“We tried,” a soldier said. “They bled too quickly.”
“This is a nightmare,” Quolo said. “A bloody, living nightmare. What did we get dragged into?” Some of the soldiers glanced over.
“We came here together, and we’ll leave together,” Chief Sykes said.
“We need to stay here, where there’s safety,” Quolo said. “We need to regroup a-a-and get a hold of more people. We need more men, more firepower.”
“Calm down. Someone get bandages and antibacterial ointments for him.” Chief Sykes pointed at Quolo. “Now, we suffered some casualties—”
“Some? We lost a lot of men just now, and I’m not sure we’re appropriately equipped for this excursion. We need more men, Chief Sykes. We need more men a-a-and more guns and more bullets!” His eyes were wide open, his expression chaotic. Spittle flew from his dry lips.
“You’re in shock. You need to get bandaged up or you’ll get worse.” Sykes glanced at one of his soldiers. “Have a look at his wounds.”
Quolo’s bottom lip quivered as he stared into the sky.
Chapter 23
Mid-level maintenance decks
Dawn’s Edge
Coyle stepped deeper into the chasm. The opening she’d used far above was barely a pinprick now. Her steps quickened when she heard a scrape against metal. She swore there were more creatures stalking her, but all of it was in her head and she knew it.
Ever since that night with Ronan, she struggled to distinguish between reality and her dark fears. Would it ever end? Could it? The doctors and nuns assured her there was peace to be found. Strength. Courage. But, right now, it was so far away, and she was almost certain she would never reach it. Besides, she certainly didn’t deserve it.
But she was here for a purpose much larger and more important than her fears. Her only hope at this point was to continue down through the ship and find the hangar bay where her friends were. She hoped they were waiting. She hoped there was a way to use the secret message left for her to find. She hoped they could leave this airship.
The ladder led into a much wider space built more like a floor than a simple landing. She gazed at her new surroundings. Machinery twice as tall as her lined the area. Clicking gears, whines and other strange sounds filled with the air.
A flashing light caught her attention and she pulled out her pistol. A pair offices were just in front, and as she drew near, there were new sounds: paper shuffling, someone mumbling. She raised her weapon. The bold, broad glare of someone’s light flashed inside. This wasn’t a creature, but she kept the gun trained on the open door just in case. She eased around to the front of the office and peered inside.
“Stop!” she commanded. “Put your hands in the air where I can see them.”
“Don’t shoot!” a short man said, stepping out. His uniform was filthy. His face, arms and hands were covered in grime.
“Who are you?” Coyle asked.
“Name’s Conroy,” he said. “I’m one of the engineers.”
“What are you doing here, Conroy?” Coyle lowered her weapon. She could tell he was no threat. She didn’t fully trust him, but there was sincerity in his voice. And she was quietly glad she wasn’t alone anymore.
“Depends. Are you with them or someone else?” he asked, lowering his hands.
“Keep your hands up,” Coyle said. “I’m with Treece, and I’m looking for my team. Who else would I be?”
“I know Treece. He’s a good man, but I don’t know the others that took over the ship,” he said, wiping the sweat from his balding head. “I set off an emergency beacon that only Treece would receive. I guess it worked.” His thick mustache lifted in a smile.
“It did.” Coyle put her weapon away. “Is anyone else with you?”
“They’re all gone,” Conroy said, and leaned against the wall. “We heard some distress, and the others went to check. I... I’m a coward. I hid. Strange men in uniforms started going through the offices, searching for more people, I guess. After a while, I snuck down as far as my courage would let me. That’s when I heard the screams, the shouting. I figured that had to be trouble, and my crew never returned. I came back here and activated the beacon.”
“It looks like you made the right choice,” she said. “Which way to the main hangar? We should get to my group.”
Conroy shook his head. “I don’t think that’s the way to go. Too many possibilities of dying that way. Especially with that man and his book.”
“What do you know about the man and his book?” Coyle asked.
“Well, I thought it was my imagination, you know? I heard him talking to a group of people. He said they would be shot unless they listened to something he read out of a book. He told them they were to be Turned. So they got real quiet and listened. I couldn’t hear because I was on the other side of the steel plate. Then I heard... all kinds of voices. Things I’ve never heard in my life.”
“Turned? And? What else happened?”
“Well, the man and someone else, I thought it was a lady, walked out. And then these people became something else. The way they sounded and moved, it was horrible!”
A lady? “Did you see any of these people?” Coyle asked.
“The man with the book called them the Turned, and I wish... I wish I hadn’t seen them.”
“These Turned are between us and the main hanger?”
He nodded. “Yes. I shut the power off, thinking it would slow everything down. But I had another idea.”
“Yes?”
“I don’t know what the man with the book is up to, but if we shut the engines down, then we could stay up here until we’re rescued.”
Coyle chewed on her lip for a few minutes. “That’s an excellent idea, Conroy. If we shut the engines down, we won’t land in Chicago.” She paced a few steps away before facing him. “And we could do this by ourselves?”
“We could try,” he said.
“It sounds like a good plan, but it also sounds like we’ll need my people,” she said. “We’re going to have to get to the main hanger.”
