Dark Days (The Childe Series, #2) (58 page)

Matt was taking his time heading home after helping his dad at the Port Astoria docks. It was his turn to do the dishes, and he never looked forward to the chore. Peddling up a steep hill, he cursed his car again for stalling out on him earlier. Pulling up on Nehalem Avenue, he noticed three figures dart past him in the distance. As they sped under the street lights, he could see Cat’s fiery red hair leading the pack, with two others following a good distance behind her.
Is that Duffie and Leif following Cat? What the hell? They’re definitely in a hurry,
Matt thought. “I guess the dishes will have to wait,” he said taking off after them. Matt almost yelled out to them, but something told him that they didn’t want any attention.

Deep in the tunnel system below Astoria, Amy began prodding Melvin Pierson. “Wake up, you’re going to miss the show, and it’s going to be great. Wait, I think I hear the master now. Surely you’re not still scared of him,” Amy giggled as Melvin shivered, his glassy eyes filled with fear.

“Well, girls, I assume she’s on her way?” Andrei wasted no time asking as he approached them.

“Yep, she is!” Amy said triumphantly. Becca and Linda nodded in agreement.

“We need to ready our other guest, he’s not feeling very well I fear, but the show must go on,” Andrei said. “Linda, do you have a question, my sweet?” Andrei’s fangs descended as he talked.

“Is it safe for us to be around him, I mean will the chains hold him?” Linda’s voice trembled.

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head. He’s heavily sedated my dear,” Andrei said calmly.

“Yeah, but weren’t the chains made of silver before? To keep him from changing?” Linda replied.

“All part of the plan, Linda. Now, let us go prepare for our guest, shall we?” Andrei gestured for them to walk ahead and Amy moved quickly to take the lead. In the next chamber, a shape was slouched over, quietly moaning. Andrei squatted down beside the figure and pulled its hair back revealing a face. “Ah Edgar Girven, old friend and noble Varulv councilman. Not feeling so well, huh? Don’t worry, it will all be over soon.” Andrei let go of Edgar’s matted hair. “Okay ladies, let the show begin. Make sure you hurry to the clearing and show our honored guest the way to our little trap. I’m dying from anticipation,” he said, rubbing his hands together, piercing his lip with his fangs in his excitement. “Mmmm, that reminds me, I haven’t eaten. And I shall not meet our guest on an empty stomach. Mr. Pierson, ready or not, here I come.” His laughter echoed though the tunnels.

As Cat reached the clearing, she immediately saw the trapdoor she was unable to open before propped open. Throwing her bike on the ground, she rushed over to it and peered into the dark hole. Cat retraced her steps to her bike, removed the headlight from the handle bar, and turned it on. Taking a deep breath, she slowly descended into the floor of the concrete foundation.
I’m absolutely nuts for doing this! But I can’t let them harm my friends! Buck up, Cat, you can do this!
Making her way down the winding tunnel, Cat wrinkled her nose at the damp and moldy smell. The bottoms of her shoes were taking on water as she trudged forward. She shuttered at what she might be stepping in. Coming to a fork in the tunnel, “Left or right?”  Cat asked out loud and then waited to see if she got an answer.

“Leeeeeeffffffftttttt,” an eerie voice came down the tunnel, causing goose bumps to erupt on Cat’s body.

“Okay, you can stop with the dramatics! I’m here, show yourselves!” Cat yelled, but she received no reply. “Damn cowards, like I’m scared,” she said out loud, trying to sound confident.
Come on, you can’t let them know how scared you are, Cat.

Cat took the left tunnel, and it seemed like she had been walking forever. Her frustration began to build with each step she took. “Okay, which way now?” Cat demanded, coming to another fork.

“Leeeeeffffftttttt,” the eerie voice loudly whispered again.

“I’m so over this!” she huffed as she stormed further into the tunnel system.

 “We’re lost, Leif, Cat must’ve gone the other way,” Duffie whispered.

“Let’s backtrack then, she wasn’t that far ahead of us. How many tunnels could there be?” Leif’s frustrated voice echoed in the stillness.

“Wait, I hear something behind us. Be ready for an attack, it might be one of the vamps tracking us,” Duffie whispered in Leif’s ear.

“Ahhhhh!” Duffie yelled as her flashlight beam caught a terrified little rodent quivering in front of them.

“Duff, relax, it’s just a mouse.”

“Well, I told you I heard something. Poor little thing. Look it’s fallen over but it’s still breathing,” Duffie replied.

“Come on, Cat may be in danger. Let’s focus!” Leif whispered in frustration, pulling on her arm.

“Alright, let’s move ahead,” Duffie said, and then the two headed farther down into the tunnels.