Bite Me (3 page)

Chapter Five

Ruby couldn’t sleep, so she lay in her tent and stared at the material above her. There was a light that they’d agreed to leave on in the cavern, because not having it would make seeing anything impossible. They didn’t feel comfortable being dropped in pitch-blackness. After last night with Clint sharing a tent, and the way he was acting all day, Ruby had politely explained she wanted her own tent. Fortunately he hadn’t made a scene or issues, and instead shared with one of the team members that had been bunking alone.

Scrubbing a hand over her face, she knew she needed to get some sleep because they’d be up early to head to one of the other tunnels. This alone time, with the silence around her, had Ruby thinking a lot. She thought about the mystery men that she dreamt about constantly, and about her life in general.

Maybe it was something that had happened to her when she was younger, a repressed memory or situation, that had her having the dreams? With only memories of moving from foster home to foster home, Ruby didn’t know anything about her life before that. She, at one time, had wanted to know about her past. She’d wanted to know anything, any little detail that could give her a piece of her background. But there hadn’t been anything for them to share. So Ruby had gone on with her life, pushing her questions aside, and not worrying about where she’d come from. Her family obviously hadn’t wanted her, and she held no ill will toward them for that. For all she knew they could have been teenagers and didn’t have any other options. For all she knew she could have been left at the doorstep of a police station. For all she knew everything she thought she knew about herself wasn’t even the truth.

It wasn’t until she found a kind of solace in science, a peace and harmony, that she knew it didn’t matter where she had come from. It only mattered where she went from this point on. She was happy with who she was, with where she was in life, and she wasn’t letting the “what if”s consume her.

She rolled onto her side and breathed out, trying to think about the trip instead of her life. She hated these quiet moments at times, even when she wasn’t really alone. There were team members surrounding her, and she could even hear a few hushed murmurs. But she was in this tent, isolated, and all she thought about was all the stuff she shouldn’t.

Closing her eyes, it was only a few moments before she finally felt the heaviness of sleep take her.

****

She stood in the center of a massive cavern, the only light coming from right above her. She couldn’t see anything more than a foot in front of her, but even with all of that Ruby felt no fear. She also knew she was dreaming, and this wild anticipation filled her.

Turning in a circle, she tried to see anything aside from the darkness in front of her, but there was nothing. The feeling of being watched was strong, and the hairs on her arms stood on end. It was then she realized she was stark naked. But there was no embarrassment over that, and she didn’t feel the need to shield herself.

Ruby felt free.

“You’ve come to us,” a deep voice said from within the darkness. She turned, trying to see, but knowing she wouldn’t be able to.

“You’ve finally come,” another male said.

“We knew you would,” the third masculine voice said.

Her heart started beating fast, hard. She knew their voices, had them memorized because she’d been hearing them for years in her dreams. Like an instant reaction she became wet, aroused. Her nipples hardened, and her body tingled. She was ready for these men.

And then they stepped forward and she felt her heart jump to her throat when the three of them came closer so the light touched them.

No, they weren’t men, but monsters.

****

They’d been up and packed early and now were heading toward the other tunnel. She didn’t know if they’d have time to search all the tunnels before they had to end the expedition

Ruby couldn’t shake her most recent dream. The men … the beasts that they’d shown her, and the intense arousal she’d felt. But it wasn’t just about her desire, but also about the emotions coursing through her. She’d felt wild, untamed. She’d felt free. But Ruby knew her dreams were just that: dreams, not real, and all in her head.

But that particular dream, one so unlike any other before, had a nightmarish feel to it. Although she hadn’t been afraid—shocked, yes—the dream still clung to her like a layer of perspiration, making her feel hot and sticky, almost suffocating.

“Just a little more and we should reach the end of the tunnel,” Clint said.

The team was in a single file, the tunnel narrow and confining, just like the other ones they’d been through.

They’d been walking for the last half hour, and it seemed this tunnel was shorter than the last, but that didn’t mean the cavern would be smaller.

“I can see something up ahead,” Clint said, but then there was a shout from behind the line and they all stopped.

“What?” she shouted back, but there was a rustling, before another shout.

“There’s something in the tunnel.”

“What?” she yelled out, panic setting in. “What do you mean?”

“Just keep going.”

“Clint, move it,” she said and pushed him forward. They were moving faster now, her heart racing at what one of the team members had said.

Something’s in the tunnel?

When they finally went into the cavern Clint fell forward, and Ruby fell in after him. She landed on her hands and knees. The rest of the team came falling into the tunnel, as well, their fear saturating the air. She stood, faced the cavern opening, and waited to see if anything would come out.

But the weird part of it all, the fact she couldn’t understand, was that she felt no fear. What she did feel was anticipation, the blood rushing through her veins, and the power surging through her. It was this weird sensation, one she’d never felt, but then again she’d never been in a situation like this before.

“Get a light,” she shouted out, and a moment later light from one of the massive lamps filled the room. She looked around, not seeing anything but a lot of scared-as-shit team members. “What in the hell was it?” she asked, feeling her muscles tighten. Her heart beat faster, and she felt this tingling all over.

“Something was in the tunnel behind me, and it was huge,” one of the guys said, and Ruby looked at him. He looked scared, his eyes wide and his hands shaking.

“I didn’t sign up for this,” another man said.

“Me either.”

“This is too fucking crazy.”

Everyone started voicing their opinion on the matter, and she knew she needed to get this under control before things went from bad to fucking insane.

