One (Alone Book 3) Page 8

  “I just have a feeling”.

  “Why didn’t you say before?” Ollie said, “Do you think we’re in trouble? That Kaley’s in trouble? We could just leave him here.”

  “We need him to show us the way plus Kaley would know right? If he was really dangerous,” I said slyly looking at her.

  Ollie shrugged but Kaley spoke up, “Well we need him, so I do kind of trust him, he’d be a fool to mess with us, especially since he does know what it is I can do”, then she paused for a moment before slyly saying, “Stacie are you feeling ok?”

  I carried on eating my food and ignored her question.

  “Stacie she asked you a question”, Ollie said with a tad more authority than I had imagined he would gain at his age.

  “I’m fine”, I said, “Really, now let’s eat we leave in five”.

  The five minutes soon passed and we all huddled on the train track heading in the direction of the Eurotunnel terminal and Folkestone. The sun was still high in the sky but I knew we didn’t have many hours of sunlight left, if we didn’t make it to Folkestone in that time we would have to find shelter elsewhere for the night. I knew the tunnel itself would be dark, gloomy and dangerous but I wanted to keep this as simple as possible, roaming the streets at night with a group was not wise.

  I could sense the Crusher’s up ahead and I could feel that they had fed lately which meant they had taken out some creatures recently along the tracks and sure enough twenty minutes later we passed a blood bath of broken and decaying bodies, the smell was horrendous like a thick harsh taste on the back of your tongue and stuck to the hairs in your nose, it would take a while for the smell of rotting stomachs to leave us.

  “That’s the second load of killed creatures we’ve seen”, Kian stopped to examine them, “Why is it none of you seem bothered by this?”

  “The less creatures we have to fight the better”, Ollie said from beside me.

  Kian narrowed his eyes, “But what if it’s trouble for us?”

  “It won’t be”, Kaley smiled brightly.

  “And you know this?” He asked not looking comfortable with this.

  “Of course I do”, she grinned.

  Ollie pushed past, “Come on, the light is starting to fade”.

  By the time the light was gone from the sky we had made it to the terminal, things here hadn’t been great for people, bombs had in fact been laid here but not to destroy the tunnel but to deter people from using it. Flame and scorch marks licked the entrance to the tunnel, the electric cables that had once run over head on the outside now lay flat on the rusting and crumbling tracks, broken skeletons littered the entrance as people had tried to run for cover in the actual tunnel itself but had still been wiped out by the crush of bodies all trying to run. What did strike me as odd though was the barricade that had been set up just inside. Old train carriages had been turned on their side and placed horizontally across to block the tunnel, on top of them were cars, other metal objects such as fences, old corrugated roofing and machine parts. Whoever had built it certainly didn’t want people or creatures getting in but who? Was it the people Kian had worked for, had they come along and barricaded both sides to stop people or monsters getting through, trying to make their job easier in the long run when their supposed plan was meant to come into effect? Or was it something or someone else, it must have taken some strength to move the old train carriages to make the barricade in the first place? Whatever it was, I had to be ready.

  I walked over it and studied it in the coming moonlight and found a small recess where the Crushers had forced their way in. Rattling the metal works I found it to be strong enough to maybe take all our weight for us to climb through.

  “Are we all ready for this?” I asked turning to look at my troop of people.

  Everyone nodded, other than Kirsty, “Shouldn’t we wait till morning we don’t know what’s in there?”

  “Why wait? It’s dark out here, it’s dark in the tunnel ain’t gonna make no difference if it’s sunny, raining or snowing out here love”, Dwayne added.

  She shrugged, “Maybe but at least if there was trouble inside we could bolt for the light at the end of the tunnel”

  “Once you’re in a bit you wouldn’t see the light anyway. We all have torches and the Crush…, don’t know why you’re worrying”, Dwayne smiled patting her on the back for reassurance. He then looked at me, I nodded in response, he had almost let slip about the Crushers to Kian but although Kian was looking at me funny he didn’t say a thing.

