Ill pass, thanks. Sheathing my sword, I started down the stairs. Right now, Ill settle for finding the lab and getting out of here in one piece.
The staircase descended deeper underground, opening into an enormous tunnel. The familiar rails lined either side of the platform, once having shuttled metal cars back and forth between stations, now quite empty. The ceiling of the huge domed tunnel was strangea motif of concrete squares, some fallen in large chunks to the platform, stretching all the way down the corridor.
Jackal walked to the edge of the platform and dropped to the tracks, peering down the tunnel. No sign of rabids, he muttered. At least not yet. He glanced at me over his shoulder. You coming or not?
I leaped onto the tracks behind him. Whats the matter, Jackal? I sneered, wanting to repay him for that last quip. Need me to hold your hand every time we go down a dark hole?
He laughed, the sound bouncing off the domed roof of the ceiling, surprising me. See, this is why I like you, sister. You and me, were exactly the same.
Im nothing like you, I thought, but his words continued to haunt me long after we entered the tunnel.
Man, these things go on forever, dont they?
I winced as his voice echoed loudly in the looming silence, a wave of noise traveling down the endless corridor. Mind keeping it down? I growled, listening for the shuffle of feet or the skitter of claws over rock, rabids alerted to our presence. Wed encountered a few of the monsters already, and I had no desire to cut my way through another wave. The dark subway tunnels reeked of them, their foul stench clinging to the walls. Nothing else moved here, not even rats. Sometimes, we encountered bodies of rabids, ravaged corpses torn apart by their own kind. Once, we came across what we thought was another dead body, only to have it leap at us with a shriek, swiping at us with its one remaining arm. Jackal seemed to enjoy these encounters, swinging the steel fire ax hidden beneath his duster with vicious force, crushing skulls and snapping bones with a savage grin on his face. I was far less enthused. I didnt want to be in this underground labyrinth of death, with this vampire I didnt like and certainly didnt trust. Because watching him fling himself at the rabids, grinning demonically as he tore them limb from limb, reminded me too much of myself. That thing that I kept locked away, the beast that goaded me into raw animal rage and bloodlust. The part that made us dangerous to every human we encountered.
The part that kept me from ever being with Zeke.
My blood brother grinned at me, swinging his bloody fire ax to his shoulder. Aw, sister. Dont tell me youre scared of a few rabids.
A few rabids is one thing. A massive horde in a narrow tunnel is another. And dawn is just a couple hours away. I glared down the crumbling cement tube in frustration. Old D.C.s underground was a never-ending maze of tunnels and pipes and corridors that snaked and twisted and stretched away into the darkness. The night was waning, and the tunnels just went on and on, forever it seemed. Wed even stumbled into what looked like an underground mall, with ancient stores crumbling to rubble, strange items rotting on near-empty shelves. Id once thought the sewers beneath New Covington were confusing; they were nothing compared to this. Where is this stupid lab? I muttered. It feels like weve been walking in circles all night.
Jackal started to reply but suddenly paused, a slight frown crossing his face. Do you hear that? he asked me.
No. What is it?
He motioned me to be quiet, then crept forward again. The cement tube that we were walking down narrowed, and then I did hear somethingsomething that raised the hair on my neck. If the low growls and hisses didnt rouse my suspicions, the dead, rotting stench that slithered down the tunnel confirmed it.
Weapons out, we eased forward, silent as death. Ahead of us, the tunnel abruptly ended in open air, and a rusty, narrow catwalk stretched out over nothing. Gripping my weapon, I followed Jackal to the edge of the catwalk and peered down, into the darkness.
Shit, Jackal murmured, sounding faintly awed.
We stood at the edge of a massive round chamber, the walls soaring up a good fifteen feet above us. The narrow metal bridge, stretching to another tunnel on the opposite side, had to be at least two hundred feet across. The railings had rusted away completely, and the mesh floor had disintegrated in spots, but that wasnt what worried me the most.
Below us, about twenty feet down, the cement floor was a shifting, roiling carpet of pale bodies and jagged fangs. Rabids filled the chamber, growling, hissing, moving about the room like a swarm of ants. There were hundreds of them, maybe thousands, coming in from various tunnels and pipes near the ground. I hissed as their scent wafted up from the pitblood and rot and decay and wrongnessand took a step back from the edge.
