“There are three main tunnels with separate side tunnels. The main tunnels are named ocean-view, the pit, and lighthouse. Some of the side tunnels branch off to exits while others dead end. The ones leading nowhere are for storage and as a distraction should Savages find their way down here,” Mal continued.
“Has that happened before?”
“Yes. Not often and, so far, we’ve been lucky that they were killed in the tunnels or we found and destroyed them before they could reveal what they discovered here. It’s only ever been security personnel who found their way down here. I’ve lost a couple of humans and vamps over the years to those who found their way into the tunnels and while they were hunting for food above. The humans rarely go out because they’re slower and afraid, but they do go outside sometimes.”
It sounded like such a horrible existence; Jack would have preferred death. “Do you think the vamps running this island know you’re still alive?”
“I’ve been spotted above before and so have some of the others. Plus, they have our pictures—”
“They what?” Jack demanded.
“They took our pictures when they caught us.”
Jack tried to recall all the details of his capture. “I don’t remember anything between being ambushed in the bar and waking up in that cage.”
“They have your picture,” Mal stated. “They probably took it while you were knocked out.”
Jack’s skin crawled at the same time his anger mounted. No matter what it took, he would get off this island and destroy these freaks. “How long has this hunt been happening?”
“Too long,” Mal murmured. “But I don’t know the official timeline. The Savages who weren’t killed outright down here didn’t reveal much when we questioned them. I don’t think they tell the security members much about what happens here.”
“Some of them have probably been working this thing for years.”
“You would think so, but they haven’t.”
Jack’s eyebrow quirked at this statement. “What do you mean?”
“The guards we’ve questioned were vampires who were brought to this island as humans and turned here. The Savages who rule this island told them they would give them immortal life in exchange for five years of working security here. After that, they’d be free to go.”
“And they set them free?”
“Do you believe that?”
“No,” Jack said. “I’d be willing to bet there are a bunch of dead security guards buried somewhere on this island, but their friends probably think they’re living the life somewhere else.”
“That’s what I think too.”
“I’m surprised there are more humans down here than vamps,” Jack said.
“Since I started taking in survivors, more humans have always found their way down here. Vamps try to outrun their hunters or fight them, but humans try to hide and stumble across the entrances.”
“Makes sense,” Jack said as he rubbed at his chin and rocked back on his heels. “I want to see the boats.”
“It’s too risky,” Mal said.
“I think that’s my choice to make.”
“Is it? You’re new here; you have no loyalty to us. If they catch you—”
“They’ll never take me alive again,” Jack interrupted.
“And if they gas you again?”
“I appreciate everything you’ve done down here and how you’ve kept these people alive, but I’m not one to hide.”
Mal walked over to stand in front of some writing on the wall. So focused on his conversation with the vamp, Jack hadn’t noticed it until now. When he looked more closely, he realized it was a calendar etched into the dirt.
“I’ve been down here for fifteen years,” Mal said. “Digging endlessly, trying to survive, and living like a rat. If I escape, I still have plenty of life ahead of me, but the humans…”
