Whether Jude heard him or not was unclear, but the lack of response told me all I needed to know about his state of mind. Gabe followed me to the large door, wrapped his palm around the rusty lever, and pulled. His biceps swelled, straining against his skin as the rusted lever screeched, its metal protesting with each upward inch.
“Not as easy as it used ta be.” Pete brushed by us and disappeared inside the door.
A large, metallic clang echoed, the vibrations resonating through the air. I cautiously opened the door a crack and saw Pete, struggling with a huge, old lever. The vibration grew louder, and an orange light came to life, causing the bulbs in Pete’s home to flicker. Lightbulbs were haphazardly strung on the walls, illuminating the way through the tunnels like stars in the night.
“Be careful where yeh walk.” Pete pointed to the wall where a bunch of dusty wooden boxes sat. “Those are all filled with explosives. They mus’ be unstable and crystallized by now, so any handlin’ or sudden movements could set ‘em off.”
Two rusty metal beams, spanned by decaying wooden planks, formed a precarious bridge across the tunnel’s midpoint. The air smelled of rust and felt heavy in my lungs. “Did this used to be a mining tunnel?”
“Yeh got it!” Pete nodded. “These used ta be tracks miners would transport goods and any precious stones they found.” He hobbled ahead and waved to us. “Follow me, I wanna show yeh somethin’.”
The tunnel sloped downward, the air growing cooler and damper as we continued. Traveling through the mine, discarded pickaxes and other equipment were strewn across the ground, likely never to be used again. The stone tunnels twisted and turned, their damp surfaces slick and cold under her fingertips, making travel treacherous. It was as if the cave itself had grown smaller, like it were a living being that expanded and contracted over the years.
“Look at the ceiling.” Pete pointed his stubby finger upward as we neared a fork in the road. A massive pipe, as thick as a person, snaked across the tunnel ceiling, twisting and turning down the right side of the path. “This is how I get food. There’re these tunnels all over the country now. The vamps created them?—”
“To exchange goods with other Elysiums,” Gabe finished. “Each building has a central location in the basement where the pods carry food and other goods to each vampire compound to distribute to their residents.” He stopped and awkwardly shifted on his feet. “They’re how your dad gets blood all over the country.”
“Pretty cool, huh?” Pete sipped his coffee. “Easiest way ta get ta the lab is ta follow the pipe.”
“What about the other path?” I curiously asked, looking down the darkened cave.
“Leads deeper into the tunnel, but if yer smart, yeh could take a few rights an’ be re-routed back ta da lab.”
I nodded in understanding and followed Pete as he turned to retrace our steps back to his home.
“Just lettin’ yeh know—be careful when yeh climb the ladder an’ get inta the lab. It’s a large facility dat fixes those nasty Dogs, so they’re everywhere.”
“How do you usually get by them to get your food?” Gabe asked in curiosity.
“I don’,” he admitted. “I cut a hole in da pipe and made a barrier, so the pod stops right at da bottom o’ the ladder. Too dangerous ta go up there. I just keep signin’ the paperwork fer refills.”
“Pretty smart,” Gabe admitted, with a laugh.
Closer to the door, my vision slowly adapted to the dim light, the oppressive darkness starting to recede. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure if my eyes were adjusting to the dim light or if the bulbs were warming to a brighter glow. Nearing the massive metal door, a shiver wracked my body. The sight of the dynamite—red sticks seemingly sprouting growths, crudely packed in worn wooden boxes within the dark, echoing mine, was unnerving.
Jude moved from his makeshift bed, albeit not far. Instead of lying on the ground, contemplating his life choices, he was now sitting upright on the couch. As soon as we emerged from the door, his head swiveled. “Where’ve you guys been?” He threw his arm up and slapped his knee. “It should not be taking the three of them this long to install the batteries. I’m gonna see what’s going on.” Throwing on his jacket, he disappeared beyond the curtained door.
“What’s his problem?” Pete’s lip was upturned in disgust.
Jude’s body was thrown back into the cave, landing roughly on the ground. Nine burst through the door, colliding with him, and Four followed close behind, both leaving a trail of blood.
“D-Dogs k-killed F-F-Fifteen.”
The words that left Four’s mouth hung in the air, and everyone’s bodies stiffened. The environment grew tense, and the next few moments felt like they happened in slow motion.With a sudden leap, a Dog bounded from behind the curtain, its paws landing squarely on Nine’s shoulders. It opened its mouth, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth glinting in the dim light before clamping down onto the man’s head with a crunch. With a twist, the Dog ripped Nine’s head from its body, a spray of blood and gore coating the surrounding area like rain.
I stared, completely stunned, as Jude stumbled toward me, his clothes soaked and dark with blood. Nine’s limp body landed heavily on top of him, a thud echoing in the room as the Dog’s eyes scanned the room. Five more beasts walked in, sniffing the mangled head on the floor.
I don’t know exactly when it happened, but Gabe grabbed my hand with his gun pointed at the Dogs and pulled me toward the metal door leading to the dark mining tunnels. With a grin, Pete grabbed his weapon and unleashed a volley of paintballs at the bloodthirsty Dogs intruding within his home.
A daze enveloped me as I ran, slightly behind Gabe, the world blurring around me. “G-gabe, we need to get Jude. We can’t leave him behind.” My words came out in a choke as my body was pulled down the mine.
“My only concern is for you,” Gabe growled back.
Following the tunnel’s dimly lit path, we took a right at the fork, where the air grew noticeably colder. The barks and cries seemed to drown out the further we ran. I looked toward the ceiling and saw the large pipe, knowing we were heading in the right direction. Only a few moments passed before we neared the tunnel’s end, where a rusty metal ladder was bolted against the cave’s cold stone.
“You go first.” Gabe moved out of the way, putting one hand on the ladder and shaking it. “Actually, I’ll go first in case this breaks.”
I nodded, my body shaking. The rhythmic clang of Gabe’s boots on the metal ladder echoed through the cave as heclimbed. He swiftly moved upward, and I placed my foot on the first rung of the ladder, reaching for the next with a slightly trembling hand.