Well, Jackal mused softly, watching the rabid swarm with vague amusement. I think its safe to say that we found the nest. He shook the catwalk experimentally. It creaked, rust and metallic flakes drifting down to the horde below. Thankfully, they didnt notice. Doesnt seem very sturdy, does it? This is going to be interesting.
You cant be serious.
Do you see any other way across? Jackal crossed his arms, shooting me a challenging smirk. I thought you were so anxious to find the lab.
I smirked back. Fine. After you, then.
He shrugged. Stepping onto the narrow bridge, he carefully eased out over the sheer drop, testing for weakness. The catwalk groaned but held, and he grinned at me.
Afraid of heights, sister? Need me to carry you across?
Yeah, why dont you save the smart comments until youre on the other side?
He rolled his eyes, turned, and began walking across the gap, moving with unnatural grace. Despite that, the catwalk creaked and groaned horribly under his weight. It shuddered and swayed, and I bit my lip, certain it would snap at any second and Jackal would plummet to his death.
Beneath us, the rabids had noticed the vampire trying to cross the bridge, and their shrieks and snarls rose from the pit as they surged forward, gazing up hungrily. Some of them began leaping for the catwalk, swiping at it with their claws, and though they couldnt quite make it, some of those leaps came frighteningly close.
After several long, tense moments, Jackal finally reached the other side. The hisses and screams from the rabids were deafening now, echoing through the chamber, as Jackal turned and beckoned me across with a grin.
Oh, dammit. Swallowing hard, I stepped to the edge and peered down again. The rabids saw me immediately and began flinging themselves at my end of the catwalk, slashing at the air. Trying to ignore them, I stepped onto the rickety metal walkway, feeling it shake and shudder under my feet. The end of the bridge seemed an impossible distance away.
One step at a time, Allie.
Keeping my gaze straight ahead, I started across the catwalk, putting one foot in front of the other as lightly as I could. There were no railings to grab hold of; I had to make my way across on balance alone. The bridge swayed and groaned as I neared the center, carefully stepping over the gaping holes in the mesh floor. Through the gaps, the rabids churned below me, glaring up with dead white eyes and gnashing their fangs.
As I was nearing the end, trying to move faster but still keep my steps light, a rabid leaped up from the floor, lashed out, and struck the bottom of the catwalk with a metallic screech that lanced up my spine. The walkway jerked to the side, nearly spilling me off, then let out a deafening groan as one side of the bridge shuddered and twisted like paper.
Fear shot through me. I gave a frantic leap for the edge of the tunnel, just as the catwalk snapped and plummeted into the hordes below. I hit the wall a few inches from the edge and clawed desperately for a handhold, my fingers scrabbling against the smooth wall as I slid toward the wailing sea of death below.
Something clamped around my wrist, jerking me to a stop. Wide-eyed, I looked up to see Jackal on his stomach, one hand around my arm, his jaw clenched. His face was tight with concentration as he started to pull me up.
A reeking, skeletal body landed on my back, sinking claws into my shoulders, screaming in my ear. I snarled in pain, ducking my head as the rabid tore at my collar, trying to bite my neck. I couldnt do anything, but Jackal reached down with his other hand, drew the katana from its sheath on my back, and plunged it into the rabid. The weight clinging to me dropped away as the rabid screeched and fell back into the mob below, and Jackal yanked me into the tunnel.
I collapsed against the wall, staring at him as he glared down at the rabids. He had just saved my life. Stunned, I watched him approach and hold the katana hilt out to me.
So. His gold eyes shone as he gazed into mine. I think Im entitled to a smart comment or two now, dont you think?
I took the sword numbly. Yeah, I muttered as his smug look faded into something that wasnt completely obnoxious. Thanks.
No problem, little sister. The leer returned, making him look normal again. Comment number onehow much do you weigh to snap the bridge like that? I thought you Asians were supposed to be petite and dainty.
Okay, moment over. I sheathed my blade and glared at him. And here I almost thought you werent a complete bastard.
Well, thats your mistake, not mine. Jackal dusted his hands and gave the edge of the tunnel a rueful look. Shall we continue? Before our friends start climbing each other to get to us? If thats the nest, the lab should be around here somewhere.
A clang from the pit below drew my attention. Walking to the edge, I peered out, just as a rabid landed on the tunnel rim with a snarl. As I snarled back and kicked the thing in the chest, sending it toppling back into the hole, I saw that the catwalk had fallen against the wall of the pit, and that rabids were scrambling up to leap into the tunnel. I drew my katana, slashing another out of the air as it flew at me, howling, but Jackal grabbed the back of my coat, yanking me away.