  “Shall we just get going”, Kian said impatiently climbing up the barricade and sliding through the hole the Crushers made.

  “Kian wait”, I hissed and followed him, as I did I sent out my feelers and felt along the tunnel, I didn’t pick up anything other than the throng of my moving army up ahead. Jumping down beside him I then waited to help some of the others climb down. Kaley was first and immediately flicked on her torch, I could see her eyes scanning the place and wrinkle her nose at the stagnant smell of water that was flooding this part of the tunnel, I couldn’t understand it at first as it wasn’t like this part was right next to the sea but Kian spotted a hole in the ceiling most probably caused by the bombs which had let rain water come in and sit on the broken and dirty floor.

  Flicking my torch on I scanned over the walls, slime and grime was etched over the structure, a few slugs and slimy rodents slithered away from the light but nothing to be afraid of. Once we were all in we set off into the unknown, the water sloshing around our ankles making Kirsty cry out as she hadn’t worn boots but a pair of converse type shoes, her feet were cold and soaked within seconds.

  “This damn place gives me the creeps”, she said as we ventured on soon losing view of the barricade behind us.

  “Oh shut up and just move will ya”, Mac said from the back, “None of us like it we just have to deal with it”.

  “Oh ok Mr Snooty pants”, she giggled before realising no one else was giggling with her.

  The walk through the tunnel soon became repetitive as we climbed over broken bits of tunnel wall or ceiling, or ducked under other strange barricades that had been built up and by the neatness and the feel of the barricades I had to say these ones looked to be recent editions to the tunnel.

  Our torch lights reflected back waving light off the large puddles of water that were dotted around the tunnel, every so often a rat would scurry out from some rubbish at one of the sides making Kirsty scream out with terror which everyone would then not so politely tell her to shut the hell up.

  As we just came out of another rat infested section I spotted an abandoned train looking extremely rusted and deadly still on the tracks, it was most probably the main Euro Tunnel carrier train, I could tell it was long by looking down the side of the train as my torch light couldn’t find the end.

  “Should we go through it or around it?” Kaley asked looking at me, I could just make out her small face and eyes in the abyss.

  “Can’t we rest for a while in it? I’m freezing, I need sleep and we have been going all day and now into the night”, Kirsty wailed.

  I mulled it over, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad thing to rest. It wasn’t like I had sensed anything bad, “I think we…” I was cut off by a shrieking noise, it sounded like a Crusher, so I sent out my feelers but mine were further on down the tunnel, way past the train but this noise was coming from behind us. Turning my feelers the other way I felt something coming, I couldn’t quite make out what it was as I didn’t feel just like a creature and it most certainly wasn’t one of my Crushers but it felt familiar whatever it was.

  “Run! Go through the train, just run!” I commanded at them.

  Kaley took Cain’s hand and went first with Ollie close behind, she took lead as she could at least move a problem out the way if needed, as the others climbed on I made sure I was last, readying myself for a fight.

  Kian waited with me, “Those bodies on the line back there”.

  “Yes”, I said feeling anx
ious about what was coming.

  “None of you lot seemed worried by how fresh they looked, how ravaged the bodies were, how they had been torn apart”.

  “We have seen so much why would we be worried?”

  “Because maybe it was that thing that’s coming for us now?” He studied my dead pan response and nodded, “Or maybe you already knew it was something else, something you have encountered before”, he implied, I could tell he thought he knew something but couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

  “There are many monsters in this world why bother worrying about them all”, I stated.

  “Because that will get you killed”, he snapped.

  I looked into his eyes and saw concern, “Are you worried about me and my people Kian?” I tried to give him sarcasm but it felt dry on my tongue as whatever was coming was getting closer.

  “I can see that you and your people really are good people, I mean you’re travelling all this way to see if you can maybe defeat the people behind all this. And they are monsters but I don’t want you to not worry enough and be taken for a fool, like we have now with this…Thing. And I have my cautions about you and I do wonder how it is you fight so well and how it is that you are the one left to deal with whatever is coming when Kaley could possibly take it out with ease but… you’re not like her so how is it you feel you could do it?”

