I motioned everyone away. “If there’s one thing I learned from my good buddy Slate, it’s to shoot first and apologize later.” When they were all clear, I fired the pulse rifle, blasting a hole in the slab. I aimed and pulled the trigger again, making a large enough opening to crawl through.
Loweck grinned at me. “Slate would be so proud.”
“Let’s not waste any more time,” I said, and saw Suma had Jules at her side. We entered the palace, unsure of what we were walking into but hopeful we’d find a clue to the cure of the frozen, shrunken world.
I flicked my flashlight on and scanned the foyer, startled to see it was far more futuristic than I’d expected. The exterior of the hillside building was archaic, rustic even; but inside, the floors were a shiny white material, and computer screens were inset into walls, each of them powered off long ago. An elevator centered the room, and I walked over to it, trying to press it open.
“It’s dead too,” I told them. Whatever was meant to control this palace was no longer active, though that wasn’t much of a surprise.
“What’s the plan?” Walo asked, her big wasp eyes bouncing around the room, following her flashlight beam.
“Split up?” Rivo asked.
I shook my head, remembering too clearly what happened any time we did that. The end result was always someone being hurt or caught. “No. We stay together.” I glanced at Jules, who was walking toward the left side of the foyer. I watched as she reached a doorway, and I joined her, peering through a glass window into the corridor beyond. I shone my flashlight there, and found steps lowering into the ground.
“This might give us access to the tunnels below the city,” I said.
Jules nodded.
“Is that where we need to go?” I asked her, and her head lifted. I called for the others. “Let’s try in here. See if this leads to the tunnels.”
“Good idea. Whatever we’re looking for will likely be tucked away, not out in the open,” Suma said.
I was amazed how few questions we were hearing from the team, and realized they must all know about Jules’ premonitions and abilities. Otherwise, I’d be bombarded with queries of what we were doing here, and why. I noticed Rivo staring at Jules, and knew there was no sense in hiding it any longer. I already trusted our lives in the hands of the team, and they trusted us with theirs. Why shouldn’t they know the truth?
“Guys, I think you should know…” The building shook: a slow vibration at first, then something stronger.
“What is that?” Suma asked, and I glanced up to the rattling ceiling twenty feet above us. Dust and debris floated in the air, spreading like ash from a volcano.
“There’s something up there,” I said. When everything ceased moving, I heard the footsteps, each one jarring more stucco free from above. “Let’s move.”
“What do you think that was?” Rivo asked, her face a lighter shade of blue.
“I don’t know, but it’s big,” Loweck said.
We pushed through the corridor’s doorway, the hinges giving way after Loweck helped, and I found a latch on the other side. When we were all through, I flipped the lock with a last glance toward the foyer’s ceiling. I wanted to step away from whatever caused that shaking as quickly as possible.
Jules kept peeking over her shoulder as we took the steps lower and lower, ever descending through the ground level toward the tunnels. It didn’t take long to reach the last of the steps, which were carved out of the stone under the hilly landscape.
“Dean, it’s a dead end,” Suma said. The room was dark save our flashlight beams, and all of them settled on the collapse at the edge of the tunnel entrance.
I considered blasting through them, but it might cause more of a hazard. I couldn’t risk it. “We’ll have to turn around,” I said.
“There has to be another way,” Loweck suggested.
Walo’s gaze met mine in the dimly lit corridor. “The elevator,” she said.
“But the power’s out,” I reminded her.
Suma smiled at us. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t pry it open and rappel down the shaft.”
“Great. This is going from bad to worse,” I told her. None of this seemed like a huge deal, especially if it were only Slate, Mary, and me, but with my daughter here, it made everything more challenging. “Okay, we have no choice.”
With reluctance, we returned to the foyer and crossed the room to the elevator shaft. The sound from upstairs had ceased, and I wondered what could be living up there. Surely it was robotic; otherwise, it would have to eat and drink to survive inside the hillside palace. I really didn’t want to be attacked by a giant robot at the moment… or ever.