No time for that! The whole nest will be up here in a second. Come on!
The wails and shrieks intensified as more rabids entered the tunnel, snarling and baring their fangs. I spun, shrugging free of Jackals grip, and we bolted down the passage, the screams of the monsters close behind.
A few miles from the nest, we didnt seem to be any closer to the hidden lab.
Youre just guessing now, arent you? I snapped at Jackal, who shot me an annoyed look over his shoulder as we ran.
Sorry, I didnt see the big X with the words Top Secret Government Laboratory on the map, did you?
A rabid dropped down from a breach overhead, hissing as it landing in front of us. Jackal whirled his ax, striking it under the jaw and smashing it aside, and we continued without slowing down. I could still hear the horde in pursuit, their screams echoing all around us, reverberating from everywhere. We had definitely poked a stick into a wasp nest, stirring them into a frenzy. We were in their world now, and they were closing in.
I snarled at the vampires retreating back. Yeah, well maybe youd like to get that map out so we know where the hell were going!
We ducked through a door frame into yet another narrow cement corridor, rusted beams and pipes lining the walls and ceiling, dripping water on us from above. Jackal yanked the map from his coat and shook it open with a rustle of paper, scowling as the shrieks of the rabids echoed behind us.
All right, where the hell are we? he muttered, squinting at the map in the darkness, eyes narrowed in concentration. I glanced nervously at the hall wed just come through, hearing the rabids draw closer, their claws skittering over the cement. Jackal began walking down the corridor, weaving around fallen beams and pipes, and I followed.
You know theyre right on our tail.
First you want me to look at the map, now youre rushing me along. Make up your mind, sister. He walked by a tall square pillar that jutted out of the wall; two sliding doors stood half-open in the front, and a cold breeze wafted out of the crack. Okay, theres the subway tunnels, Jackal muttered, walking a little faster now, holding the map close to see it in the dark. And theres the entrance we came in wait a second.
He stopped and half turned in the corridor, looking back the way wed come. I followed his gaze, but saw nothing except empty hallway and rusty pipes, though I could still hear the rabids, getting closer.
Um, where are you going? I asked as Jackal began walking again, back toward the approaching horde. Hey, wrong direction! In case you didnt know, we usually want to move away from certain death.
Jackal stopped at the long, square pillar jutting from the wall. Yeah, I thought so, I heard him mutter. This isnt on the map, and there shouldnt be anything down there. Get over here and look at this.
Against my better judgment, I jogged over to where Jackal stood, staring at the doors. Cold, dry air billowed out of a gap that ran down the center, and Jackal gave a snort.
Hes been here.
What? Sarren?
No, the boogeyman. Look. Jackal pointed to the sliding doors. The metal was crumpled along the edges, as if something had slipped ironlike fingers into the seam and pried them open.
I peered through the gap, following the narrow shaft as it plunged into the dark. It was a long, long way down.
A howl rang out behind us, and rabids spilled into the corridor, a pale, hissing flood. They screamed as they spotted us and charged, hurtling themselves over beams and around pipes, their claws sparking against the metal.
Move, sister! Jackals voice boomed through the shaft, making my ears pound, and something shoved me through the opening. I leaped forward, grabbing thick cables as I dropped into the tube, catching myself with a grimace. Jackal squeezed through the doors and, instead of grabbing for the metal ropes, swung himself onto a rusty ladder on one side of the wall. He glanced over his shoulder and grinned at me.
Ill meet you down there.
Youre lucky I cant reach you right now.
Jackal only laughed, but at that moment a rabid slammed into the door frame, hissing and gnashing its fangs across the gap separating us. With a shriek, it sprang forward, soaring through the air, grabbing the cables next to mine. Claws slashed at me, and I yelled, kicking at it as it we hung there, the metal ropes shaking wildly. Curved talons sparked off the cables, and I swung myself around the ropes, out of its reach.
The rabid shimmied through the cables like a grotesque monkey, lunging at my face with fangs bared. With a snarl, I threw up my arm, letting jagged teeth sink into my coat and skin, and then yanked it to the side, ripping the monster off the cables into empty air. It snatched desperately for another rope, missed and plummeted down the shaft, screaming. It was a long time before I heard the faint thud at the bottom.