  “I cannot risk her getting hurt or killed, she is the one who needs to get to Svalbard. And as you said I fight well”.

  “And you do but you need to get to Svalbard too right? Kaley practically told me herself”, he said, “You have the fight and drive to make her get there, if you die who will take your place?”

  “Ollie will look after her”, I turned away from him, I wanted to tell him I couldn’t die, that no matter what I would be there whether that be as a half human half creature breed or whether it be a full on monster if this thing were to take me over but I couldn’t. What would he do? What would he say?

  A piercing scream echoed through the tunnel as the thing neared us, it could smell and taste us in the air. I took out my bow and arrow just as Kian pulled out his gun.

  “You think that will work?” he laughed.

  “You think that will work?” I implied at his gun.

  We both took aim, but what Kian didn’t know was that I could sense exactly where the thing was coming from, his aim was guess work. Suddenly the thing jumped onto the ceiling, aiming up I let out a arrow and heard the thing squeal as I hit home but it merely wounded it not killed it. Kian let out a few round trying to aim where I had shot the arrow but he only knocked the dust off the ceiling but his bursts lit up the tunnel like lightning momentarily and I was utterly shocked as the thing jumped down in front of us, it was in deed a Crusher but this one had no connection to my mind. Its face was full of pain and anger, it looked truly furious. Saliva and other strange fluids dripped heavily from its chin and it’s darkened skeletal like features as it growled heavily in its throat.

  “What the fuck is that?” Kian asked.

  “A Crusher, whatever you do don’t let it spit in your mouth or eyes”.

  He chanced a look at me, “A what now?”

  I hissed in annoyance and took aim at the thing before us and watched as my arrow collided where its heart should have been, the arrow embedded in its skin but it didn’t drive home, the things skin was like an armour, so strong and scaly but how? My Crushers weren’t like this one.

  Kian opened fire again and I watched as the Crusher jumped up into the air and landed behind us on top of the train carriage roof, within seconds it was galloping along the roof heading towards the others, towards Cain, Kaley and Ollie.

  “Shit!” And within a heartbeat I ran, jumped up the carriage with my agile speed and ran off after the Crusher leaving Kian in wonderment behind me as to how I jumped so high and fast. My feet barely touched the roof of the carriage as I charged, the thumping of my feet hopefully alerting the others to the trouble that was headed their way. My torch light danced wildly as I paraded down, every now and then I would catch a glimpse of the killer before me before it howled from the light and dashed off to the other side.

  I jumped over a small void in the floor as part of the roof of the carriage had caved in but luckily the Crusher didn’t go inside the train, it was like it was baiting me, getting me to chase it and not to actually go after them. But I didn’t care all I wanted was to keep Cain and the others safe. I jumped again and just landed when I heard a hiss from my side, there was more than one! I turned to hit the thing as it flew at me but as I did the first one appeared and took my feet out from under me. I fell flat to the roof banging my head in the process. Kicking out I hit the new one square in the chest sending it flying into a wall, the first one charged at me its mouth salivating, didn’t it know I was already one of them? Waiting till just the right moment until it was nearly on me I commanded my claws and sent them piercing into its chest, they had no problem cutting into its weird armoured skin. They sliced through, flat lining the things heart and tearing it in half, it fell flat dead on the roof in a pool of sickly dark blood.

  The new one screeched loudly before running off ahead of me, bouncing off the walls and wailing almost like it was crying. I got up dusted myself off and ran after it, I soon reached the end of the train and jumped off landing on my feet and hands at the front of the train, looking up I watched as it scurried off into the darkness. I sent out a silent message to my own Crushers to be weary and on the lookout.

  “Stacie?” Kaley said appearing from the side of the train from the driver’s side door, “What was that?”

  “A Crusher”.

