by Adam Melrose
‘Could just be that the wind is blowing outside, and that it does somehow make its way in here.’
Ava tried not to look too concerned.
‘That’s the problem Matt. The direction of the wind; it’s coming from inside The Portal, it’s behind us.’
One word fell out of Matt’s mouth before he had even noticed. ‘Inside…’
Chapter 24
Matt sat for a moment, trying to process what was happening and to come up with the practical, calm solution that would explain what was going on.
‘So you are saying the wind is blowing one way, and the water is moving in the opposite direction?’
Ava gave a solemn nod, ‘Yes.’
In Max’s head alarm bells were beginning to sound very loudly indeed. He had good sea legs and these dinghies were not even rocking, yet deep in the pit of his stomach he began to feel sick. Properly sick. As he tuned into his body he also noticed his heart was racing. He rubbed his hand along the side of the dinghy, it left a sweat mark. He was sweating and he had not even noticed. His anxiety had built very subtly.
Ava spoke again, ‘So from still air and still water, we now have a breeze and a tidal flow. Since when do tunnels contain their own weather systems?’
Joe, Max and Bruno chorused together in the same slightly stilted voices, ‘They don’t.’
Matt was experiencing the same physiological symptoms Max and the rest of the team were. He had to regain his composure, he had to function properly, he had to ensure their client and his team were OK. From his seated angle, Matt was able to subtly clock Bella’s face and posture without making it obvious. For now, she was either doing a tremendous job of pretending to be calm, or she was oblivious to the impending dilemmas Matt felt sure were on their way. Breathe Holland… breathe, slow small breaths in and out; one, two, one, two… good. Matt could feel his body relax a little. He consciously focused his mind; he wanted the next sentence out of his mouth to be authoritative without being alarmist.
‘Everybody, make sure you are well positioned in your spots, and that you can secure yourself from slipping. Have you all done that?’
He could hear the word yes in six different voices. Good.
‘Captains, more speed now please.’
Two voices came back, both with the same word.
‘Affirmative.’
‘Good.’
Matt turned to look at Bella with purpose. Despite the poor light, she clocked him doing this out of the corner of her eye, and turned to face him as best she could. He had decided to tell a small white lie in an attempt to keep things calm.
‘Bella, I don’t want you to be alarmed, the reason I want us to get out of here quickly, is that I think The Portal floor may have collapsed somewhere behind this roof fall. I think that is why the water is now pouring in that direction. These dinghies are only really for light inland water use, and I don’t want to risk us getting pulled against the bricks at any speed; and then having to swim nearly two miles out of here.’ Matt managed a convincing and reassuring smile.
‘Understood, yes I wouldn’t mind giving a two-mile swim a miss today thanks.’
Her answer seemed to contain enough of a relaxed tone, that Matt took it that, for now anyway, Bella was oblivious to their potential danger.
Matt’s inner monologue was getting more anxious. This bloody Portal, nothing is as it seems. It’s abandoned and yet it’s immaculately maintained, its solid old walls are actually doors; and now we have water pouring towards what should be a solid blockage of brick and mortar. On top of all that, the place now seems to be demonstrating it has its own weather system.
Ava’s choice of one word had triggered Matt’s PTSD and anxiety. Tidal, as in a Shadow Tide? Before he could control his stomach muscles and calm his body, a small amount of sick headed up his throat. Turning away towards the wall, and slowly bending over the edge of the dinghy, Matt got rid of it into the water. Luckily due to the shadows being cast by the beam of the torches, no one had caught sight of what had happened. Bella had her eyes fixed firmly forward. Good.
Matt was just composing himself, when a loud and relatively high pitched beeping sound started echoing around the portal walls right beside them. It was coming from the other dinghy. Matt could see a red flashing light on its outboard motor’s control panel. He was just computing what that might be, when a second almost identical sound started to emit from the dinghy he was in.
‘What does that noise mean?’
‘It’s a low battery indicator, we are both below ten percent and it’s dropping fast. I am not sure we are going to make it all the way on battery power.’ Ava spoke in a manner that didn’t overly hide her concern.
‘Damn.’ Matt thought for a moment.
‘How deep is it here Norton?’
Norton brought out his app, ‘The water level here is six foot and two inches.’
‘OK well we have no option, just keep going for now and let’s think. Ava, anything in your research we can use.”
‘I am afraid not. When The Portal was originally in use, it seemed to be that the bargemen would lie on their backs and walk the barges through, but we can’t do that in these rubber dinghies. That was why this tunnel only operated specially designed tall barges, because of the extra roof height in here.’
Matt rubbed his hair whilst thinking.
‘No worries, sure we will be out of here in ten percent or less.’
Matt’s inner monologue was on a different thought process. Plan B Holland, we are going to need a plan B.
‘Wow… what was that?’
Everyone looked around. Suddenly there was dust in everyone’s hair, and the eyes of those who looked up.
‘What was that enormous thumping sound guys? That sounded like a giant’s footstep. And look at the water; it’s full of vibration waves.’
The torch lights had shown Bruno was now as white as a sheet.