“Let’s just calm down,” she said, holding her hands up, hoping to calm everyone. “Marshall, are you sure you felt something? Are you sure it couldn’t have been something else?”

Marshall shook his head. “It was big, like bigger than me, Ruby.” His voice was shaking. “It had fur, and I swear to fuck I felt a claw lightly run down my leg.” He looked at his leg then, as if he just remembered. He twisted around so she could see the small tear in his pant leg. Ruby didn’t mention it could have happened on a shard of ice, or even a piece of the rock wall.

“No, I can’t do this,” Marshall said. “I can’t stay here another minute.”

“Marshall, please calm down. Everything will be okay.” She tried to calm things down. “Clint, explain to them that everything will be okay.”

Clint didn’t speak for long moments, but then he removed his glasses and cleaned them off. “Anyone who wants to leave can. You aren’t being forced to stay here. You can make camp outside of the mountain, and wait for us to finish our exploration.”

She stared in shock at Clint. “This isn’t about that right now.”

“It is what it is, Ruby.” Clint put his glasses on.

“How are you not concerned about what Marshall is saying?”

Clint shrugged. “We don’t know anything right now. Marshall probably brushed up against the rock wall.”

“Clint, I think I know the difference between a creature and a fucking wall,” Marshall said, his voice raised, his fear clear.

“Everyone just calm down,” she said again. Ruby looked around the cavern and saw there were two separate entrances other than the one they just came in through. But just as she was about to say something, trying to calm Marshall and the rest of the team that was on edge, a low growl echoed off the icy cavern walls. Everyone froze. Ruby didn’t breathe, and she swore her heart was going to jump through her chest.

“What the fuck was that?” one of the guys said, but no one responded right away.

They all stood there, turning around in circles, looking in the cavern, and maybe expecting whatever had made that sound to come bursting through the walls.

“What in the hell kind of creature makes that noise?” another team member asked.

“How in the hell can anything survive in this mountain, in this fucking area?” another asked.

“Shh,” Clint said, his annoyance clear. “You all knew what you were getting into.”

Ruby looked at everyone, seeing their disbelief after Clint spoke.

“No, we agreed to come out and gather samples,” Marshall said, adjusting his pack. “We didn’t agree to come up against whatever in the fuck is making that noise.”

“Who knows what it is, or how much it’s evolved living here,” another one replied.

“We agreed to excavate, get samples,” another said.

“No way in hell am I staying here with something that sounds like
that
,” Marshall said and turned to look at the rest of the team. “I don’t know about any of you, but I sure as hell didn’t sign up to face off with the unexplained.”

“Seriously?” Clint said. “You are on this team because that’s exactly what you signed up for. What do you think an expedition is?” The room stayed silent, but a few of the team members shifted on their feet. “We are here to uncover the unexplained. If you’re that adamant on leaving, no one is stopping you.”

Marshall shook his head. “No, I didn’t sign up for that, Clint. I’m not risking my life, or worse, getting trapped in this mountain, just so your ego can be stroked if we find something.”

“Something found
us
instead,” Richard said after Marshall spoke.

Marshall faced Ruby again. “I’m sorry, Ruby, but I can’t go on with the expedition. I’ll wait out of the mountain for you, though.”

She nodded. “You’re free to do what you want.” She wanted to explain that things would be okay, but how could she say that when she didn’t even know if that’s how it would work out?

“If anyone wants to join me, now is the time. Who knows what other fucked up shit is in this mountain.” And then Marshall was heading out the tunnel they’d just came from, his posture stiff and the clear caution written on his face.

“I’m sorry,” one of the team members said.

She was shocked when all them of them left, but then again she didn’t feel fear, so she couldn’t let that emotion override her.

And then it was just she and Clint, and she turned to look at the other man. “Maybe we should just call it quits, Clint. Marshall has a point—”

“We came all the way out here to find something new, and we did,” he said adamantly. “I’m not leaving, but if you want to let fear take you then fucking leave.” He turned and looked around, shining the light where the team had left. “I’m going to find out what’s living down here, and I’m going to have my name attached to it.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “I’ve been working toward this my entire life, and I’m not going to let anyone or anything stop me, not even you, Ruby,” he said the last part with annoyance lacing his voice.

She snapped her head back, shocked at the anger he directed toward her. “Clint, what in the hell?” Even if she had hoped she could have tried to calm down the team, she couldn’t blame them for wanting to leave. But Clint was agitated, and this whole expedition had showed her another man, one she didn’t really care for.

Clint started making his way toward one of the other two tunnels branching out of the cave, and she took a step, her heart beating hard. “What are you doing?”

Clint stopped and turned around. “I’m not just going to stay here and wait to make history.”

“Clint, if we are going to stay we need to get a hold of the main office, tell them what’s going on.”

He shook his head and looked at the tunnels again. “The rest of the team members will let them know as soon as they’re out of the mountain.”

“No,
we
need to get a hold of them, Clint. We’re the leaders of this expedition.”

Clint was already walking away from her and toward the tunnel. “Then go, Ruby. Make the call. I’ll be seeing what’s going on here.” He entered the cave, and the light was extinguished, the only illumination coming from the headlamp she wore.

“Clint!” She shouted it, but he ignored her and kept making his way into the tunnel. Soon she couldn’t see him or his light.

“Shit,” she said softly, turned around, but the light on her head only illuminated a few feet in front of her. And then she felt this light breeze on the back of her neck. She spun around, but there was nothing there. The touch of something moving on her arm had her spinning in the opposite direction, but again there was nothing.