  “One of yours?”

  I shook my head, “No, someone else’s”.

  “You don’t think…”

  “I don’t know what to think but I think we should hurry this on and get out of here. Where’s Cain?”

  “He’s right here”, Ollie said appearing holding onto my nephew.

  “Where’s Kian?” Kaley asked looking up at the roof.

  I went to send out my sensors but I didn’t need to as his voice sounded out above me, “Man you run fast”, he jumped down almost as gracefully as me lifting his gun up to look around our current area.

  I ignored him and said, “Let’s move”.

  “Did you get it?” Kian asked walking up beside me, his eyes looking over my now bloodied torso.

  “I got one of them”, I replied knowing full well he would have seen the mess of the Crusher on top of the train.

  “Did you get bit?”

  I shook my head, “No”, I gave a mischievous grin and motioned for Ollie, Kaley and Cain to keep by me, Lara, Dwayne, Mac and Kirsty also jumped down and looked around the tunnel.

  I didn’t add that I had a strange feeling about those Crushers and that because I couldn’t connect to them that I was afraid someone or something else was in charge down here but I knew Kaley would be thinking what I was thinking.

  I called out to my own Crushers again but even they felt on edge, this wasn’t a good sign.

  “Guys I think we should be extra careful here”, I said my voice showing how on edge me and my own creatures were feeling, “Keep your weapons up and ready to shoot”.

  Kaley looked at me worried, “Something’s wrong isn’t it?”

  “I don’t know”.

  “What about you’re Crush…”

  I cut her off, “I don’t know but I think we will find out sooner rather than later, have you not seen any of this?”

  She shook her head, “No”.

  “Then let’s just play it safe”.

  As we walked along the dank and dark tunnels I could smell it, blood in the air, it wasn’t todays freshness but it wasn’t weeks old either and judging by how thick it felt in the back of my throat it had to be a lot, a hell of a lot.

  I lifted my hand and placed it on Cain’s shoulder and paused which caused the others to stop behind us, I could hear dripping just in front of us, a drippin
g that sounded, off. Lifting my torch with my other hand I flicked it up to the ceiling of the tunnel and immediately flicked it back down.

  “Er what was that?” Kirsty said a little too loud for my liking but then what ever was down here knew we were coming.

  “That was a dead person hanging from the ceiling sweetheart”, Dwayne told her. “Dang bastards slit the poor bastard’s stomach and throat wide open”.

  I turned to Ollie and Kaley, “Something’s coming, something bad I think we need to move to the other tunnel”.

  Ollie nodded and shone the light around, “There is a maintenance tunnel that joins the two, if we could find it we can get through. We just have to find the connecting door”.

  Kian came over, “How do you know something’s coming?”

  “Can you not feel it?” Ollie answered for me.

  “What do you mean?”

  “The weird energy in the air, the almost static tension”.

  “That could just be because you’re all scared”, Kian suggested not taking the bait.

  “Look mate if Stacie say’s something bad is coming then something bad is coming, just accept it and do as your told”, Dwayne told Kian grabbing his arm to make him use his own torch to scan the walls.

  Kian of course didn’t look happy with the answer but walked on none the less. After ten minutes or so of looking Mac called out that he spotted a door, all of us ran to it and pulled. Inside it was just as gloomy and dark but I couldn’t sense anything on the other side but then at first I hadn’t sensed the new Crusher’s, I just had to hope this was the right thing to do.

  “Is it safe?” Ollie asked me.

  I nodded, “I think so”.

  “Er how would she know that, she hasn’t been in it yet?” Kian asked.

  I went to answer when a piercing scream echoed through my brain, it tore at the inside of my skull making me want to claw it apart, “Argh”, I screamed out holding my head to keep it together. Pain, pure solid pain rocked through me as it felt like one of my limbs was being torn off, “ARGH!!!!” An almost scraping noise etched in my mind, like something’s claws were slicing down a chalk board making my teeth shudder and chatter together.