‘I don’t know. Matt, I think we need to leave a little bit quicker if we can.’
Suddenly the water level rose by what felt like several feet in height. Matt had looked to make sure everyone was wearing their lifejackets. He was about to shout to jump for it and swim when he had a falling sensation. He panicked. Had he just blanked out and fallen out of the dinghy? Before he had time to answer, he landed hard on his backside and it really hurt. His brain was now full of confusion. Why did that hurt? Why were his nose and mouth not full of water? He came to quickly. They were all lying in various positions on the portal floor which was totally dry. There was no water anywhere. It had all vanished at once, all of it. Matt leapt to his feet and shouted to check everyone was alright, they were.
Bruno got to his feet.
‘What happened there?’
He was still in his dinghy. He climbed out, the dinghy malformed briefly as his weight was all concentrated in one place, and then popped back into shape as soon as he was out. It looked rather stupid sitting on a stone floor with no water around.
Both outboard motors were higher pitched than they had been, their propellers were just spinning in the fresh air. The noise was adding to the sense of alarm, so they were both instantly shut off.
Joe was already on his feet, brushing himself off having checked Bella was OK first.
‘I don’t know; this place is like some fairground ride from hell. Has it sprung a leak? Where the hell did all that water go, and so quickly too? That has to be some kind of record.’
Max knelt down and put his hand on the floor.
‘Can you feel that vibration? I thought I might just have pins and needles but it’s real. Look at this, the mortar between the tiles on the floor. It isn’t mortar. It’s a grey coloured metal surface with loads of small circular holes. The whole floor is porous.’
Matt’s eyes widened as his brain put the last pieces of guesswork together for what was going on. Alastor’s story about the Shadow Tide didn’t reference a sudden water loss. Perhaps… perhaps there is just a massive collapse somewhere in the portal floor
and it has simply drained. Then again…
‘How far does anyone reckon we are from the exit?’
Bruno was looking at his phone, swiping and typing. He had no idea how it was working in here but he wasn’t about to look this particular gift horse in the mouth.
‘About five minutes, if we move now and we move fast.’
Matt looked around, ‘OK everyone, you heard the man. Let’s move now. OK Bella?’
‘Yes I have started training for the London Marathon so yeah.’
‘After you then. Let’s go. Get anything essential you need from the dinghies and let’s go.’
They began to run, their pace mimicked by the flashlight beams dancing off the walls; Matt offered various motivations to keep the pace up. We might just make it out alive. Matt thought. As he was finishing that thought, an extremely strong, cold and damp wind blew in from behind them, working its damp sensation down their necks. Then it overtook them. It was also heading for the exit.
‘That can’t be good.’ shouted Ava.
No one replied, full agreement was a given. They all kept quiet, conserving energy and concentrating. There was a very real chance one or all of them were not going to make it out alive; especially given what had been released to come and hunt them down. In Matt’s mind he scrambled to remember the name Alastor had given to this wind. It flashed straight into his mind, The Harbinger Breath. The next thing over the top of us is going to be a huge wall of water that has just displaced all that air.
His next thought was even more unsettling. Well at least you got to the bottom of all the previous cases, this is the first fail, but it’s also likely to be the last. Despite building up a sweat with all this running in waterproof suits and lifejackets, Matt shivered at that last thought.
He forced himself to look around to everyone whilst they continued to run for the exit. He clocked Norton moving to take his life jacket off.
Matt’s voice bellowed around the cavernous chamber.
‘Lifejacket’s stay on that includes you Norton. There is every chance we are going to need them shortly. Leave – it – on.’
Meanwhile, Bella found herself nursing a surprisingly calm thought. At least I am about to be with my husband once again. The thought gave her an inner calm, but it also troubled her a little. Was she really done with life to that degree? Was she really that accepting of what she was quite sure was her impending death?
Chapter 25
Matt’s voice pitch altered as people’s voices do when they are running.
‘Everyone OK?’
By now the exit was in clear view.
‘We have about two hundred yards to go, and we are out of here.’
Matt was a bit puzzled. Why didn’t my voice echo? Carefully he looked round. In that instant, every millilitre of his blood ran ice cold. As his eyes turned, he caught sight of the wall. He could see the long shadow that had been described to them by Alastor racing along the wall, swallowing it up in the darkness; a gigantic black liquid wave was closing in on them fast. Jolts of electricity shot down both of Matt’s hands then lingered in his fingertips.
His training kicked in. Better to prepare for the impact, try and protect themselves as much as possible against the inevitable. Matt gave the speech as authoritative and non-alarmist as possible.
‘Try to keep calm, you need your chest to be as relaxed and unrestricted as possible. We are going to get picked up by a wave of water in the moment. When I say ‘now’ slow to a walk and catch your breath as much as possible. When I say ‘brace’ stand still, take in as big a breath as possible and curl yourself up into a ball, protect your head with your arms and hands as best as you can. Try and not go rigid.’
‘Now.’
Matt looked across to the others, to his delight everyone had instantly done what he suggested.