“I don’t know. I don’t know about that,” he said, staring at a set of stairs.
“We have to try,” she said. “Do you have any weapons?”
He shook his head. “No, but I found this iron rod.”
“I think that’ll work just fine,” she said.
“You never told me your name,” he said.
“My name is Coyle,” she said, walking toward the stairs.
“It’s none of my business, but where’s your husband?” he asked.
She shot him a glare before pushing her communications tab.
“This is Coyle on the grand airship Dawn’s Edge. Can anyone hear me?”
Silence.
“This is Coyle. Can anyone hear me? GEM? Detectives? Poes? Bolt? Quolo? Chief Sykes? Anyone?”
Hard static blurred through and then, “Can-fzzzsst-me-ssszzt-whe-fssst.” Static took over for a scant few seconds until the radio went completely silent.
“This is Coyle. Can anyone hear me?”
She shut the static off. “We need to find my team before things get worse.”
Chapter 24
Starboard ballroom
Dawn’s Edge
A knock on the door interrupted Moreci’s thoughts, but he allowed the distraction.
“Sir.” Cavin stepped inside.
“Go ahead, Cavin.”
“We’ve picked up a radio communication from somewhere inside the ship. She was trying to reach members of Treece’s team,” Cavin said.
“She?” Moreci said, glancing at Veiul.
“She identified herself as Coyle, sir. Her attempts were unsuccessful, however, and we believe someone from the train was able to send her communications on a coded radio channel,” he said.
“And we haven’t been picking up these signals?” Moreci stood.
“No, sir. But we were able to jam the transmissions, preventing further communications. Shall I send a unit to inv
estigate?” he asked.
“For one person? No, of course not,” Moreci said.
“Then let me go out there,” Veiul said. “I’ll make sure she gets fed to the wolves.”
“She’s just a simple, washed-out constable, Veiul.” Moreci shook his head. “She’s not a threat.”
“I’ll make sure she isn’t,” Veiul said. “You didn’t let me kill her in Fort Alcatraz. This time, I’ll do her right.”
“Make it quick,” Moreci said. He knew Veiul was a perfectionist, and the past few days weren’t her best.
“How are things in the hangar?” he asked Cavin.
“No word yet, but the effects of the curse should be showing themselves soon,” he answered.
“And the emergency skiff is ready to deploy?” Moreci asked.
“It will be, sir,” Cavin said. “We’re trying to locate the pilots.”
“Thank you. You’re dismissed,” he said, smiling as his plans bloomed into existence.
***
Main hangar bay
How do you feel, Quolo?” Bolt asked. “Need some water?”
“No, thank you,” he said. “I’d like to know when the radio transmissions will be back. Any word on that?” He unstrapped the buckles from his leathers and wiped his sweaty face.
“Chief Sykes and I will be heading to another part of the ship to fix what’s broken.” Bolt glanced around at the others. Men were rubbing their hands for warmth. The wounded were wrapped in blankets. “You sure you’re well?” Bolt asked again. “You look like you have a fever.”
“No, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me,” Quolo said. He pulled open his leather top. “I just need some air is all.”
“Good man,” Bolt said. “We’ll get the radio service up and be back in a jiffy.” He patted Quolo’s shoulder and walked off to talk with the others.
Quolo looked out past the edge of the landing, where peaceful, fluffy clouds touched the peaceful, blue sky. Before they left, the men give brief instructions to those staying behind. Quolo’s eyes grew heavy, but he watched them fade away into the dark before wiping drool from his wet mouth.
Chapter 25
Upper passenger decks
Dawn’s Edge
Conroy knew his way around the ship, and the journey to the lower holds was short. Coyle’s fears were dampened by his company and the knowledge that they would be at the main hangar in a few minutes. The prospect of rejoining her team gave her strength and a hope that things were coming together.
She remembered the two flaming, spinning pods flying through the air, both carrying living people. For the briefest of moments, she allowed herself hope Poes hadn’t been in one of those pods.
“Thank you so much,” Coyle said. “I would have been lost up there.”
“My pleasure, miss,” he said. “I’m sure you would have found the hangar eventually.”
“I’m afraid not,” she said. “Not in the dark, anyway.”
“Looks like you found your way through a lot already, didn’t you?”
She smiled. “I guess I did.”
“What do you do for a living?”
“I was a constable in San Francisco.”
“That sounds tough. You know, my Aunt Rebecca cut her hair and joined the front lines at Gettysburg,” he said. “That’s what I heard, anyway.”
“And how’s your aunt?” she asked.
“She did fine until she was on the wrong side of Pickett’s Charge.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Coyle said.
“Thank you. Just because you were born differently doesn’t mean you can’t get what you want,” he said with a tight smile. “You made it this far. I hope you get whatever it is you’re after.”
She nodded. She hoped for the same thing, of course. This mission in the sky wasn’t what she wanted. It was only a stepping-stone toward becoming a detective—and even that was just another stepping-stone on her path to bringing Ronan to justice.
They had just stepped into the lush, familiar passenger decks when she heard noises.
“Stop,” Conroy said. “Do you hear that?”