Loweck and Walo were already attempting to pry open the elevator doors, and once they gained a little purchase, I gave them a hand. Loweck did the majority of the heavy lifting, and soon the smooth white elevator doors spread wide, revealing an empty shaft. I was glad the elevator lift was on another floor; otherwise it would have been more difficult.
Jules stood at the edge, and she gulped deeply. I noticed her peering up toward the second floor nervously. “We’ll be okay,” I told her, but my calming words didn’t appear to help her relax.
Loweck pulled a cord on a reel from her pack and clipped it around a bannister on the other side of the foyer. I did the same, clipping it to my breastplate.
“You three stay here,” I told Walo, Rivo, and Suma. “We only have two tethers, and if…” I glanced upwards. “If anything comes after us, you’ll need to stop it.”
Walo looked ready, but Suma was clearly angry we were splitting up. “Are you taking Jules?”
In answer, I grabbed hold of my daughter, and Loweck and I stepped to the ledge of the elevator shaft. We tested the lines, making sure they were taut, and we began to slowly rappel down the smooth metallic surface toward the lower level.
It was dark, but Suma and Walo helped by shining their lights into the shaft as our hands were occupied, and two minutes later, my feet found the ground. I set Jules on her feet and unclasped my rope, Loweck doing the same.
“Thanks for the help,” I called to the three above, and Loweck and I tried to pry the doors open on the tunnel level. It didn’t budge.
“Damn it!” Loweck kicked the door, adding a slight dent to the exterior. “Whatever’s inside this underground system doesn’t want us here.”
“We could leave and make another trip with better tools and reinforcements. It really doesn’t matter if we wait another day,” I said, suddenly feeling the urge to leave this palace and city altogether. Maybe Jules, Mary, and I could take Hugo and use the portal on the Horizon to go visit Earth for a night. We hadn’t been to our home there in ages, and Hugo could be introduced our home world. We could show him off to the Empress in Egypt and to Paul at his commune in Central Park.
“Dean, something’s happening,” Loweck said softly.
Jules was lifting her hands, and she clapped them hard, the slap echoing in the shaft. She started to pry them apart, and the doors followed suit, sliding wide.
Loweck had her pulse rifle up, and I pulled Jules aside, shielding her with my body. Nothing happened.
I spun around, using my flashlight to see beyond the open doors, revealing the stone pathway we’d expected. Nothing more.
Loweck stared at Jules, then at me, and patted my forearm. “Let’s check this out.” She lifted her head and called to the others on the main floor. “We’re in.”
I tapped my earpiece and tested it. “Suma, can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear,” she replied.
“We’re now entering the tunnel system.” I stepped through, keeping Jules behind me. She’d just used her abilities in front of Loweck, but I wasn’t upset with her. She was going with her gut instincts, and I could only trust they were correct.
The pathway was wide enough for all three of us to walk side by side in a row, Loweck on the right, Jules between us. “We’re moving through the corridor,” I told the others throu
gh my earpiece. “There’s nothing but stone all around us.” The tunnel headed in a descending pitch, and eventually, it led us to another room. This one was circular, a domed cavern, and there were five doorways leading away from it.
“Which path do we take?” Loweck asked.
Jules and I walked over to the first one, on the right of the domed room, and I saw that light from outside was cascading toward the floor. “This is where the ground fell under Jules from the surface of the city.”
Loweck nodded, and we checked the next corridor.
“Dean, the room is shaking again,” Suma’s concerned voice carried through my earpiece.
“Stay put. We’ll try to be quick,” I assured her, and even through the headphone, I heard the tearing of the door.
“Dean, it’s coming!” she shouted as the ground in the domed room bucked, sending dormant dust into the air.
“Suma!” I shouted, but she didn’t reply.
Loweck ran to the doorway leading to the palace and stood there, her pulse rifle in one hand and an energy net in the other. “If anything comes by here, I’ll trap it. You can cover me!” she shouted at me, and I grabbed Jules, setting her safely inside one of the doorways.