‘Great I…’
As Matt began to congratulate everyone and try and instil any calm that he might be able to, he was knocked off his feet; managing to resist the urge to open his mouth as the shock of the ice-cold water hit him. He hoped the others had equally managed to resist. He felt himself being carried along at high speed. Something that momentarily felt like a boot struck Matt in the head. His last feelings were of a stabbing pain to the back of his head followed by his body going limp. Then – nothing.
Chapter 26
Bella became aware of a pain radiating all over her face. She slowly came to. As she opened her eyes, she could see she was lying on the ground, it was some sort of path. As her vision restored itself, she could see a pair of feet coming towards her. They were clad in some sort of dark coloured work boots. She lifted her gaze. Connected to the boots were a pair of jeans.
She recognised them; she certainly recognised the shape of the thighs in them.
‘Pete… oh thank God.’
Bella forced herself to wake up, and to finally accept this had all been one monstrous dream.
‘Boy have I just had the most bizarre nightmare.’
Bella started to recount to her husband the key points of her ordeal. How she had never been totally sure he was dead given his body was not recognisable, her tracking down her old flame, and how he and his people were helping her solve the mystery surrounding Pete’s clearly now mistaken death. Pete smiled and told her to stay still. He continued to walk towards her. It looked like he was coming from the direction of the portal, but the lights all seemed to be back on. He must have turned them on when looking for her. So he did work here.
Pete told her not to move until a doctor could get to help her. She must conserve her energy. It would all be alright. Bella smiled and nodded very gently; her head was pounding.
‘Promise me Bella, you will not move until help comes.’
‘I promise. I’m just so pleased you’re OK, and that horrendous dream is over.’
Bella started to feel a warm fuzzy feeling flow through her body. It felt like it started in her core and radiated out in all directions. This warm feeling was much stronger than the cosy feeling she often got when being with Pete. Her eyes were closing. She would do as Pete said; it was just great to be back with him alive. She would get well, and put all of this nonsense behind her. If she ever had such a vivid nightmare again, she would seek help for her mental health.
‘Bella…’ She could hear Pete calling her. Bella opened her eyes as much as she could.
‘Yes Pete, I’m doing as you say. I’m staying still. It’s very bright, I have never seen such bright sunshine, I’m sorry I’m squinting.’
‘Bella… wake up. Stay there.’
This time Bella instantly opened her eyes, squinting as she needed to.
‘Stay there, you mean stay here… with you. You’re frightening me Pete, I don’t want to go back to that nightmare, not for another second, please don’t make me; hold my hand.’
Bella relaxed a little as Pete lent forward to take her hand. That would be enough for her, she would close her eyes. She waited a moment, but where there should be a feeling of warmth from another human being, she only felt intense cold. She yelled, then closed and opened her eyes again. This time, there was no bright light, there was no Pete. Everything was still. Bella recognised where she was. She was on the canal towpath, the pain in her face was caused by the beech tree nut husks as they pressed into her skin; there in the distance was the road bridge.
The last thing she wanted to do was yell for help, but something told her she had to. Inhaling as deeply as possible, and focusing on making her voice as loud and carrying as she could; Bella prepared herself to shout as loud as she ever had.
One…two…three… Bella had hoped to count to four, but as she reached three, she felt a blow to the back of her head.
Chapter 27
The next thing Bella was aware of was a familiar smell. One she knew held only negative connotations, though at present she could not place it. The smell grew stronger, it was odd to smell it out here in the fresh air though. A different sensation began to wash over her. W
hat is this feeling? The sensation surged a bit more, then she knew; she was coming round. She would prepare to shout again for help, hopefully someone was going to hear.
Just as Bella was about to attempt her first shout; panic began to set in. Bella was able to work out the panic was being triggered by that smell, but what was it? It was not a smell she was regularly familiar with throughout her life, but still it was extraordinarily strong, and the associations extremely negative.
Oh no, thought Bella, I remember that smell, seeing Pete for the last time, it’s the smell of the morgue. I am dead. I didn’t make it. What happens next? Slowly a light began to filter in, brightening in intensity. A few moments later and Bella’s eyes were opening and she was rapidly becoming aware of her surroundings. First she was aware of the roof, it looked like a generic non-descript roof in a commercial building. It had commercial light fittings recessed into the roof, and there were a couple of smoke detectors, the type you only really see in hotels and office buildings. Well I can’t be dead yet then. Unless… surely the afterlife doesn’t come with the same fixtures and fittings as normal life on earth?
She felt her left hand tighten.
‘Bella? Nurse, I think she is coming round.’
Bella recognised the voice instantly, ‘Max – is that you?’
‘Yes Bella, I’m here, you’re going to be OK, you’re in hospital.’
Bella opened her eyes.
‘Max – oh thank God you are OK. What happened?’
‘Shhh Bella, just rest, the nurse is coming, but you need to lie still.’
Bella wanted to make sure she was OK for herself. She wiggled her toes and could feel them all; she could wiggle her fingers also. She took from that she was not paralysed, so that would do for now. She totally relaxed. Her brain was now awash with activity as she slowly came back to being properly awake. Pete was dead – she had employed Max – the portal – the Shadow Tide…
Bella felt her energy draining again.