hall, they too turned and headed back to where the main Reacher walked.
“Seven, eight,” Uriz counted softly once the Reachers left.
Evie looked at him puzzled.
“Nine, and ten.” He squeezed himself out from the crack, taking her along with him. He hated being in enclosed, small areas. They always made him feel trapped. That was the one thing he couldn't stand.
“What just happened?” She heard the conversation but it made no sense to her. “Does host mean what I think it means?”
“I think it does. It sounds like we don't have a lot of time to stall. Seems like we need to find out more about what their plan is. You look like you might help me.” His eyes scanned her body for a moment. She certainly seemed the part. If she refused to speak, no one would know she could think for herself. She appeared to be exactly the kind of victim the Reachers sought after.
She backed away slightly. “Don't look at me like that.” She raised her hands to cover her chest. His eyes felt weird scanning her.
“Slur your words a little and we'll be perfect.” He smiled.
She groaned. She had a feeling she knew what he thought about doing. “I can't believe I'm going to do this.”