I knelt on the ground and held her by the shoulders, staring into her eyes. “Jules, you stay put. Papa will be right back.”
“Okay. Be careful,” she said softly, her big eyes sparkling green.
“I will,” I reaffirmed and ran away, leaving her alone in the corridor. “Anything yet?” I asked Loweck, who shook her head in return.
“Suma. Rivo. Walo, come in.” I tapped the earpiece and finally heard a voice.
“…animal… claws… Walo’s hurt…”
“What?” I asked. “What is it?”
“Coming your way…. Sorry…” The transmission went dead, and I warned Loweck.
“Something big’s coming this way,” I whispered, and we felt each of the animal’s steps as the entire corridor shook violently.
Our flashlights were aimed at the tunnel, and the moment I saw it, I wanted to turn and run. But my daughter needed my protection, so I kept my feet planted. Loweck was in front and to my left.
The creature was immense, dark brown in color, and all arms and legs. It lumbered through the tunnel, brushing against the walls and ceiling as it rushed toward us clumsily. The roar that emanated from its mouth was terrifying, and I jumped in fear.
“Hold position,” Loweck said, the energy barrier glowing in her palm. “Hold…” I heard her counting down as the monster neared. It was only twenty feet away now, and I could smell it: the pungent musty odor of a stagnant bog. Its face was droopy, like a melted candle’s side, its eyes huge and bloodshot. A wide mouth opened up to reveal sharp yellow teeth. It almost seemed shocked at finding us there, and it slowed as Loweck threw the energy barrier.
The light flashed, and I expected the barrier to hold it there, keeping us safe. Instead, it had missed. The barrier flickered brightly and failed, leaving a startled brown monster with six thick, wet arms staring at us from a short distance away.
Loweck fired the pulse rifle, and the creature shrieked as the beam hit its broad chest. She fired again, but it still lunged toward us, heavy footsteps increasing in speed as it approached. Its arrival pushed us back, and I stumbled, firing my rifle at it over and over. It kept coming.
I noticed Jules then, racing around the edge of the dome, keeping to the far wall. I wanted to shout at her to stay put, but I also didn’t want the thing noticing the small girl. I had to distract it.
The creature took another shot to the chest; the smell of burning hair filled my nostrils. Loweck tried to fire again, but one of its thick, slimy arms stretched out, swiping her weapon to the ground. She fought hard, kicking at its legs. The impact did nothing, and it struck her again, knocking her aside. I fired from my seated position, the shot going awry.
Jules was in the doorway where the creature had first emerged, and I saw the energy barrier in her tiny grip. Her eyes were open wide, a mask of terror on her face. I saw her stare at the device and, seconds later, press the activation button.
The creature moved toward Loweck, and I fired again, hitting it in a leg. Loweck kicked out, hitting it in the stomach without effect. The creature was eight feet tall, and as wide as a redwood.
It lifted two arms and smashed them toward Loweck. She barely rolled away in time, and the ground cracked open on impact. The creature shouted and tried again, while I fired at its rear, finally on my feet. It turned to face me instead, and ran toward me with a huge fist cocked.
“Papa, duck!” Jules shouted, and I listened. She threw the energy barrier at exactly the right moment, and the blue light enveloped the monster, capturing it in a powerful trap. It fell forward and into the wall before sliding to the floor in a daze.
The barrier stayed activated this time, and I rushed over to Loweck’s side. She was breathing heavily, and she rolled to her side, smiling through the pain.
“We got him?” she asked, squinting over my shoulder at the unconscious beast.
“We got him,” I said. Jules stood a distance from the giant dangerous creature and shuffled away.
“This one,” she said, pointing at the third door. She walked out of the domed room, and I called after her to wait for us while helping Loweck to her feet.
“Quite the kid you have there, Dean,” Loweck said.
“Don’t I know it.”