“Sounds like a loud party.” Coyle squinted.
“Only there’s no laughter.” Conroy stepped forward into the wide hallway. Long, thin windows lined the wall, and sunlight poured into the dark. “Are they dancing?”
Coyle listened. Sounds of movement were in the rooms beyond. She couldn’t tell if they were dancing or marching or...
“Running,” Coyle said. “They’re running.”
“It’s getting closer,” Conroy said. They stood together and stared down the hallway.
Doors slammed open. The shouts and screams made her blood go cold.
“They’re... they’re covered in blood!” Conroy pointed.
Coyle pulled out her sidearm. The weapon gave her small comfort as the crowd ran toward them.
“Shouldn’t we run as well?” Conroy asked.
“Not yet,” she shouted. “We need to know who our adversaries are and hopefully stop them.”
Men, women, and children rushed past them up the stairs, through open doors, down hallways, anywhere there was an opening. One woman grabbed Coyle, screaming for help, before she ran away with terror in her eyes. The woman had deep, bleeding gouges across her back.
Someone shouted for her gun. She pulled away. Chaos ensued. People swarmed around her, knocking her down. Conroy shouted. Hands grabbed at her from every direction, but she held on to the weapon. And then other noises filled her with dread: shrieking, snarling, howling.
The crowd shrieked. Coyle’s arm was punched and her fingers pried apart until the gun was yanked out of her grip. She pulled herself away. Screams filled the air.
Six shots were fired in rapid succession before the gun was made useless. But the screams, the snarling, and the growling only grew louder. Fear took hold of her mind, and ice water flashed through her nerves. She was weaponless and next to useless now. And, for the hundredth time that day, it seemed she wouldn’t make it out of this alive.
Chapter 26
Upper passenger decks
Dawn’s Edge
The crowd swarmed through halls like a school of fish, running upstairs, downstairs, through ballrooms and kitchens. They had no certain direction; they wandered for mere survival. And Poes ran with them.
The Turned were biting at their heels, and no amount of running seemed to matter. Poes kept his hands on the back of an older woman, guiding and persuading her to keep moving, not daring to glance behind at the snarls and howling.
They were less than a hundred strong, and the ghouls had no trouble thinning them out. People lost their footing, or turned down a seemingly empty passage only to find the Turned waiting to devour them.
A new commotion erupted from somewhere near the front. He happened to eye a large ballroom nearby when he heard shouts of a gun. His hand quickly shot to his hip and made sure it wasn’t his. Within moments, gunfire echoed through the huge hall, making everyone duck. Bullets raced over their heads and into the Turned. And just as quickly, the firing stopped. People poured themselves into adjoining doorways and stairwells when his arm was grabbed. He turned.
“Coyle!” he shouted.
“Poes! We need to get out of here!” she said.
“I thought you were gone forever,” he said.
“The pods? I feared you were gone too,” she said. Poes noticed a rush of color in her cheeks.
He looked around and shoved her into the main ballroom. “Through here. We have to find a way back to the hangar. Quickly!”
They ran together through the chaos of rushing people. A creature slammed into a woman, howling with evil delight. Poes leapt out of the way as another creature grabbed a young man and sank its teeth into his neck. Coyle was knocked to the side, stumbling until she crashed into a table.
Poes finally looked behind, shrinking back. The Turned were everywhere. The closest one followed after Coyle and leapt. They crashed into a table with the
vicious beast on top of her. She grabbed a broken table leg, smashing it across its head. It roared, bleeding from its new wound across its eyes. Its long arms held her down, rearing back its head full of jagged teeth and—
Poes shot it through the skull. Its body fell, and Coyle pushed it aside. Poes helped her up as another Turned bounded closer, swinging its disturbingly long claws.
“Get behind me,” Poes said, grabbing her arm and firing a shot directly between the eyes of the creature. They backed away, heading for another doorway.
“I lost my gun,” she said.
“I have mine.” He flipped a switch and fired. The air filled with blinding particles of light and smoke. The creatures waved at the air, coughing and wailing.
“We have to keep moving,” he said, guiding her away from the madness.
The screams and mayhem grew distant, but they ran for their lives, holding hands. With each door that closed behind them, the cries of the nightmare grew dimmer until, finally, they reached the upper balconies of a theater.
Poes led them to a large private balcony and closed the door. The suite was large enough to accommodate at least a dozen guests. Ambient light filtered down from windows along the sides.
“Coyle,” Poes said. His breathing was strained. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, catching her breath. She leaned over, hands on knees, hair disheveled, scratches covering her leathers.
“What happened to you? Where did you land?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she said. “Somewhere up above.”
“We all thought you were dead,” he said, looking around the room. “The two others, Duone and Vonteg. They died. They died in the air.”
“This is all horrible.” She wiped sweat from her face. “Simply horrible.”
“We tried to take the bridge. But it was a trap. We suffered casualties. Wounds, some too severe to wait until we can get help.”
“Nothing aboard this airship is turning out the way we hoped,” she panted. “What other resources can we look forward to? Who else is coming?”
Coyle and Fang: Curse of Shadows (Coyle and Fang Adventure Series Book 1) Page 20