Twenty-Five
“Dean! Loweck!” Suma’s voice called from a distance. I stopped to wait for them, and there they came: Rivo, Walo, and Suma, all armed and ready to fight. They saw the violent creature captured in the energy barrier, and they each walked the long way around his unmoving body to reach us.
“I told you to stay up there,” I said.
“Like you can blame us for helping,” Rivo said. Walo was holding her left arm to her chest, and I saw the gash across her bicep.
“Are you guys able to continue?” Loweck asked.
“It’s not as bad as it seems. I have a patch kit,” Walo told us.
“Your grandfather would be proud of you, Walo,” I told her. It was clear that the Supreme had a strong lineage. They were night and day from the likes of Sergo. I wondered how the girl had fallen for the thief’s wiles in the first place.
“Thank you,” she said, cringing as we walked.
“Do we know where we’re going?” Suma asked. All five flashlights were casting shadows along the walls as we walked deeper underground, following the tunnels. If I wasn’t mistaken, we were moving toward the oceanside.
“Jules?” I asked.
“I can hear one of them,” Jules told me.
“Who?”
“The little people. Only here, he’s not little,” she said, and I shrugged when Loweck met my gaze.
“How much farther?” Rivo asked her.
“We’re almost there.” Jules was walking quickly, her short legs pumping toward her mission.
It was only a couple more minutes before we found an end to the tunnel, and Jules stopped abruptly, nearly causing me to bowl her over. “What is it, honey?”
“He’s inside,” she said, pointing at the dark entrance.
The place was muted, the air stale and dead. I tried to take a full breath but found I wasn’t able to.
Suma’s snout twitched unconsciously. “What is this place?”
We all stayed motionless, none willing to test the odd boundary between our corridor and the strange room beyond. Jules was sure that what we were seeking was past the doorway, but even she watched me with fear in her eyes.
“I’ll go,” I said, and Loweck nodded.
“I’ll come too,” she said. “Slate would never let me live it down if something happened to you.”
I couldn’t argue with her, because there’d be no winning that conversation. I flicked my flashlight on, but the beam didn’t work inside the room. “What kind of magic is this?” I asked.
Loweck attempt
ed to use her light, and the beam cast out, aiming for the doorway, but it fell flat, stopping at the entrance.
“I don’t know,” Suma said. She stepped around us and pressed her hand into the room. There was no barrier, no invisible wall to speak of.
“Jules, stay here,” I warned my daughter, and she kept silent. I didn’t think she’d let me pull her through the entrance even if I wanted to.
Loweck took the first step, and I remained close. Once I moved through the opening and into the room, the feeling of dread and staleness evaporated. I craned my neck around, now finding the hallway that had led us there was dark. I thought I could see the shadows of my girl and the other team members, but I couldn’t distinguish their features.
“Let’s hurry,” Loweck said.
The room was open, rock-walled and dirt-floored. A dim light emanated from the far edge, and that was where we went.
I spotted the figure frozen in time, his hands outstretched in fear. His face was pink, his lips red, and unmoving over-sized almond-shaped eyes stared blankly toward us. His head was elongated, his limbs long and gangly. He wasn’t in a container like the victims on the Collector’s ship had been. He was static, solid, and trapped.
A device was powered up behind him. It was the size of a mouse, and a yellow glow shone around it. This was the only thing out of place in the room, besides the alien man in front of us.
Loweck crouched, picking it up. “This has to do something.”
“Be careful,” I said, but it was too late. She’d already found the off switch. The alien stumbled forward, shouting the tail end of a sentence.
His words were foreign, but my translator went to work and my earpiece relayed the message. “…can’t do this!”
I grabbed hold of the alien. His shirt was soft, a shimmering brown material. Short dirty-blond hair spiked up from his lengthy head. He noticed me and shuddered, attempting to scrabble away.
“You’re okay,” I said.
He spoke again, my translator picking up the words. “What is happening? Where is Khozal?”
New Horizon (The Survivors Book Nine) Page 21